We’ve all heard the saying, “everyone makes mistakes.” But when you’re the one who’s to blame, it’s can be harder to remember that you’re not alone. Over the past two years working in a lab at UConn, I’ve made many mistakes and been forced to face the consequences. In this post, I share with you some of my biggest ones in the hopes that we can all feel a little less alone the next time we mess up. Continue reading
Congratulations to the 11 UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the fall 2018 funding cycle!
The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines, from English to materials science, and from biological sciences to design and technical theater. They will conduct independent research, develop creative works in different media, and initiate programs that engage the University community.
Click here to view the full list of fall 2018 UConn IDEA Grant award recipients.
Special thanks to the faculty and staff that supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects.
The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, research projects, prototyping and entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project. The next application deadline is March 11, 2019.
Since finishing a research apprenticeship with a faculty mentor I have wanted to start my own research project, but I have struggled to figure out how. I’ve known for a while that I want to explore ways to utilize photography to help with environmental efforts to preserve natural parks and resources in the West, but it seemed like an enormous project to even begin. I became overwhelmed as I tried looking into past studies, professors on campus who work in this area, and even explored internships, yet it just was not coming together. Continue reading
Undecided about how to spend your summer? Consider an undergraduate research program or research internship hosted by a research institute or university. Many summer research programs and internships, including those listed below, are accepting applications through late February or early March. There is still time to prepare a personal statement, gather application materials, and secure letters of recommendation.
Nanotechnology for Health, Energy, and the Environment – Stony Brook University
Deadline: February 15, 2019
https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/cie/reu/
This summer REU program is targeted towards undergraduates with an interest in the application of nanotechnology and nanomaterials to various societal needs. Undergraduate STEM majors who have completed at least one year of undergraduate study are eligible to apply. $4,000 stipend, free housing and a meal plan. Stipend $600/week for the 12-week internship period.
Robert Frederick Smith Internship Program – Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture
Deadline: February 15, 2019
https://nmaahc.si.edu/connect/osp/robert-frederick-smith-fund-internship-and-fellowship-program
Internship opportunities through this program focus on digital imaging, media preservation, digital preservation of personal and community objects, collections information management, and recording and preserving oral histories. Interns will be located onsite with the National Museum of African American History & Culture and offsite at select African American museums, museums of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and other institutions dedicated to preserving African American history and culture.
Maryland Sea Grant REU Program
Deadline: February 16, 2019
http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/research-experiences-undergraduates/research-experiences-undergraduates
Fifteen students are selected to conduct marine research on the Chesapeake Bay at one of two University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences laboratories. The program is designed for students majoring in marine science, ecology, environmental science, biology and chemistry. Preference given to students who are rising seniors. $6,000 stipend and housing costs are provided.
Summer Internships in Plant Health – Kansas State University
Deadline: February 18, 2019
https://www.plantpath.k-state.edu/undergraduate/reeu/index.html
The program is designed for students with an interest in plant pathology, horticulture, crop genetics, entomology, or agronomy. Students must identify the projects they are most interested in working on as part of the application process. This Research and Extension Experience (REEU) program is funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. $4,900 stipend, housing, and meals provided.
Microbial Friends & Foes REU Program – Cornell University
Deadline: February 21, 2019
http://cihmid.cornell.edu/reu-mff.html
Students selected for this REU program will work with faculty mentors in the Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease (CIHMID). The program provides training in the concepts and experimental approaches needed to understand microbial interactions with eukaryotic hosts. Stipend of $5,750, on-campus housing, and meal allowance.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Oceanography – University of Rhode Island
Deadline: February 21, 2019
https://web.uri.edu/gso/academics/surfo/
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography program is a 10-week research experience designed for science, math, and engineering students who will be seniors in Fall 2019. The program emphasizes the quantitative aspects of Oceanography; many projects involve fluid dynamics, marine geophysics, or numerical/physical modeling. $5,500 stipend.
Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program (MAOP) Undergraduate Summer Research Internship – Virginia Tech
Deadline: 5pm, February 22, 2019
https://maop.vt.edu/Undergraduate_programs/summer_research.html
This program provides undergraduates from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Wide variety of academic disciplines; $3,000 stipend, free on-campus room and board. Applicants should be rising sophomores and juniors.
Analytical Studies Intern Program – Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute (MCI)
Deadline: February 25, 2019
https://www.si.edu/mci/english/professional_development/2019AnalyticalStudiesInternProgram.html
These 10-week summer internships offer undergraduates the opportunity to work on research projects with staff in MCI’s technical studies and research group. MCI is the center for specialized technical collections research and conservation for all Smithsonian museums and research centers. Applicants should specify preferred advisors (from the list on the website) in their applications.
Dangremond Museum Studies Internship – Connecticut Historical Society
Deadline: March 8, 2019
https://chs.org/support-ct-historical/volunteer/dangremond-museum-studies-internship/
This internship offer undergraduates the opportunity to gain exposure to and experience in the daily operation of a history museum, library, and research center. Selected interns will work closely with museum professionals to gain a deeper understanding of the museum, library and history fields. Interns must complete 250 hours of work. $1,700 stipend.
Opportunity Description
This is an opportunity to learn some of the computational and bioinformatic tools used in genomics.
The project is to study the genetic basis of evolutionary adaptation using whole genome sequence data and functional genomic data (RNA-seq). The study system is a pair of coastal fish species in the genus Fundulus that inhabit a wide range of salinities. A probable chromosomal inversion exists which is shared by the two species, associated with environmental salinity and encompasses a critical osmoregulatory gene. The project will confirm the presence of the inversion and analyze genetic and gene expression data from genes it encompasses from multiple populations of each species.
The work is entirely computational in nature, as the data have already been collected. The student would be expected to learn the basics of analyzing genetic variation data, gene expression data, and identifying structural variants from whole genome sequence data.
The expected time commitment would be 10-15 hours per week. Taking the project to completion would likely require two semesters.
Student Qualifications
Applicants should have some prior experience using the linux command line interface, and ideally some experience with the statistical computing language R. Prior coursework should include genetics.
How to Apply
Available immediately.
Please contact Noah Reid at noah.reid@uconn.edu
Applicants should submit a resume, and explain relevant coursework and prior experience related to bioinformatics (e.g. experience using command line interfaces, scripting languages, etc).
Mentor: Noah Reid, Assistant Research Professor
Department: Molecular and Cell Biology
Email: noah.reid@uconn.edu
Timing: Spring 2019
Campus: Storrs
The Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the next phase of the Health Research Program (HRP). This program offers a pathway into undergraduate research for students with interests in health and/or the biomedical sciences. By facilitating connections between UConn Health researchers and UConn undergraduates, the program aims to involve more students in research at UConn Health.
For students interested in participating in this program for Summer 2019, here is the key information:
Further details and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Health Research Program website. Students are encouraged to peruse the posted opportunities and begin preparing application materials for any placements of interest. We urge students to take care to consider the time commitment and schedule options involved in a given opportunity to ensure that they can accommodate these demands in their summer and academic year schedule.
Interested in spending the summer engaged in an exciting research project? Although February is fast approaching, there is still time to apply for summer research opportunities in a variety of areas including those listed below with February deadlines.
Amgen Scholars Program
The Amgen Scholars Program, a competitive summer program providing undergraduate students the opportunity to work full-time on independent research projects under the guidance of a research scientist, is hosted at thirteen institutions in the United States. Each host institution has its own application process; visit the links below for information on each institution’s program. The application deadline for all programs (except Caltech) is February 1, 2019. Applications for the Caltech program are due February 15th. Amgen research is conducted in fields including biochemistry, bioinformatics, biotechnology, chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, immunology, medical pharmacology, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular genetics, molecular medicine, molecular pharmacology, neurobiology, neuroscience, pathology, physiological psychology, physiological science, statistics, and toxicology. Funding levels vary by program but most include a stipend (between $3,500 and $6,500), a housing and/or meal allowance, and travel expenses.
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience – University at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Deadline: February 1, 2019
http://medicine.buffalo.edu/education/undergraduate/sure.html
The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences offers a summer undergraduate research program for students in their junior year (at the time of application). Offers extended to only 6-8 students; $3,500 stipend and housing provided.
Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship Program (BESIP)
Deadline: February 2, 2019
https://www.nibib.nih.gov/training-careers/undergraduate-graduate/biomedical-engineering-summer-internship-program-besip
This program, sponsored by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), is targeted at undergraduate biomedical engineering students who will be between their junior and senior years in summer 2019. This program is a subprogram of the Summer Internship Program (SIP). Students will participate in biomedical research projects under the direction of scientists at NIH laboratories in Bethesda, MD.
UCSD MSTP Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program
Deadline: February 4, 2019
http://mstp.ucsd.edu/surf/Pages/default.aspx
The Medical Scientist Training Program at UC San Diego is designed for students interested in learning about a career as a physician-scientist. The program features an 8-week research project, weekly seminars, and a physician-scientist clinical shadowing experience. Students from groups underrepresented in health-related sciences and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. $3,200 stipend and room provided.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Deadline: February 4, 2019
http://www.upstate.edu/grad/programs/summer.php
This 10-week summer research program is for students majoring in chemistry, biology, or a related field. Applicants should be between their junior and senior years (in Summer 2019) and have a strong interest in pursuing post undergraduate study. Students should be specifically interested in pursuing a PhD, MS, MD, MD/PhD, DNP, DPT, MPH, or PA. $3,500 stipend and housing provided.
Hartford Hospital Summer Student Pre-Med & Research Program
Deadline: February 6, 2019
https://hartfordhospital.org/health-professionals/education/residencies-fellowships/summer-student-pre-med-research-program
This 10-week program offers pre-med students an introduction to research methodology, patient treatment, and ethical issues in medicine. Applicants must be pre-med students completing their junior year as of May 2019. $2,600 award for selected students.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – UT Southwestern Medical Center
Deadline: February 9, 2019
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/graduate-school/programs/non-degree-programs/surf.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at UT Southwestern’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is designed for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. career in biomedical research. Applicants to this 10-week program must have completed their sophomore year in an undergraduate science degree program. $4,000 stipend.
Quantitative and Physical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (QP-SURF) Program – UT Southwestern Medical Center
Deadline: February 9, 2019
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/graduate-school/programs/non-degree-programs/qp-surf.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at UT Southwestern’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is designed for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. career in biomedical research. Applicants must be enrolled in a physics, computer science, mathematics, biomedical engineering, or chemistry degree program and have completed their sophomore year. $4,000 stipend.
Montgomery Summer Research Diversity Fellowships in Law and Social Science
Deadline: February 15, 2019
http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/research/Fellowshipopportunities/SummerResearchDiversityFellowshipsinLawandSocialScience.html
The American Bar Foundation sponsors a program of summer research fellowships. The summer program is designed to introduce students from diverse backgrounds to the benefits of a research-oriented career in the field of law and social science. Open to students who will have completed at least two years of undergraduate study by the time the fellowship begins. Selected students will receive a stipend of $3,600.
Building Diversity in Biomedical Sciences – Summer Research Program at Tufts University School of Medicine
Deadline: February 15, 2019
https://sackler.tufts.edu/admissions/nonDegreePrograms/BDBS
The Building Diversity in Biomedical Sciences (BDBS) Program offers a 10-week, mentored research experience for students interested in pursuing a PhD or MD/PhD. Participants in the program also receive training in written and oral communication of scientific data and learn about careers in biomedical science through workshops. Stipend of $4,000, on-campus housing and travel expenses within the US are provided.
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center REU at Northwestern University
Deadline: February 15, 2019
http://mrsec.northwestern.edu/undergraduate-opportunities/
REU students will have the opportunity to contribute to a research project led by a center faculty member expanding their science and engineering experience. Students with an interest in nanomaterials and majoring in a science or engineering field are encouraged to apply. Participants receive a $4,500 stipend, a travel allowance, and on-campus housing.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Summer Student Fellowship
Deadline: February 15, 2019
http://www.whoi.edu/main/summer-student-fellowship
The Summer Student Fellowship provides undergraduates with an interest in ocean sciences, oceanographic engineering, mathematics, or marine policy with a meaningful first-hand introduction to research in those areas. Students who have completed their junior year prior to the start of fellowship period in summer 2018 are eligible to apply. Stipend of approximately $600/week for 10-12 weeks and institutional housing provided.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences REU Program
Deadline: February 15, 2019
http://www.bigelow.org/education/reu/
This highly competitive, 10-week REU program pairs students with scientist mentors for a hands-on, independent research experience. Student applicants should have a minimum of one year of basic biology and at least one earth or ocean science course. Housing and $5,000 stipend provided.
Molecular Biology REU at the Ohio State University
Deadline: February 15, 2019
https://molgen.osu.edu/research-experience-undergraduates
This NSF-funded research program is hosted by the Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and the Division of Biochemistry at Ohio State. Selected students will receive a $5,250 stipend and university housing. Students from groups historically underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply.
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship Program
Deadline: February 15, 2019
https://serc.si.edu/pro_training/internships/projectmenu.aspx
This 10-week program provides undergraduate students the opportunity to work on independent research under the direction of a SERC mentor. Research areas include environmental chemistry, marine and estuarine ecology, molecular ecology, and terrestrial ecology. Stipend $550/week.
Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments in summer and fall 2018. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.
PUBLICATIONS
Keara Frawley ’18 (ENG) was first author on a recent publication from Dr. Seok-Woo Lee’s lab and her paper is featured in the journal cover:
Frawley, K.G., Bakst, I., Sypek, J.T., Vijayan, S., Weinberger, C.R., Canfield, P.C., Aindow, M., & Lee, S. (2018). A Nanoindentation Study of the Plastic Deformation and Fracture Mechanisms in Single-Crystalline CaFe2As2. The Journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 70(7). doi: 10.1007/s11837-018-2851-y
William Hunt ’19 (ENG) was a co-author on a recent publication from Dr. Kevin Brown’s (Biomedical Engineering) research group:
Brown, K.S., Allopenna, P.D., Hunt, W.R., Steiner, R., Saltzman, E., McRae, K., & Magnuson, J.S. (2018). Universal Features in Phonological Neighbor Networks. Entropy, 20(7), 526; doi: 10.3390/e20070526
Craig Mendonca ’18 (CLAS) worked in the Gene Therapy Center in Dr. Guangping Gao’s lab at UMass Medical School. Craig was a co-author on a recent publication from this research internship:
Wang, D., Li, J, Song, C.Q., Tran, K., Mou, H., Wu, P.H., Tai, P.W.L., Mendonca, C.A., Ren, L., Wang, B.Y., Su, Q., Gessler, D.J., Zamore, P.D., Xue, W., & Gao, G. (2018). Cas9-mediated allelic exchange repairs compound heterozygous recessive mutations in mice. Nature Biotechnology, 36. doi: 10.1038/nbt.4219
Kathleen Renna ’20 (CAHNR), an undergraduate in the Health Research Program, and Yue (Jacky) Yang ’19 (ENG), a 2018 SURF student, were co-authors on a recent publication based on research conducted with Dr. Ephraim Trakhtenberg at UConn Health:
Rheaume, B.A., Jereen, A., Bolisetty, M., Sajid, M.S., Yang, Y., Renna, K., Sun, L., Robson, P., & Trakhtenberg, E.F. (2018). Single Cell Transcriptome Profiling of Retinal Ganglion Cells Identifies Cellular Subtypes. Nature Communications, 9(1). doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05134-3
SUMMER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Jiana Baker ’20 (CLAS) conducted research in Dr. Sangamesh Kumbar’s lab in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UConn Health through the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Summer Research Fellowship Program. Jiana presented her work “Novel Polymer-Nanotube Composites: Small Molecule Drug Delivery Systems for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration” at the HCOP poster session.
Claudia Fernanda Pena-Sulantay ’20 (ENG) spent her summer in Nove Hrady, Czech Republic, engaged in a research project at the Center for Nanobiology and Structural Biology (CNSB). Her work on the project “Structural and functional analysis of the yeast K+ translocation system(s) encoded by TRK1 and TRK 2 genes” was part of the REU program in Molecular Biophysics sponsored by Princeton University.
Tanya Miller ’20 (CLAS) engaged in structural biology research at the Laboratory of Structural Biology which is part of BIOCEV, the Biotechnology and Biomedicine Center of the Academy of Sciences and Charles University in Vestec, Czech Republic. She was supervised by Dr. Cyril Barinka during the 5-week summer program.
PRESENTATIONS
Galaxy Community Conference-Bioinformatics Open Source Conference – June 25-30, 2018 – Portland, OR
Peter Richter ’19 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Collecting Data for Association Genetics: Tripal Plant PopGen Submit Pipeline
American Society of Animal Science – Canadian Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting and Trade Show – July 8-12, 2018 – Vancouver, British Columbia
Lauren Engels ’19 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel recipient
The Effects of Poor Maternal Nutrition on Fetal Brain Development
Helenrose Iannitti ’19 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel recipient
Effects of Poor Maternal Nutrition during Gestation on Oxidative Stress in Offspring Muscle
Veronica Pleasant ’19 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel recipient
The Effects of Maternal Milk Production on Dairy Calf Growth and Health
SACNAS 2018 – The National Diversity in STEM Conference – October 11-13, 2018 – San Antonio, TX
Vinayak Mishra ’21 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Cellular Response to Biodegradable Stent in Vascular Bioreactor
Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting – October 17-20, 2018 – Atlanta, GA
Amanda Johnson ’19 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Assembly of Compact Neurostimulator Circuit Board for Neuroprosthetic Applications
Alexandra Liberti ’19 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Characterization of Tissue Response in Rodent Spinal Cords by Immunofluorescence Staining
Fawaz Mohsin ’21 (ENG & BUS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Vascular Laser Thermolysis of Blood Vessels Varying in Size
Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Annual Meeting – November 3-7, 2018 – San Diego, CA
Skyler Sklenarik ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Behavioral Biases in People at Risk for Problematic Gambling and Pornography Use
Nathalia Hernandez ’20 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Observational Learning in Rats: Effects of Number and Quality of Observations
Kyrstyn Jenkins ’20 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Evaluating Mechanisms of Reward Enhancement by Nicotine in Humans
National Council of Family Relations Annual Conference – November 7-10 – San Diego, CA
Kalea Coles ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Child Birth Weight and Reading Skills: A Moderation by Race
SENTAC Conference – November 30-December 2, 2018 – Houston, TX
Anika Makol ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Pediatric Nasal Burns During Operative Cautery; Are Aural Speculums More Protective than Nasal Speculums? – A Retrospective Chart Review
With the SURF 2019 application cycle underway, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight some updates and changes to this year’s SURF program. SURF continues to offer students from across the academic disciplines the opportunity to focus full-time on a research or creative project for 9-10 weeks over the summer.
Updates for 2019
New Application Management System
We are using the UConn Quest Portal, a new application management system powered by SurveyMonkey Apply, to collect, process, and review SURF applications for summer 2019. This new system will allow students to complete the various components of the SURF application in the most appropriate order for them and to make edits as needed prior to submission of their application.
Application Reminders (See the full application outline here)
ESTA Requirement/Documentation of Safety Training
Students proposing SURF project work that will take place in a setting with hazards such as a lab, theater, or studio will be required to complete the Employee Safety Training Assessment (ESTA) with their faculty mentor to determine which safety training courses are required in order to work where hazards are present.
SURF Mailing List. Students planning to apply for SURF can sign up for the SURF Mailing List to receive helpful application tips via email.
We look forward to another excellent set of SURF applications this year! The application deadline is Monday, February 4, 2019. We encourage all students to make use of SURF Office Hours to seek feedback on their draft materials and to ask any questions they might have about the program or the application. SURF Office Hours are scheduled for 1/22, 1/25, and 1/28. Full detail about times and location can be found in the sidebar on the main SURF webpage.
Opportunity Description
Are you interested in accents or phonetics? Are you great with computers or music theory? This position involves assisting with research into the intonation patterns of various accents, specifically finding pitch relationships in particular speech utterances. There is also an opportunity to attend regular meetings with a faculty mentor and discuss relevant literature and research experiences in order to foster your education in the field.
This opportunity can be taken for course credit, or as a Work Study position (only for students with a federal Work-Study award), and runs in Spring Semester 2019. Students earning course credit can negotiate weekly hours (3 hours for 1 credit, 6 hours for 2 credits, 9 hours for 3 credits). Work-study students work 8-10 hours per week.
The role includes:
* Helping to recruit volunteer speakers of specific accents and request accent samples
* Assisting with recording sound samples from on-campus volunteers
* Orthographic (not phonetic) transcription of spoken samples from sound files
* Analyzing sound samples for fundamental frequency and musical interval relationships using appropriate software (e.g. Adobe Audition). Take screenshots and annotate with appropriate information. Record and organize this data.
* Assist in gathering and organizing related literature for review
* Read and summarize related literature
* Undergo online CITI Program Training Course (if required by IRB). This is online and takes less than 2 hours.
* Perform miscellaneous duties as directed
Student Qualifications
Skills/Qualifications required:
* Have excellent computer skills
* Have excellent communication skills
* Have great organizational skills and motivation
Preferred qualifications:
* Experience/education in any or all of phonetics, accents, linguistics, speech, music, sound engineering, computer science.
How to Apply
Please email your application to jennifer.scapetis@uconn.edu and include:
* Cover Letter (please write about why you would be good at the job and why it interests you)
* Resume
* References (Email or telephone numbers)
Looking to fill this position ASAP. Open until filled.
Mentor: Jennifer Scapetis-Tycer, Assistant Professor
Department: Drama
Email: jennifer.scapetis@uconn.edu
Timing: Spring 2019
Campus: Storrs
