Students Explore the World of Science During Undergraduate Research Program

This summer, 90 college students are visiting Duquesne to conduct research while exploring science-related fields and careers at Duquesne’s 20^th annual Undergraduate Research Program (URP), which kicked off on May 22.

Funded by the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences (BSNES), the School of Pharmacy and the National Science Foundation, the URP brings students from Duquesne and other institutions to the bluff for a summer full of academic, professional and outreach opportunities.

“Our program is a great way for science majors, as well as students enrolled in biomedical engineering, pharmacy and other programs, to work together on projects that take them through the full scientific method,” says Philip Clarke, director of student services in the BSNES. “The overall experience plays a crucial role for students fulfilling their long-term goals of attending graduate or professional school, or entering a number of science-based industries.”

Regional and national students, some from as far away as Florida, Nebraska and the Channel Islands in the United Kingdom, are on campus this summer for the URP, working alongside two-dozen faculty mentors from the BSNES, the School of Pharmacy, the Biomedical Engineering Program, the Liberal Arts School and the Rangos School of Health Sciences.

Program highlights include a 10-week research project with Duquesne science faculty, informational lectures on lab and experiment safety, campus orientation with fellow students, volunteer activities with local organizations, a seminar series focused on career opportunities in science and a collaborative ethics forum with faculty mentors.

New to the URP this year is the CIRCLE program, specifically geared toward sparking interest in STEM fields in minority high school students. Another special part of URP is Project SEED, which was developed for underserved high school students to explore and conduct research in chemistry or in other STEM-related fields.

The URP will conclude on July 28 with its Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. All students will present their work for faculty and fellow participants.

Dr. Andre Samuel will deliver the symposium’s keynote address. Samuel, who received his Ph.D. in biology from Duquesne, is director of the Citizens Science Lab, the first and only life sciences community laboratory in Pittsburgh.