The 396 students participating in the SURF program this year are devoting 10 weeks to conducting diverse research projects.
Not the average summer jobs for teens, projects SURF students are undertaking include "Searching for the cis-Regulatory Region of SpKrox1: An Endomesodermal Transcription Factor in the Purple Sea Urchin"; "Characterization and Cloning of Mutant Genes Affecting Meristem Function in Arabidopsis thaliana"; "High-Speed Videography and Modeling the Dynamics of Rat Whisker Movements"; and "Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Oxidative [4+2] Cycloaddition Reaction: An Approach to the Enantioselective Synthesis of the Hypoglycemic Diterpenoid Saudin."
Now in its 24th year, the Caltech SURF program offers an opportunity for undergraduates to conduct independent research and to work on a close, one-to-one basis with faculty members. Interested students collaborate with potential mentors and write proposals that, if accepted, are funded for a summer stipend of $5,000. The mentor pays research costs and provides lab space and equipment. More than 214 Caltech faculty members, Jet Propulsion Laboratory technical-staff members, off-campus academicians, and small-business entrepreneurs are participating this year. In all, about 4,281 students have participated in the SURF program since its inception.
In addition to conducting research, SURF participants attend weekly seminars given by Caltech faculty and JPL technical-staff members, during which each speaker provides an overview of his or her area of research. Students also learn public-speaking skills as well as techniques for delivering a technical talk and for creating visual aids. A series of informal discussions is held regularly on issues students will face as they prepare for and commence their professional careers. These discussions include the role of communication in scientific careers, entrepreneurialism, and career planning.
At the end of their projects, the students present oral reports at a one-day conference modeled after a professional technical meeting. SURF Seminar Day this year is October 19. Approximately 20 percent of the students become authors or coauthors of articles published in professional scientific journals, contribute to significant reports, or present their work at conferences.
This year's SURF program is funded by more than 130 donors, approximately 50 individual endowments, four corporations, four private foundations, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Contact: Deborah Williams-Hedges (626) 395-3227 [email protected]
Visit the Caltech Media Relations Web site at: http://www.caltech.edu/~media
###
