School of Science Summer Research Program
We welcome all Science students to become a part of our Summer Research Program. Within the ten-week time span, students will work in close collaboration with their choice of a faculty advisor. Students spend the summer (typically after their sophomore or junior year) gaining first-hand experience with genuine scientific research, either on a part of the advisor's ongoing research program or on a project created by the student.
Thanks to the generous donations, the following awards are available for students:
- Mal and Sylvia Boyce Scholar Award
- Robert W. and Beverly J. Summers Research Award
The Summer Research Program includes a variety of activities during the summer, including barbecues, research meetings, field trips, and various social events. The work culminates with the submission of a formal written research report, an oral presentation, and presentation of results at the Brousseau poster session held on campus each fall.
Students participating in the Brousseau poster session may be selected to present their work at various national and local conferences, including the annual meetings of Sigma Xi and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Summer Research Application Process
Participation in the program is awarded through a School-wide competition. Successful applicants will receive a stipend of $5000, housing on campus, and a budget for supplies and expenses.
Completed applications are due no later than February 17, 2023, at 5:00 pm to Martha White via email (maw17@stmarys-ca.edu).
Please contact Professor Nekesha Williams via email at nbw1@stmarys-ca.edu if you have questions about the Program.
Identifying Safe Alternative to Pesticides
Two science majors got the chance to literally dig into how environmental conditions affect our food in their Summer Research Program, reflecting just how hands-on student projects can get at SMC. Biology major and Music and Chemistry double minor Emily Hancock ’24 and Allied Health Science major Emma Cardinale ’24 investigated how aphids carrying viruses infect certain cereal crops. Their program, Plant Viruses, Vector Behavior, and Host Susceptibility, was both lofty and crucial: Identifying safe alternatives to pesticides used on the plants we eat.
Mission to Mars
Ben Harte '22 was part of one of the winning teams of a NASA design challenge hosted by NASA Glenn research laboratory in Ohio for their project creating a mini rover they called “Cory.”
The Mission to Mars Summer Research Project gave Harte a solid basis for his work. “The research I did with Professor Alice Baldridge isn’t her usual research; it was kind of like, ‘We're in a global pandemic. We need to do something that you hopefully are interested in,’ Professor Baldridge went above by suggesting we design a mission to Mars."
Beyond the Summer Research Program
In addition to the Summer Research Program at SMC, many students participate in research during the academic year. Furthermore, Saint Mary's students have been accepted into summer research programs at various colleges and universities across the country, and have successfully pursued internships in industry.
For further exploration:
Scientific Summer Research & Internships
National Science Foundation REU programs
Brooklyn College Summer Research Opportunities Database
2022 Summer Research
A look back
