Forty-four University of Pittsburgh Students Selected for Summer Research Projects
Research and innovation flourish full-time at the University of Pittsburgh — even during summer break.
Forty-four Pitt students will complete funded research projects through the 14th annual Summer Undergraduate Research Internships (SURI) program at the Swanson School of Engineering. SURI provides undergraduate students with funded research experiences through individual, team or international projects.
This year’s SURI program includes 42 students from all six Swanson School departments and one each from the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Computing and Information. There are 32 individual projects, three team projects, and four international projects – three students will be working in Singapore and one in South Korea.
SURI is a highly competitive, eight- to 12-week internship program where individuals or student groups propose a research project and identify an appropriate faculty mentor and laboratory to conduct research. All participants must plan to graduate after the fall 2024 semester. At the end of their internship, students submit a two-page abstract to the SURI faculty committee, an engineering-related conference, or a poster fair in their field.
“In the real world, STEM students will be required to write scientific reports and may have a need to present their work to an audience through a poster or oral presentation,” said David Vorp, senior associate dean for research & facilities and John A. Swanson Professor of Bioengineering. “The abstract requirement not only helps prepare them for post-graduate professional life but also provides an opportunity to document and memorialize their research.”
Upon review, select students are invited to write full manuscripts for potential publication in Ingenium: The Undergraduate Research Journal of the Swanson School of Engineering, the Swanson School’s journal-style publication. Ingenium’s graduate student editorial board reviews and selects manuscripts for each issue. Bioengineering students also participate in the 2024 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) annual conference this October 23-26 in Baltimore, Maryland.
While the SURI program is primarily open to students in the Swanson School, students in other STEM-related departments at Pitt are encouraged to apply and work in teams with engineering students. This year, one undeclared student from Pitt’s Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences and one studying computer science at Pitt’s School of Computing and Information are participating.
“Experiential learning experiences, such as completing undergraduate research, co-ops and global experiences, are key in the transformation of Swanson School student engineers,” said Mary Besterfield-Sacre, senior associate dean for academic affairs, Nickolas A. DeCecco Professor of Industrial Engineering, and director of the Engineering Education Research Center. “It’s important to extrapolate and practice what has been learned in the classroom.”
Students are encouraged to seek faculty mentors throughout Pitt to emphasize the multidisciplinary nature of research. Those seeking international research positions work with the Swanson School’s Global Experiences and Engagement Office to find external laboratories and faculty mentors for their current research — a faculty committee led by Drs. Vorp and Besterfield-Sacre reviews each proposal to ensure feasibility and appropriate mentorship. Students are also given a stipend to work for twelve weeks (or a minimum of eight weeks for international research) for approximately 40 hours weekly.
“One-third of our undergraduate engineers graduate having participated in research, and they will have gained important skills through these experiences that help them become better engineers,” Besterfield-Sacre said.