Summer Research
2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
URP applications are due Dec. 2, 2024.
Selected participants will be notified before the start of the Spring 2025 semester.
Purpose: The intent of the undergraduate summer research program in Chemistry and Physics is to give our majors an intense research experience while stimulating and enhancing research at UTC. The research groups will consist of pairings of one major with one faculty member. Projects originated by the faculty member of each of these research teams will be pursued. Research skills will be developed as progress toward experimental objectives is made.
Format: Students will receive a $4500 stipend for ten weeks of full-time participation (35 hours/week) during the Summer of 2025. Individual research teams will have some flexibility in scheduling this activity. Periodic group meetings of participants will be held throughout the summer. Furthermore, the student researchers are expected to give two presentations. The first presentation will involve a brief 5-minute introduction to the project, and the second presentation will be at the conclusion of the 10-week program where final results will be presented. Formal written reports should be submitted by students. Selected students should plan to register for either CHEM or PHYS 4997r in the Spring of 2025 to initiate research as well as earn credit towards their degree.
In addition to their individual research activities, students will meet regularly for training in all aspects of research (e.g., ethics, writing, preparing presentations, applying to graduate schools, how to network). It is expected that students and faculty will participate in URP sponsored activities throughout the 10 weeks. Note that summer housing is not provided as part of this program.
Eligibility: All UTC chemistry and physics majors are encouraged to apply but preference shall be given to students who are rising seniors in the department and have completed at least 24 hours in their major. Grades, interest in the major, career goals, and the judgment of the participating faculty, who will form the selection committee, shall be considered. Student research interests will also be used as a criterion for selection and for matching students to projects. Applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged.
Proposed Projects: Each professor listed below has a proposed research project. Please click on the faculty name to read more about the research. Should you wish to find out more about particular projects, please contact the respective authors, either in person, or by emailing them
Dr. Meredith H. Barbee "URP 2025: Molecular-level Control of Polymer Properties"
Dr. Keenan Dungey "Nanotechnology and Antibiotic Resistance"
Dr. Joshua Hamblen “Fundamental Nuclear Physics Research with the Nab Experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory”
Dr. John P. Lee "Tunable Molecular Squares using Coordination-Driven Self Assembly "
Dr. Tian Li "Quantum Information Science Lab"
Dr. Han Park "Multi-dimensional Schlieren tomography "
Dr. Jared Pienkos "Organometallic Chemistry for Drug and Catalyst Design"
Dr. Luis E. Sanchez-Diaz "Modeling of colloidal and biological systems."
Dr. Steven Symes “Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Metabolomic Signatures for Clinical Validation of Endometrial Cancer Screening Test”
Dr. Wang-Yong Yang "Developments of Dimeric Ligand Binders to d(CCG) Repeats and Studies of Their Biological Effects "
Application Form:
Applicants must meet with at least two faculty to discuss projects
Before you start the application form, be sure to have ready:
Your academic records, a brief career goals statement (one paragraph), and a brief statement of your scientific interests (one-two paragraphs).
A link to the application can be found here:
Acknowledgment: This activity is made possible by the generous bequests of Dr. and Mrs. Irvine Grote. It is hoped that activities such as this will be a credit to the department they loved so well and an honor to their memory. We also acknowledge valuable support from the Physics Funds and the Westbrook Research Scholarships provide by Mr. Howard Lee Westbrook, who was a 1958 graduate of the Chemistry Dept. Mr. Westbrook had a long and successful career with Shell Oil Company. Additional funding provided by the Kyle Knight Chemistry Research Fund, the Richard Jensen Research in Chemistry Scholarship, and the Zhang/Rybolt Research Scholarship.