Eight University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering students presented posters of their research at The Honors College's First Annual Undergraduate Research Day on October 19. The event was designed to recognize student accomplishments in university-wide undergraduate research programs, as well as to recognize the role of faculty mentors in student research, according to Scott Perry, associate dean of undergraduate research and The Honors College, and professor of chemistry and chemical engineering.
Students participated as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. The fellowship provides support for summer research projects for promising students interested in progressive research studies.
“It is important to demonstrate the abilities of our students and encourage them to engage in the enterprise of creativity,” said Arthur Vailas, vice chancellor/ vice president for research and intellectual property management. “A research university has the obligation to provide opportunities for students that will enhance creativity and independent thinking. That is part of our mission as a research institution.”
Students had the opportunity to discuss their research projects with interested faculty, staff and students from across the university. Engineering students made up almost a third of the interdisciplinary poster presentations, representing the chemical, electrical and computer, and mechanical engineering. Several engineering undergraduates presented research as part of the Biomedical Engineering program at the college.
“It is very impressive to see the high level of work being done by all of the students,” said Ted Estess, dean of The Honors College. “Students should look forward to other opportunities for research.”
Such opportunities include completing a senior honors thesis, applying for prestigious scholarships on a national level, such as Rhodes, Fulbright and Goldwater awards, and applying for university support including the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Scholarships (PURS) and SURF. Students interested in PURS, which is a $1,000 scholarship to fund part-time research, need to apply by November 30 through the Office of Undergraduate Research. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors wishing to pursue the SURF program next summer need to submit an application by March. SURF awards students $2,800 to support summer research projects. The Office of Undergraduate Research is supported by The Honors College and is available for every student on campus interested in undergraduate research opportunities and support.
In addition to student support, the Office of Undergraduate Research announced a new award to honor faculty mentors. The Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor Award will be given to one UH faculty member annually who has demonstrated excellence in mentoring. The $5,000 award will be presented at the Faculty Award Ceremony in the spring. Students can nominate faculty mentors through the Office of Undergraduate Research.
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Michael Louie, chemical engineering senior Rotating Disk Electrode |
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Krutina Patel, chemical engineering junior Effect of cytotoxic agents on glucose-stimulated insulin secredtion on INS-1 cells |
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Chris Reyna, chemical engineering senior Combinatorial Catalyst Synthesis for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells |
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Mustafa Sajanlal, mechanical engineering junior Blood Flow in Cerebral Aneurysms |
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Chris Shooner, mechanical engineering junior Dynamics of Accommodation in Rhesus Monkeys |
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David Turnquist, chemical engineering senior Design and prototyping of a device for electrophoretic cell manipulation |
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Julian Vargas, mechanical engineering junior Evolution of Perturbations in a Stable Oseen Vortex |
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Gem Ventura, electrical and computer engineering junior Perception, Learning, and Adaptation |