Two dozen 2005 high school graduates are spending four weeks this summer in a "living and learning" environment at the University of Colorado at Boulder, doing research and creative work with faculty members before beginning their freshman studies on campus this fall.
In scholarly fields ranging from aerospace engineering and molecular biology to business, history and political science, the students are participating in CU-Boulder's Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, or SURE, program. SURE students selected for the program receive a $1,000 stipend plus dormitory accommodations in Cockerell Hall, said Joan Gabriele, Special Undergraduate Enrichment Programs director.
"These are extremely talented students, and this is an opportunity for them to do something special," said Gabriele. "To have an academic research experience before starting college is quite remarkable and, I think, inspires students to see themselves as researchers. They also have an instant community of peers, whom they often remain friends with throughout their years here."
Another benefit of the SURE program is the opportunity for students to establish relationships with faculty members, which generally makes them more at ease when approaching faculty during their freshman year, she said. "It never ceases to amaze me just how committed our faculty are to working with our undergraduates. And I think the faculty also benefit from these relationships, both on a professional and personal level."
Kristina Wang, a graduate of Boulder's Fairview High School, is doing research with the BioServe Space Technologies team in CU-Boulder's aerospace engineering department. Wang works with graduate student Andrea Hanson, who is part of a group in research associate Virginia Ferguson's laboratory that studies the effects of microgravity and radiation on skeletal and muscular system. The work will have applications for extended spaceflight by astronauts.
"This is a great opportunity for me," said Wang, who plans to pursue a double major in aerospace engineering and studio art. "I think it's exciting that there are two dozen of us participating in the SURE program this summer, and everybody is doing something different."
Ryan Biehle, who graduated from Grand Junction Central High School in May and is working with Associate Professor David Leblang of political science, said the SURE program exemplifies the opportunities for student scholarly work at CU-Boulder.
"For a major research university, CU-Boulder is very student-oriented," he said. "There are a number of research opportunities like this for students that allow us to get more involved in the university and to actually make an impact on the community."
Biehle, who is attending CU-Boulder this fall on a prestigious Boettcher Scholarship and who also will participate in the President's Leadership Class, is helping Leblang conduct research on the effects of financial crises on national electoral outcomes in several South American and Asian countries. "We are looking at data on the accountability of incumbents, and whether or not voters punish or reward these people based on their past economic records," he said.
As the first person in his immediate family to attend college, Biehle says he is impressed with his initial taste of college academics at CU-Boulder. "I have never experienced anything like this in my life," he said. "I absolutely love it. I can't wait for the fall semester."
The top applicants of the incoming freshman class - those with a grade point average of 3.75 or higher and a combined SAT score of at least 1350 - are invited to apply for the SURE program, said Gabriele. The 24 students accepted this summer were chosen from a pool of about 90 applicants.
Gabriele also directs the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, which has provided nearly 6,000 CU-Boulder undergraduates with more than $5 million in funding for research and creative work with faculty members since its inception in 1986.
"My hope is that many of these students now getting their feet wet in the SURE program will continue on in the UROP program beginning in the fall,' she said. "I think they recognize the value of the experience they are having, including the relationships they are building with faculty and other students. Their experiences in the SURE program are helping them understand the language, culture and expectations in their chosen fields of study."