We are approaching the final days of this summer session, and it has certainly been a busy time for those who have spent part of their summer here at Virginia Tech. While the campus has been the home for summer school students, it has also played host to a wide variety of people, from guests of all ages participating in summer conference groups to the new incoming freshman & transfer students and their families. In addition, there is a group of students (both Tech and non-Tech) that have spent their summer working in various research labs across the campus.
This summer has proven to be an invaluable opportunity for these students, who have gotten hands-on experience in the lab or field, been mentored by a faculty member, and have had the opportunity for additional training such as GRE preparation.
If you were to take a closer look, you would find that there are a number of summer research internships that take place here on campus, but these often go unnoticed. These programs include the USDA Summer Scholars Program, the McNair Summer Scholars Program, the MAOP Summer Internship and other programs that would fall under the category of summer research experiences for undergraduates (REUs).
Two such programs culminated a few days ago at the annual McNair and MAOP Summer Research Symposium. While distinct, both programs focus on skill building for undergraduate students so that they can prepare themselves for graduate work. The ultimate goal is that these students will use the experience to further their pursuit of graduate school, and that they will consider Tech as part of that effort. The main focus is on the academic experience, but there is a community aspect as well. These students must interact and live with a group of peers that share the same experience.
At the symposium, the students presented oral presentations and showcased their work through posters. It was amazing to see the wide variety of projects that took place. Research topics included analysis of bacteria found in the fecal matter of red salamanders, analysis of proteins to help test a possible cure for lupus, understanding how temperatures impact ducklings, and uncovering an oral history of New Town, among other interesting topics.
A version of this article appeared in the Aug 5 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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