Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The department of Chemistry and Biochemistry initiated the Summer Undergraduate Research Program in 2008. The program will enable you to start your research career in the diverse laboratories of our department ranging from analytical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical education, drug discovery, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry. The program is offered each summer and is supported by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and by research groups of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

In order to take part in the program, we encourage you to get familiar with the various research topics of our Department. Once you have identified a field that interests you, contact the respective professor via email or in person. Important is the availability of research space and guidance in that particular research group can offer. In case a professor agrees to take you on for the summer semester, you can work as a volunteer, enroll in our research classes such as CHEM599, CHEM691, or CHEM692, or apply together with your professor for SURF money through OUR.

Working as a volunteer requires you to sign a risk waiver, which has to be submitted to Kevin Blackburn. This is a UWM requirement. To enroll in our research classes you will need a sign-up code, which will be available at the department front desk. Finally, SURF applications are online and are started by your faculty mentor and you are invited as a collaborator on the application. The deadline is around the 1st of April each year.

Undergraduate research is a very important part of your academic career. Graduate schools, institutes, and companies will look for this experience during their application process. In order to give you the best opportunities after you graduate from UWM, our department encourages you to take part in this program. You will quickly become a valued member of a research group and interact frequently with graduate students and your professor. They will teach you how to conduct research and how to present your research findings during group meetings. There will be many other things you will learn during this program, which has a poster session at the end of the summer and an excursion to a local company. The program is currently managed by Prof. Arnold. Any questions regarding this program should be send to arnold2@uwm.edu.

In summary, the summer undergraduate research program is an excellent opportunity for your to figure out if scientific research is a career path for you. Please check out previous years of this program and see what other undergraduate students have accomplished.

Summer 2010

Summer 2011

Summer 2012

Summer 2013

Summer 2014

Summer 2015