Undergraduate Research and Internships in Chemistry

The Chemistry and Biochemistry Department’s dedication to student learning is not limited to the classroom. Each faculty member is devoted to providing students with the opportunity to perform undergraduate research, the focus of which is tuned to the individual student’s interests and overall career goals. Starting as early as the freshman year, chemistry majors have an opportunity to collaborate with a faculty member on a research project, gaining essential hands-on experience in a laboratory setting. Each project also entails the invaluable opportunity for the development of communication skills through the subsequent dissemination of the project’s results in the form of research posters, presentations, and publications. All incoming and current students are encouraged to talk to chemistry faculty members about school-year and summer research opportunities.

Students who wish to gain some experience with industrial or government laboratory settings are also encouraged to apply for local internships with chemical companies, analytical laboratories, and government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Research

Undergraduate Research Grant Program

Academic year research projects are most often funded through the Undergraduate Research Grant Program at Shippensburg University. Working with a professor, a student writes a proposal which is submitted to a committee which ranks submissions based on merit. The awards from this program are used to cover research expenses and any travel costs related to presenting results at conferences, such as American Chemical Society National Meetings.

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Shippensburg University’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program provides compensation for students to perform research over the summer months; these grants are actively sought by chemistry faculty and students.

National Science Foundation's REU

Our department also has strong connections with many universities that participate in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Students most often apply to such programs in their junior year, and receive significant stipends allowing them to perform research at a host institution during the subsequent summer. Recently, Shippensburg University chemistry majors have been accepted into REU programs at Texas A and M, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the University of Northern Kentucky and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Internships

We encourage students to apply for internships, which normally take place over the summer months as well. The American Chemical Society's website is a great place to look for internship opportunities. A number of our students have successfully been accepted as interns in the forensics lab run by Cumberland County’s Bureau of Justice Services Division.

Faculty Research

Each of our faculty members has their own unique background and interests. Get details relating to their research groups: