The National Science Foundation recently awarded the university a $138,000 Regional Undergraduate Chemistry Research Program for three years. The Chemistry Department and the Office of Research are providing matching monies.
Joint program directors Judith Eglin and Bill Henry said the program, which includes a $3,000 stipend for each of the eight participants, will allow students to work one-on-one with faculty members using state-of-the-art equipment to conduct research experiments. Student participants also will receive one hour of research credit.
"We don't want the students conducting routine lab work, either," said Eglin. "The projects they work on will have potential to be published in professional journals or presented at local or national meetings."
Henry said he and Eglin plan to recruit primarily from Mississippi, but also will look for students from adjoining states. He said the primary purpose of the 10-week program is to encourage undergraduate chemistry majors to become interested in graduate school.
However, the program is not exclusively for chemistry majors. Eglin points out that others may be selected, such as engineering majors with an interest in chemistry.
"The emphasis is to encourage women and minority students to participate, but the program is not designed for them exclusively," Eglin said.
Departmental excitement for the program is high, with 11 of 15 faculty members signing up to act as mentors or advisers.
"We want a lot of interaction between the undergraduate and the faculty member," Henry said. "And, in a relatively small graduate program like this one (50-55 graduate students), we have the advantage of close faculty-student interaction both inside and outside the classroom. Our size makes it perfect for undergraduate researchers to get involved with the university and the community."
The program won't concentrate solely on laboratory work, however. Students will be busy reading five books during their tenure. These include Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and Molecules by P.W. Atkins.
"Many people think of scientists in white coats always working in a lab, but we hope the literary component shows that this is not true," said Eglin.
Henry added, "We're seeking two things from this program for the students: a good research experience and a fun summer."
[an error occurred while processing this directive]