Researching the Research

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During your undergraduate time here at Purdue it can feel impossible to get your hands on some real deal experience with engineering. You may be told by some professors or people in general that you aren’t eligible for such experience, but don’t let this discourage you. There are many opportunities on campus with research that professors and graduate students are looking for undergraduate students to fill. Whether you’re a freshman or senior, there is a place for you to get hands on experience in a lab if you so desire. There are a few tips I can offer to students looking for undergraduate research.
I love research as much as I love taking photos with Neil!

 Research the research.

  • Look online at the different projects each professor you’re interested in working with is doing and pick out key words or topics that you can elaborate your interest on.
Decide on Your Fit
  • Decide whether you would like to do research through a program like SURF or if you would like to do research during the school year. Most times you will be able to receive credit or pay for either kind. Below is the link to check out the different undergraduate opportunities here at Purdue.
http://www.purdue.edu/research/Ugrad/getstarted.php
Contact the Research Head in the Right Manner

  • Once you have decided which research project most interests you, email the professor that heads up the research and explain your interest with specific references to the research you did about their work. 
    • They love to see a specific connection you can make between your interests and their projects. 
  • Let them know of the time frame you are looking to acquire such research experience and attach your resume for them to reference if they so choose. 
  • Another good thing to do is add times you are available to meet with them to talk about their research. 
  • If you don’t hear back from the professor after a couple weeks you can always directly email one of their graduate students as they are often less bombarded with emails as the professor. 
  • Lastly, it is important to try to keep the email as short and concise as possible as the professor or graduate student are likely to not want to read too much into an email to get to the point.
Directly contacting the professor or graduate students are often the best ways to acquire research opportunities. However, on the link above there are connections to applications through larger research programs that you can get involved with as well like SURF and DURI. Regardless of the type of research, any experience is good experience as you are first starting out and especially if you plan to go on to graduate school. The main thing to remember is to not lose faith if you are turned away or hear nothing back. Never forget that there are so many opportunities at Purdue to choose from.

-Marisa


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