How to Get Involved in Undergraduate Research at Purdue

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According to the Office of Undergraduate Research, Purdue undergraduate students produce nearly 2,000 research projects annually. Research is being conducted on a variety of topics across many different disciplines here at Purdue, which gives undergraduate students so many opportunities to get involved in a project that interests them. I have been participating in undergraduate research since my freshman year and have loved my experience. Although research may not have been something you had considered before, I hope these tips persuade you to get involved on a project you love!
Martin C. Jischke Hall of Biomedical Engineering is home to some of the many research labs here on campus,
 including the one that Kat works in!
Photo courtesy of https://news.uns.purdue.edu/html3month/2006/060921CelebrateBiomedical.html

Read about Faculty Members' Research

Here at Purdue, faculty are investigating a wide variety of topics in a ton of different disciplines! Reading about the work that is being done within your department of interest is a great way to decide what would be a good fit for you. Also, do not be scared to reach out to professors that are outside of your major. Even though my lab is in the department of biomedical engineering, we have an undergraduate students from the college of pharmacy. When I was deciding which lab I wanted to join, I read papers from a few different research groups to decide which one I would be the best fit for!

Ask to Meet with Professors

Meeting with a professor can be a great way to get to ask specific questions about their work and what they do here on campus. If you are interested in your professor's research, don't be afraid to stop by their office hours to ask them about it! You can also set up an appointment if you don't happen to be in a professor's class. The faculty here at Purdue are really friendly and are willing to talk to you, so don't be afraid to reach out to them!

Get Involved in a Summer Research Program

Purdue has numerous opportunities to get involved in research over the summer. After my freshman year, I stayed at Purdue over the summer through the Summer Stay Scholars program, which allows students to participate in research over the summer while taking courses. I loved it because I was able to get ahead in my curriculum while spending my summer in lab! Another popular program is the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, or SURF. Students are eligible to participate in SURF after they have completed four semesters here at Purdue. It is a great way to do summer research and get to share your work with others!

 How I Got Involved

Although everyone has a different experience, I got involved in my lab by emailing a professor I was interested in and setting up a time to talk! I love being involved in research because it provides me the opportunity to apply many of the topics covered in my classes and allows me to contribute to new discoveries! I would recommend getting involved in research to anyone. It is so cool to reflect on how much I have learned since first getting involved in research and I am excited to see how much I will learn in the future.

 Do you have an interest in getting involved in research? Let us know by leaving a comment down below!
-Kat Kerr
Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering
WE Link Leadership Team

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Purdue Women in Engineering


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