Rhode Island event displays undergraduate research

The University of Rhode Island has scheduled an event to showcase the research projects of undergraduate students from across the state.

This ninth annual Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) Conference is the largest exhibit of research from undergraduate students. It gives students the opportunity to display their work and gain recognition for their achievements.

“These students are the future Ph.D. and M.D. scientists that will drive the knowledge economy of our state,” Associate Professor Brenton DeBoef said. “And, the research projects that these students conduct span the biomedical spectrum, from new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease to the study of environmental toxins.”

The event, co-sponsored by Rhode Island's NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research and Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, will include 150 scientific posters. There will also be over 400 students, faculty, and administrators from throughout Rhode Island.

“The SURF experience is much more than going to class, doing your work, and then going home,” Jim Lemire, coordinator of undergraduate research, said. “Students are introduced to the culture and lifestyle of science. Ten weeks may be a blink of the eye in the career of a scientist, but it is represents 350-400 hours of intense scientific training that most students have not had and is an important step for undergraduates as they chart the course of their own future careers.”