The diverse research projects ranged from studying the "Stability of Organic Molecules on the Martian Surface" to "Applications of Social Network Theory, Neural Networks, and Group Topologies to Modeling Financials-Implications for Terror Prevention."
Now in its 28th year, the Caltech SURF program offers undergraduates the opportunity to conduct independent research and to work on a close, one-to-one basis with faculty members. Students collaborate with potential mentors and write proposals that are funded with a summer stipend of $5,000. The mentor pays research costs and provides lab space and equipment. Approximately 174 Caltech faculty members, Jet Propulsion Laboratory technical-staff members, off-campus academicians, and small-business entrepreneurs participated this year. In all, about 4,000 students have participated in the SURF program since its inception.
In addition to conducting research, SURF participants attend weekly seminars led by Caltech faculty and JPL technical-staff members. Students learn public-speaking skills as well as techniques for delivering a technical talk and for creating visual aids. Workshops are held regularly on issues students will face as they prepare for their professional careers. Workshop topics include the role of communication in scientific careers, applying to graduate school, and career planning.
At the end of their projects, the students present oral reports at a one-day conference modeled after a professional technical meeting. SURF Seminar Day this year will be held on October 21. Traditionally about 20 percent of the students will eventually author or coauthor articles published in professional scientific journals, contribute to significant reports, or give presentations at conferences based on their SURF research.
This year's SURF program was funded by more than 214 donors, 77 individual endowments, two corporations, three private foundations, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, and the National Science Foundation.
Founded in 1891, Caltech is located on a 124-acre campus in Pasadena. The Institute also manages the nearby Jet Propulsion Laboratory and operates other off-campus astronomical, seismological, and marine biology research facilities. Caltech has an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students, more than half of whom are in graduate studies.
U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Caltech's undergraduate and graduate programs as being among the nation's best. The average SAT scores of members of recent incoming freshman classes have been among the highest in the nation.
Over the years, 32 Nobel Prizes and five Crafoord Prizes have been awarded to Caltech faculty members and alumni.
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Contact: Deborah Williams-Hedges (626) 395-3227 [email protected]
Visit the Caltech Media Relations Web site at: http://pr.caltech.edu/media
