Undergraduate Research

Are you a STEM major and interested in getting involved in undergraduate research? It may seem overwhelming or unobtainable at times. But if you have the right mentor, undergraduate research is an amazing opportunity to get involved in your school, community, as well as boost that resumé for going into industry or graduate school. This post will give steps to take to get involved in undergraduate research at your school as well as tell you a little bit about my school and experience to give you some background.

Choose a Professor or Field of Study
Whether you're a biochemistry, chemistry, biology, or any STEM major- find a professor that is researching something you are interested in. Your research experience will be much more rewarding and meaningful if you spend hundreds of hours on a subject you are passionate or interested in. For me, I work in environmental analytical chemistry, which is basically detecting harmful substances in the environment. I am passionate about environmental and "green" chemistry and gave the subject a shot. I am so glad I chose this professor as a mentor and it made me realize that analytical chemistry is my field of interest!

Don't Be Afraid to Ask if You Can Join
Sometimes professors can be intimidating, particularly at a larger school where they may not know who you are. Don't be afraid to ask if they have undergraduate research positions open (ask in person! not in an email) and if they don't, find someone who does.

Find an Upperclassman Mentor 
I knew a fellow chemistry major who did research before me and he was a great resource. Be sure to ask others who have gone through the process what it was like and if they can give you any pointers.

Apply for Grants and Scholarships with a Professor's Help
Most grants require you to submit a recommendation letter or a letter from a mentor professor. This is done usually after you are accepted into a professor's lab. It depends on what you're applying for, but if you need help with this seek your professor for help. I can also help if you need it! Feel free to email me or comment for help on this.

What if my GPA is not where I want it to be?
I applied for grant money with a 3.1 GPA and I am currently sitting with a 3.08 GPA. Yeah, not great for a STEM major. Don't be bashful about your GPA, whether it's good or bad. However, if they don't ask for your GPA, unless it's above a 3.5 don't put it on your grant letter or any applications. Experience is more important in most cases, so don't be afraid to apply for lab positions or research positions because they can really make your resumé shine if you have a GPA like mine.

My Experiences and Background
As you may know, I am a chemistry major planning to graduate with a B.S., Chemistry in May 2019. I go to Indiana University South Bend, which is a smaller university. We do not have a large chemistry program but it is an amazing program with great faculty and staff. I was brave and went to ask my Principles in Chemistry II professor, Dr. Grace Muna, about her research. At our school, tenured professors are required to publish every few years and regularly go on sabbatical leave to continue their research. The way I approached her was showing interest in her research. She is an analytical chemist and is focused on environmental applications of electrochemistry, particularly in the detection of harmful heavy metals and hormones in water and soil samples. Her research sounded like something I really would enjoy, so I asked if she had any positions open for an undergraduate researcher. She explained that I could work in the lab, but that I need to apply for a grant to be able to get compensated for my time. In January of 2017 I started writing my grant proposal for the Student-Mentor Academic Research Teams (SMART) grant funded by the National Science Foundation. In mid-march, I submitted by proposal and later heard I had received the grant for research. Summer of 2017, I began working in her lab full time for 10 weeks and received a stipend for my work.

My research was developing a method of detecting trace amount of lead (1 part per billion) in water samples in a way that was cheap, portable, and effective. We work in electrochemistry and use glassy carbon electrodes modified with bismuth nanoparticles to detect lead in water and soil samples. I reached our goal of the whole summer in 2 weeks (detecting 1 part per billion) and have since been working on making this sensitive method more stable for real life samples to give individuals in the community a cheaper way of testing for lead on site at their homes and businesses. Our way of testing costs 5% of what traditional instrumentation costs and we are really proud of that and we hope to start testing on-site in the community soon for water and soil samples. We have even discovered a substance that may pull lead out of the sample using electrochemistry and a polymer used to stabilized the nanoparticles on the surface of our electrodes. If you want to know more about my research, feel free to email me and I will gladly tell you more!

I was accepted into the National Conference for Undergraduate Research in Edmond, Oklahoma to present my findings among peers and professors from around the country. I will be presenting this in April and will update to you how it goes!

Again, if you have any questions or need help feel free to email or comment. I will try to help the best that I can. Thank you!