University Park, PA -- SROP off to a Great Start
June 2, 2007 marked the beginning of the 15th year of the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) at Penn State. The SROP is a program to expose talented undergraduate students to professional and educational opportunities in the academy. The goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue academic careers by enhancing their preparation for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors.
This year, over the course of the eight-week program, forty-two students from fifteen states around the country, as well as Puerto Rico, will be conducting research with faculty members from across campus. The students’ fields of interest range from physics to horticulture to psychology.
In addition to the hands-on experience that the students’ research provides, the SROP’s weekly professional development workshops will expose the students to various aspects of graduate school that are crucial to their success. During their time at Penn State, they will also participate in several activities intended to develop them further as individuals and scholars. Through “Camp Night” and a morning at Shaver’s Creek, the students will get to know each other and learn the importance of working as a team.
The SROP was initiated by the CIC Graduate Deans. In July, students from all participating SROP campuses come together for a two and one-half day conference, which will be hosted by Purdue University this year. At the end of the program, the students will write a paper and an abstract describing their research projects and will present the results of their work at a campus symposium.
For more information about the SROP at Penn State, visit online or contact the Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs at 814-863-1663.
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Contact:
Jenneth R. Layaou
jLayaou@psu.edu
814-863-1663
Release Date: June 25, 2007