Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)

The SURE program takes students out of the classroom and into research environments where they experience the true nature of research and learning.

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)

In 2010, Mount Saint Mary College launched the Summer Undergraduate Two students with a Mount faculty member learning how to prune a tree. Research Experience (SURE): a paid summer research program for undergraduate students. This program offers all student majors in all research disciplines the chance to work with faculty mentors to conduct scholarly research projects. Over the past decade, students have conducted research projects in areas such as psychology, history, literature, education, healthcare, literacy, international studies, math, and the natural sciences.

This enriching program has sparked some of the most original and interesting research Mount students have ever conducted, including:

"A Comparative Analysis of Microplastics in South Korean and American Seaweed," researched by Aleksandra Belugin with faculty mentor Dr. Lynn Maelia
"Evaluating the Immune Response in Mice Following Intravenous Exposure to the Artificial Oxygen Carrier OxyVita®," researched by Alina Mendelowski with faculty mentor Dr. James Moran
"UNO: Make It Ocho," researched by Thomas McGuire with faculty mentors Dr. Christina Alvey and Dr. Mike Daven
"Testing the Antiproliferative Effect of the Phytochemical Cinnamaldehyde on Human Cancer Cells in Culture," researched by Victoria Maffetone with faculty mentor Dr. Suparna Bhalla
"Who Am I? Cognitive Development of the Self-Concept," researched by Nicole Juzefyk, Inayah Khan, Aaron Mendez, Eliza Siade-Cox, and Michelle Tingson-Pregno with faculty mentor Dr. Rebecca Berry
"Patients Perceptions of AI in Medical Decision Making," researched by Autumn Tyler with faculty mentor Dr. Anne-Marie Uebbing

Why Participate in SURE?

The SURE program takes students out of the classroom and into research environments where they experience the true nature of research and learning. Whether it be a chemistry lab, the banks of the Hudson River, a wildlife preserve, or a library, this unique program provides students with the opportunity to be a part of growth outside the classroom. Students who participate in SURE have the rare opportunity to spend their summer converting knowledge they’ve gained in the classroom into tangible work experience.

SURE Program Details

To participate, students must apply with faculty mentors for the paid research position by. Students may choose to participate in either a five- or ten-week summer session. During the summer session(s), students who are chosen for the program work closely with their faculty mentors to conduct a research project. There are two different approaches when applying for SURE:

Students may apply to participate in a project presented by a professor.
Students may come up with their own research idea and post their idea to the Student-Generated Research Project Ideas forum. Faculty will be reading students' posts and may contact them directly. If students have a specific professor they'd like to work with, they can also contact that faculty member directly and ask if they would be interested in being their SURE faculty mentor.

SURE students are paid a stipend and live for free on campus during the session(s). Students present their results at a SURE Symposium the following fall.