Amid the busyness of their spring semester, five MNU science students applied for highly competitive, prestigious summer research programs, and all were accepted.

• Sophomore Yair Saucedo is at Yale University (bioengineering)
• Junior Stanley Baldwin is at Penn State University (organic chemistry)
• Sophomore Aidan Thomas is at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (computational chemistry)
• Sophomore Samuel Powell is at the University of California Irvine (organic chemistry)
• Sophomore Javan Surtan is at the University of Kansas (bioanalytical chemistry)

What is an REU Program? 

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), sometimes called Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), is a program funded by the National Science Foundation designed to give students at smaller universities the opportunity to experience top-tier research. The programs are held by renowned research institutions nationwide and provide graduate-level lab experience where each student is assigned a group and a specific research project. The undergraduates work closely with more experienced researchers.

REU provides major benefits such as housing, food, reimbursement for travel expenses, and a stipend.

Importance and Impact

According to the student’s chemistry professor, Dr. Chelsea Comadoll, being accepted to an REU or SURF program is a prestigious honor that can change a student’s trajectory in their education or career. For example, Samuel was 1 of 8 chosen from 300 applicants at Irvine. Stanley’s spot is in a top 30 U.S. chemistry program.

MNU professors were happy to provide numerous recommendations for their students during the grueling application process.

“It was awesome to work with these guys in the application process and to celebrate their victories with them,” Comadoll says. “These young men are transforming the way that our science students view research; I hope that we continue to place our students in research programs every summer.”

Samuel 

Samuel has always been interested in the body’s biological processes, and the SURF program at UC Irvine allows him to pursue research in synthetic organic chemistry with a focus on medicinal chemistry.

“[SURF] would give me connections and a prestigious entry on my resume that will be very valuable when it comes time to apply for graduate school,” Samuel says.

The SURF program will also help Samuel discover what he wants to pursue in graduate school. He is also excited about spending the summer in California and the chance to build new relationships.

Stanley

Working as a tutor for chemistry and kinesiology this year helped Stanley realize his desire to pursue a PhD in chemistry and become a professor. The REU program is his steppingstone to graduate school and eventually starting his own lab as a professor where he can “teach kids from the ground up.”

Stanley’s REU project includes “using light with multiple catalysts that will enhance the synthesis of polymer molecules,” he explains.

“The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research with some of the foremost experts in the field was something I absolutely had to try for.”

Javan

Javan is excited about “literally every part” of his REU and hopes it will pave the way for graduate school and deciding on a career. His project at KU studies cancer using biomarkers and blood samples. He believes his personal dream can be advanced with this research experience as well.

“One of my dreams is to treat autism,” Javan says. “I want to be able to take part and move that field forward,” which would be a tribute to his late brother who had the neurological developmental condition.

Aidan

Aidan aspires to one day work as an organic chemistry researcher.

“If I could find a new molecule that does something really important biologically or industrially, that would probably be the dream,” Aidan says.

This summer, Aidan will use programming skills, gained from his computer science minor, to analyze large amounts of data to help understand complex interactions and energetic considerations of materials. He looks forward to “the grad school environment” and being around other chemists who share his passions.

Yair 

At Yale, Yair hopes his REU experience will help him decide whether to pursue healthcare (MD), scientific research (PhD), or both. His project focuses on studying the mechanical biology of cancer cells and their development.

“REU and SURF programs are good opportunities to gain practical experience at top-tier research institutions across the nation. The chance to participate in bioengineering and cancer research is something that, without these programs, we wouldn’t get to experience as undergraduates,” Yair says.

Learn more about STEM areas of study at MNU by visiting mnu.edu/academic-departments/department-of-natural-health-mathematical-sciences.