Newswise — Although Amy Lynch of Ashland, Mass., studies liquid chromatography during the academic year, her summer research at Ursinus College is a different experience.
"Though my Summer Fellows project is a continuation of the research I have done for credit for the past two semesters, I am finding the experience to be vastly different," she says. Working fulltime on data collection and analysis, not just a few hours a week means that she can study the "nuances of my data, instead of having to choose just a few aspects for in-depth analysis."
Lynch, who is studying separation mechanisms of high"performance liquid chromatography, is one of 79 Ursinus students wrapping up an eight- or ten-week research project with a faculty mentor to present at a July 27 campus symposium.
Her faculty mentor, Professor of Chemistry Eric Williamsen, agrees that Summer Fellows "not only have more time to work on data-acquisition and analysis of their results, but also to read the literature, deepen their background knowledge of the research problem, troubleshoot, and work on their writing," he says. "All of these activities occur during their academic-year research work, but the greater amount of time allows the students to do all of these activities in much greater depth and to allow me more time to let them struggle with a problem."
It's that way for Mark Dennis of Baltimore, who is translating Una Tumba by Spanish author Juan Benet. He says he and his faculty mentor, Professor of Spanish Juan Ramon de Arana, can spend a half hour discussing the best translation of a single word. "For me, it's like a class of one," he says.
As he became exposed to different viewpoints on translation, his ideas on the process evolved. "I originally thought a good translation meant that I render it in a type of English that is familiar to American readers. However, I've recently become influenced by the work of a noted translation scholar who critiques what he called the 'Americanization' of foreign texts."
To support this focused community of scholars, Ursinus provides student housing, faculty grants, research expenses, speakers, and importantly, stipends for each student researcher to replace summer earnings (at least $2,500; some more depending on outside grants). Fellows and mentors share weekly lunches, attend talks by invited guests and enjoy social activities. Participation is competitive, with applications reviewed by an interdisciplinary panel of faculty members.
The projects span all disciplines. Three students are wading in the Darby Creek each week, and finding that fish living in poor quality water are less able to combat parasites than fish in cleaner waters.
This year, Summer Fellow Heather Turnbach of Berwick, Pa. is a Whitman Summer Fellow, and will attend a special one-week seminar sponsored by the Institute for Humane Studies. She is looking at a popular television show, Project Runway, as she examines the impact of its messages.
Other projects include "The Experience of a Black Dancer in a Classical World," (Chris Wynne of Philadelphia); "The Healing Bridge: Grief, Memory and Recovery in Li-Young's Poems," (Katie Le Cours of Gansevoort, N.Y. ) ; "A Place to Call Home, a Study of the Foster Care System in Massachusetts," (Courtney Collins of Westborough, Mass), and "Christmas Tree Farming: Boom or Bust" (James Sproul of Schuylkill Haven, Pa.).
"Summer Fellows provided me with a great opportunity to study interests of mine as well as meet and hang out with great people I previously hadn't met in my college experience," Sproule says, calling it "the decision I ever made."
According to Professor Williamsen, summer research helps students to gain more satisfaction from their subsequent, academic-year research work and has been an important credential in students obtaining internships, research positions in programs at other institutions, and jobs or graduate school placements. "All of the students with whom I have worked during the summer have presented their work at regional and national meetings," he notes.
"The in-depth, summer research experience provides them with greater confidence in presenting their results and answering questions not only to their student peers but scientists at all levels."
And, as a faculty member, Williamsen sees benefits himself, in a field where research occurs in collaboration. "I read and think about papers and data that I haven't read or reviewed as thoroughly as I would like during the academic year, and these activities have allowed me to make improvements in the projects for subsequent students," he explains. "Having better prepared and confident student collaborators improves the research. Because of their deeper understanding of their particular project and of the general research process, these students also serve as better mentors to other students in the group."
The Summer Fellows program began in 1992 with a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as 10 students did science research. In 1996 Ursinus decided to support concentrated undergraduate summer research in all disciplines. Outside support has grown, from national foundations to generous alumni, including young alumni who were Summer Fellows themselves.
Ursinus College is a highly selective, independent coeducational liberal arts college located on a scenic, wooded 170-acre campus, 28 miles from Center City Philadelphia. The college is one of only 8 percent of U.S. Colleges to possess a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Its web site is located at http://www.ursinus.edu.
RSS