While everyone was stuck at home during the 2020 COVID lockdowns, Emry Sottile was spending their days working on their research for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program that was being held on Zoom at the time. What started as a jumpstart on their master’s thesis turned into Sottile’s career in academia and a pursuit of a PhD. Sottile graduated
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is a program that gives Chapman undergraduate students the opportunity to do hands-on research and creativity projects with faculty mentors. It is an eight-week program that is hosted on Chapman University campus. SURF Fellows receive a $4,000 fellowship and have the option to request free housing during the program.
On the verge of graduation, Kasey Markell is focused on helping others. An Applied Human Physiology major and Nutrition minor, Markell recently completed her Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), with her research focusing on exercise’s effect on symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. SURF fellows come from various disciplines, from the sciences to the arts and everywhere in
As an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Disability Studies, Helen Lee ’23 participated in the 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), where she explored the Implications of Affect Variability on Cortisol and Sleep. “Specifically, I looked at how emotion variability might relate to daily cortisol output and physical health outcomes,” Lee
Recent graduate Corinne Tam was curious to learn more about masculinity within the Asian-American community, after understanding female empowerment and patriarchy. Tam took a particular interest in studying the experiences of Asian-Americans, which stemmed from her studies in sociology and women’s studies. Through the sociology club, she received a travel grant to go to Philadelphia,
For senior art history major Prabhnoor Kaur, research is much more than long academic papers. It’s a way to communicate, express, and paint people’s stories. Kaur spent last summer participating in SURF – the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship – which is overseen by the Center for Undergraduate Excellence. During her fellowship, Kaur explored the history of
Research comes in many different shapes and sizes. Sometimes students find themselves drawn to fields they had never known existed. Sometimes students find their new work so interesting that they decide to pursue it over the summer. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), a program within the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, provides support for students
Natalie Tom (’17) wants you to leave your burgers in the fridge for as long as possible. That’s why she spent last summer researching the possibility of extending the shelf life of beef patties with the use of mushrooms. She was able to dedicate her time and energy towards her research through the
Ali Sidun (’16) is an Environmental Science & Policy major, who, not coincidentally, enjoys spending time at the Corona Del Mar tide pools. In fact, this Hawaii native chose to attend Chapman University, in part, because it was as much like her home state
What does it mean to “own” something? What is property, really? Those are questions that drove Economics major Mary-Jean Howard (’17) through the summer of 2016. Mary was one the sixteen students selected for OURCA’s prestigious Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program. This intensive, ten-week program offers financial support to fellows so that they can