Purdue undergraduate researchers complete projects

August 4, 2005

Purdue undergraduate researchers complete projects

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A group of undergraduate students at Purdue University presented their findings on various summer research projects on campus Tuesday (Aug. 2).

The research projects are part of the two-month Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, or SURF, where about 160 students work directly with Purdue faculty researchers. The projects are not designed as coursework, and they must have practical application to everyday life.

"Most undergraduate students do not have the opportunity to do this type of research," said Jay Gore, associate dean for the Purdue College of Engineering and founder of SURF. "The goal is to introduce undergraduate students to the concept of graduate and post-graduate research projects and have the opportunity to be mentored by university professors and researchers."

Students in the summer program come from 19 universities, including Purdue, Michigan, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Alabama A&M, Rutgers, Pennsylvania State, Florida A&M, Illinois Institute of Technology and University of Miami.

Highlights from some of the 160 research projects include:

Building a more fuel-efficient rocket for space missions.

Creating programs that snap pictures of a nuclear reactor core neutron to document a reactor's history.

Producing a detailed model of a nuclear reactor system.

Simulating a radiological bomb to determine radioactivity under different weather conditions and its effect on a major city.

Developing an internal-combustion engine that does not rely on moving pistons or spark-based combustion.

Creating maps with "real" images that provide direct visual clues and help users navigate more effectively.

Developing a 3-D structure to study DNA sequences more efficiently.

Reducing external sound inside automobiles when a sunroof or rear side window is open.

Developing voice-production research on a human larynx to assist patients in need of a voice box or singers and other voice professionals who have larynx surgery.

"The research I've done through this program has given me a new understanding of how research is conducted," said Rob Anderson, a Purdue undergraduate student from Carmel, Ind., who is studying rocket propulsion at the Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories. "Participating in SURF will help me decide if I want to go into private research or work in the public sector, for an agency like NASA, for example."

The SURF program was founded in 2003 through a gift from Purdue alumnus Patrick Wang. It was expanded through the sponsorship of Intel Foundation, National Science Foundation, DaimlerChrysler Corp., Purdue College of Engineering Office of Research and Entrepreneurship and departments within the College of Engineering and College of Science. Students in the program receive a $1,000 per month stipend and attend weekly professional development seminars.

Writer: Cynthia Sequin, (765) 494-4192, csequin@purdue.edu

Source: Jay Gore, (765) 494-1452, gore@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Specific information on each of the research projects and contact information for students involved are available by contacting Cynthia Sequin at (765) 494-4192, csequin@purdue.edu.

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