Students embark on intensive summer research projects

While school is out for the summer for most, dozens of Cornell College students are getting back to work.

They’re diving into new and ongoing summer research projects to discover the unknown about a number of topics including box turtles, eating disorder prevention, supermassive black holes, monarch butterflies, and digital games for language learning.

Students and faculty will gather to kick-off the Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI) at a picnic on Thursday, May 19, at 5:30 p.m. where students will introduce their research projects to summer institute participants on the McGrane Terrace, outside of the second floor of the Thomas Commons, located on the Cornell College campus.

Forty students and 23 faculty members will collaborate on intensive research projects across the liberal arts disciplines during the 10-week Cornell Summer Research Institute. Students will work one-on-one with Cornell College professors on more than 20 research projects that have real-world impact. In addition to collaborative student-faculty research, CSRI sponsors a student, living-learning community and a variety of  programs.

“The Cornell Summer Research Institute provides students with the opportunity to conduct independent research in their area of interest. In the process, the students develop additional skills that CEOs and managers uniformly highlight as essential for the college graduates they employ,” said Cornell College Professor of Geology and Associate Dean Ben Greenstein, who directs the institute. “Institute programming over the 10-week interval allows students to realize the connections between the skills they are developing and their postgraduate careers.”

Students will work collaboratively with professors to learn and understand advanced research methods, prepare reports of their findings, and present conclusions to their peers. Those who take part will also get a chance to hear their professors’ scholarly interests in a series of talks throughout the summer months.

CSRI will wrap up during the week of July 18 with a final student symposium showcasing their research from 3-6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, and Thursday, July 21. Everyone will gather for an award ceremony on Friday, July 22 at 4:30 p.m.

This is the second year for the research institute. It is funded through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and a variety of internal sources.