Summer research begins May 20

Students on the Cornell College campus have finished the academic year and will transform into full-time researchers for the annual Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI).

Forty students are working side-by-side with 19 faculty members on a variety of intensive research projects. The eight-week institute takes place May 20–July 12.

“Student-faculty research provides our students with a personalized education that promotes intellectual maturation,” said CSRI Director and Professor of Biology Craig Tepper. “This interaction fosters discovery-based and active learning and prepares students for the independence required to succeed in today’s complex workforce.”

Among many topics, the teams will be studying homelessness, tropical volcanic eruptions, performances at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, Ultrasonic Gesture-Controlled Piano, and monarch butterflies.

Students and faculty will gather to kick off CSRI at a picnic on Thursday, May 23, at 5:30 p.m. Students will introduce their research projects on the McGrane Terrace, outside of the second floor of the Thomas Commons on the Cornell Collge campus. At the end of the institute, students will present their findings at a student symposium at 3 p.m. on July 10 and July 11 in the Thomas Commons, Hall Perrine Room.

The institute is possible because of generous funding from the Hewlett Foundation Endowed Funds, the Dimensions Program, the Berry Career Institute, the Rogers-Gillette Student-Faculty Research Fund, and the Rebecca Joe Wearin Pulk Student-Faculty Research Fund.

CSRI has been held on campus for five years with research projects on a variety of subject matters. Throughout the institute, participants also attend panels and discussions to help prepare them for life after college on topics such as applying for graduate school, selling your skills, and learning about research ethics.