While the majority of Bucknell students travel home, abroad, or elsewhere for the summer months, the university’s campus is not vacant. Many Bucknell students chose to stay on campus participating in research led by professors, taking classes, and even working. Bucknell students are working year round and here on campus all over the place, but here we highlight groups of students who chose to stay in Lewisburg to do so.
Over two hundred students took part in summer research programs at Bucknell or through programs they were connected with. Department specific programs, the Bucknell Program for Undergraduate Research (PUR) and the Emerging Scholars are some of the university wide programs that support research of all disciplines and interest areas.
PUR gives students each year the opportunity to apply for the opportunity to conduct research and partake in various projects throughout the summer. This competitive program is open each year to all full-time students at Bucknell. Faculty from all academic divisions take part in selecting the candidates who are granted with this summer award. When accepted to this program students also receive a living stipend as well as housing on campus for the duration of their summer programs. In the spring following the summer that students participate, their research is presented at the Kalman Student Research Symposium.
The Emerging Scholars Summer Research, Scholarship and Creativity Program also helps to give students an opportunity to stay on campus for the summer. The program is described as connecting students with mentors to engage in independent research, creative projects, and scholarship. Students who receive this grant participate in research full-time for an eight to ten week period during the summer. They also partake in scholarly and professional development workshops weekly.
Students can also apply to participate in summer research within their academic department or by inquiring with professors. Some of the grants given out this past summer include the Innovations in Renewable Energy Summer Research Fellowship, Physics & Astronomy Summer Research Program, Chemistry Departments Summer Research Program, McKenna Summer Environmental Fellowship and more.
Among the many students who partake in research, the Biology department had a large group.
“Summer undergrad research is one of the coolest things we do here at Bucknell, largely thanks to the professors who stick around and spend their ‘off’ time mentoring outstanding students each year,” said Professor Chris Martine, Biology Department Chair. “This past summer, following a competitive application process, the Biology department faculty mentored 32 summer research fellows who lived and worked on campus for an average of 10 weeks — and over the past five years we have taken on more than 175 of these students! This is a full-immersion research experience that very few other schools offer, and I hope that Bucknell continues to invest in supporting the students and professors who might participate.”
Biology major and Presidential Fellow Victoria Hall ‘24 participates in research year round and has spent the past two summers staying on campus. She shared her experience working under the supervision of Professor Karla Malaga in the Biomedical Engineering department.
“Doing research over the summers has been one of the highlights of my Bucknell career,” said Hall. “I have been able to grow in my scientific ability while also making a lot of new friends in the process. I am thankful for the programs that Bucknell offers that make it possible for me to continue my education throughout the summer Although I was spending the summer in Lewisburg I was still able to do things in the area that I wouldn’t typically have time to do during the school year like hiking, taking trips to the farmers market, and playing sports.”
Business Analytics major Chris Kopac ’25 also spent his summer participating in research.
“I worked with Professor Sam Gutekunst from the math and computer science departments and we looked at the data analytics behind Broadway musicals,” said Kopac. “Essentially, we analyzed the revenues and costs behind Broadway musicals to try to understand if Broadway producers will profit from their shows over time. My summer research benefitted me by strengthening my analytical and critical thinking skills, along with giving myself experience in the analytics field.”
Margaret Marr, Director for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research provides information to students looking to apply for summer research grants. Students looking to spend summer 2024 on campus can look for applications typically due at the beginning of the spring semester.
In Bucknell Magazine, Marr said, “Bucknell makes a significant investment in supporting undergraduate research and ensuring that there is support for students’ scholarly interests. Students develop meaningful, lifelong relationships with their research mentors while learning valuable, transferable skills, like teamwork and communication.”
Aside from research students can also look to apply for on campus summer jobs. Bucknell Housing Services and the Residential Education office, for example, hire summer student assistants for their office each year. Students receive free housing accommodations on campus for the summer along with an hourly wage. The position begins early May at the end of the spring semester and lasts until the end of fall move-in. Applications for a summer position in the Housing and ResED office typically open early in the spring semester.
