Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Undergraduate researchers at WSU benefit from hands-on experience with state-of-the-art chemical instrumentation such as high-field nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
Academic Year:
The chemistry faculty at WSU are involved in a wide variety of research projects spanning all of the subdisciplines in chemistry. Research is currently ongoing in the areas of polymer chemistry, physical organic chemistry, natural products chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, and biochemistry, as well as in the field of chemical education. Our Individual Problems in Chemistry course (Chemistry 430) provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to work independently on chemical research under the direction of a faculty member. Students ordinarily take this course during the regular academic year by arrangement with the individual faculty member. Students are encouraged to present their results at chemistry conferences such as NCUR and ACS national and regional meetings. Funding for student research in the Chemistry Department often comes from WSU Student Research Grants. Similarly travel is supported by the University to a modest extent. See http://www.winona.edu/grants/forms.htm for more details and deadlines. Here are direct links to the application forms for these grants:
Summer Research:
WSU chemistry faculty have been successful in recent years in obtaining funding to support summer research stipends for students. These opportunities vary from year to year, however, and are usually very limited. Students are encouraged to apply for their own external support for summer research at WSU. The POLYED committee of the National ACS and the MInnesota Chromatography Forum are two groups that provide awards to support summer research at one's home campus. Students may also also take Chemistry 430 during the summer if the faculty person is agreeable.
Some of our chemistry majors, especially those interested in attending graduate school in pursuit of an advanced degree, opt to involve themselves in summer chemistry research positions at major research institutions such as the University of Minnesota. Ordinarily the student applies for such a position during their junior year. Both the CIRRUS web site and the ACS EPiC site provide detailed information and links about these kinds of research programs.
The Mayo Medical Center also sponsors Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in areas related to the chemical sciences.
