The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) supports faculty-mentored undergraduate research during the summer. This is an opportunity for students to work with a faculty mentor on a research topic relevant to their interests and educational goals during the summer. The expectation is that students will devote 8-10 weeks of full-time effort to the project. Students will present their research findings to other SURF recipients during events in the summer and fall. Students will receive a $4000 stipend, $750 in housing allowance, and up to $500 for research supplies, and mentors will receive a $1000 stipend. Whether a student is a seasoned researcher or this is their first undergraduate research project – SURF is a great chance to expand their educational experience.

Pacific students can view more information here.

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Awards from 2024

The Proof is in the Pudding, Pecans, Sliced Ham, Cheese Curls...: Coding Recall Order to Measure Strategy Use., Emma Garber

Language Without Barrier: A Machine Learning Based ASL Analyzer, Khanh Linh Nguyen

Optimization of Adipogenic Differentiation Potential of Lipedema-Origin Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs), Zakary Raymond

Investigating Groundwater in Sierra Nevada, Olivia Silvestre

Electrospinning for Corneal Tissue Engineering Applications, Mackenzie Tobertga

Awards from 2023

Evaluating climate change impacts on susceptible macroinvertebrate species in natural alpine springs of the Sierra Nevada, Jenny Dagnino

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Feminism for the Descamisadas: a Rhetorical Analysis of Eva Perón's Speeches, Kayleigh Fick

Rate My Feedback: An NLP-Based Machine Learning Framework to Analyze and Construct Professor-Specific Suggestions from Student Written Evaluations, Brittany Ho

Diversification of Pedagogy: Music for Clarinet by American Women Composers of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries, Abigail Miller

Tapping into the Potential of the Fungal Metabolome via Coculture and Chemical Elicitors, Ananya Srivatsan

Decolonizing the American Literary Canon Through Native American Storytelling and Counter-Narratives, Jenna Williamson

Awards from 2022

Investigating Art Gallery Problems, Matthew Cowen

Expression and Characterization of a Potential Human Anti-Cancer Protein, Gc-Maf, Rajan Patel

Does Service-Learning Increase Feelings of Empathy in Students?, Daneli Santillan

Finite Mutation Classes of Quivers where Vertex In-Degree and Out-Degree is Two, Christopher Uchizono

Lynching, Law, and African American WW1 Veterans Returning to the American South - and Collaborative Research Support for Novelist Fay Snowden's WWW Manuscript My American Hero, Namorrah Ward

Awards from 2021

Population-level variance in the morphology of myodocopid ostracod population over juvenile development, Joyce Chen

Photogrammetry In Virtual Reality, Ryan Damerell

In-Vitro 3D model of Infectious Diseases, Jef Andrei Pelera

Carnival or Cathedral: Designing a Historical Role-Playing Game on Conservation and the National Parks, Corey Pfitzer

The Humanization of Asian Americans: Dispelling the Model Minority Myth in Relation to Higher Education, Brooke Tran

Black Opera and Black Opera Companies in the United States, Molly Westlake

Awards from 2020

Bathymetric Map Creation Using Arial Robots, Robert Ashby

Short Movies of Kam Minority Cultural Heritage, Angelique Doty

Emotions in Film Media, Carmen Huang

Evaluating Investment Options with Machine Learning, Arthur Jones

Georgian/Victorian English and American Women in Instrumental Music, Yuki Nagase

The Effects of Temperature and a Common Pesticide on Egg-Laying in the Variable Field Cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, Cindy Vo

Awards from 2019

A Virtual Reality Recreation of the Stockton State Hospital, Claryse Adams

Determining the chemical basis of behavioral differences in male and female Eupilomedes carcharodonta, Sonya Ahmadyar

Hydro-foiling Sailboat Flight Control System Design, Mackenzie Cook

Regulation of GADD34 and CReP mRNA expression in the Unfolded Protein Response, Krithika Giresh

Conformation and Energetics of B- and Y-Ions in Peptide Fragmentation, Joshua Ho

Satellite image analysis to determine vegetation water use, Republic of Marshall Islands, Saira Purhar

Awards from 2018

Assessment of paleo-climate through analysis of spring-associated carbonate, Katie Andrews

Thermo-mechanical Analysis of Sequential Bone Drilling with Applications to Osteoarthritis Treatment, Justin Boetius

Triggers of Egg-Laying: Does Mating Call Attractiveness Matter?, Jenica Emerson

¡Viva La Raza! : The Bracero Program in California’s Central Valley, Katelyn Getchel

Molecular regulation of motility in symbiotic cyanobacteria, Thomas Harwood

Don’t talk to strangers, or should you? Shy children’s vocalizations with parents and strangers, Caitlin Reynolds

Evaluation of cis-diamine-cyclohexane derivatives as potential chiral catalysts in organic synthesis, Kelsey Wong

Awards from 2017

The role of inhibitory control on shy toddler’s adjustment, Jocelyn Camargo

Catastrophic health spending - How health spending affects poverty in underdeveloped countries, Timothy Cheng

The efficacy of utilizing behavioral skills training to improve job interview skills among military veterans, Caterina Grossi

Molecular Epidemiological Survey of Bacterial Pathogens in Dermacentor variabilis in San Joaquin County, Aeilish Guinn

Protein Analysis of Corydoras duplicareus Venom, Justin He

Awards from 2016

Ikusi: Creatures Brought to Life, Mia Arostigui Cabrera

Synthesis of Nucleobase-Neomycin conjugates, Mingheng Ling

Combining Aesthetics, Sustainability, and Structural Integrity in Tiny House Design, Aimee Mahoney

Creation of a New Multimedia Composition for Live Performer, Fixed Media (audio), and Video, Scott Nelson

Natural Compound Testing on T. vaginalis, Sabrina Noritake

Investigation of Forces in Bone Drilling for Orthopedic Surgery, Nasser Saleh

Assessment of Water Resource Susceptibility to Climate Change: Republic of the Marshall Islands, Sara Warix

Preschool Teacher’s Role in the Emotion Coaching of Children, Jillian Yelinek

Awards from 2015

The Last Health Insurance Gamble: Who Purchases and Who Should Purchase Long-Term Care Insurance?, David Caranza

Social Media and Organizational Transparency: A Case Study of McDonalds’ Customer Engagement Campaign, Gitane Chaisson

Environmental Factors Associated with Transmission of Avian Parasite Infections in California, Chase Crimmins

Ontogeny of Middle Ear Tuning in Tungura Frogs, Betty Lee

Investigations into the Nature of Dimetallic Bonds within Octachloroditechnetate Anions using Computational Methods, Johnson Liu

Markov Chains and Modeling Statistics for Educational and Analytic Purposes, Timothy Shumate

From Hanfu to Xiao Qinxin: The Evolution of China's (Middle Class) Fashion, Sarah Yung

Awards from 2014

Determining the Effect of Mangiferin on the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Lung Cancer Cells, Zubair Amin

The Politics of Religion: Islam in a Neo-liberal State, Adnan Hashtam

The Legal Basis for a Top Two System of Elections: The Case of Washington’s Initiative 872, Sarah Lutz

Design and Synthesis of a Water-Soluble Ligand for Detection and Extraction of Metal Ions, Nhi Nguyen

Water Polo Database, James Price

Hardening and acclimation in the neotropical tungara frog (Engystomops pustulosus), Pacific Vo

Awards from 2013

The Politics of Revolutionary Literature: Garcia-Marquez and Borges, Tanairi Alcaraz

Applications of Structurally Modified Cyclam Ligand in Ion Extraction and Stabilization, Angelique Cao

The Cease Fire Initiative: Its effectiveness in Reducing Violent Crime Across Cities, Adam Falcon

LBGT the final frontier of human rights: A case study of same-sex marriage in Spain, Faith James

Filesystem Independent Framework for Data-Intensive Computing, Austin Kimbrell

Neo-Slave Narratives, Black Feminist Theory, and the Battle for Reproductive Rights, Danielle Procope

Larval ecology of S. adiaste: development of tools for restoration of an imperiled butterfly, Cassidi Rush

Microbial Effects on Metal Mobility in Urban Wetlands, Katie Teague

Awards from 2012

Characterization and localization of subtilisin-like serine proteases in Trichomonas vaginalis as new chemotherapeutic targets, Kai Hsiang Chang

Papermaking: A Form of Sustainable Art, Jessica Fong

Ad Hoc Senor Networks Sinks and Topology Algorithm, Jennifer Johnson

Resolving the geologic evolution of the Mount Tallac region with geologic mapping of crosscutting relationships; Desolation Wilderness, El Dorado County, California, Brittany Klemm

Intergenerational Cultural Dissonance in Cambodian American Families Documentary, Halima Lucas

Wireless Battery Charging with an Aerial Robot, Michael Moore

The Impact of Social Media on Afghan Young Adults’ Self-Esteem and Voluntary Behaviors, Fnu Mustafa

Pandemic Proliferation at Pacific, Austin Tuttle

Role of LRRK2-Interacting Protein, RAD21 in Neruonal Death, Sarah Ann Wong

Awards from 2011

Purification of the Spider Silk Protein TuSp1 from the yeast Pichia pastoris, Kimiko Agari

Activism and organization in community agriculture: A comparison of models from Nicaragua and the United States, Maya Campbell-Unsoeld

Development of a new proposal to understand eye formation in dimorphic crustaceans, Briana Hu

Will they try it: How information influences college students, Rebecca Kutcher

Their Then and Now: a culture contrast, Joanne Kwan

Children and Foster Care: When Children are Removed From Their Parents Due to Neglect, Should the Goal be Reunification or Adoption?, Ann McAdams

Seasonal Variations in Microbial Populations in a Watershed Impacted by Acid Mine Drainage, Gabby McDaniel

Through Young Kam Eyes: Using disposable cameras and cultural research to create a window into the turbulent cultural changes of the Kam minority people of China, Anastasya Uskova

Awards from 2010

Twenty-One Gun Salute, Petra Anderson

Characterizing the expression and behavior of the fruit fly XRCC2 protein, Tyler Chuang

Developing a simplified, standardized method for compiling GIS compatible geologic maps, Luke Crawford

Pollination Biology of the California Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium californicum, Catherine Fung

A 100-year history of metal contamination resulting from urbanization and acid mine drainage in Leona Creek Watershed, Oakland, CA, Gabby McDaniel

Statistical Characterization of Natural Fiber Composites, Thank Do Nogc

The Investigation of FRP-Wood Bond Interface Under Wet-Dry Cycles, Justin Pyun

Establishing a coastal marsh sediment chronology to facilitate paleoenvironmental interpretation of human impacts, Ye Rong