Experience is one of the best teachers. In the Texas A&M College of Science, we are training tomorrow’s scientific leaders by giving today’s students the opportunity to learn from the best — experiences and teachers — in both our classrooms and our laboratories, where they can share in the powerful experiences of scholarship and discovery and explore their potential to transform the world.
In fall 2021, Texas A&M Science launched the Science Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (SUROP), a novel initiative designed to increase the number of undergraduate students involved in research by providing paid opportunities to work side-by-side on select projects with faculty sponsors. The program features flexible options and scheduling, direct payments to students, and possible course credit.
Opportunity to work alongside world-class faculty and adopt their fields
Increased retention and academic performance
Improved experience for professional, academia, or industry careers
College Station, Texas
Biomedical engineering major and neuroscience minor
Future Ph.D. in neuroscience and researcher
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “Comparing Acute and Chronic Neural Progenitor Cell Transplants for Spinal Cord Injury”
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Dulin ’05
Austin, Texas
Biology and statistics double major
Future biostatistician and data analyst
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “Development of statistical methods and software for analysis of data from wearable devices”
Mentor: Dr. Irina Gaynanova
Sacramento, California
Chemistry major
Future graduate student, industry leader and/or teacher
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “Stereoretentive Olefin Metathesis as a New Tool to Access Precise Conjugated Polymers”
Mentor: Dr. Quentin Michaudel
Baytown, Texas
Chemistry major
Future Ph.D. and synthetic R&D chemist
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “C-H Bonds as Disconnections for High-Value Amines”
Mentor: Dr. David Powers
League City, Texas
Biochemistry major
Future vascular surgeon
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “The Effects of Site Specific Histone Modifications on Nucleosomal DNA Accessibility”
Mentor: Dr. Wenshe Ray Liu
Houston, Texas
B.S. Chemical Engineering (May 2021)
Future space and technology researcher
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “A Statistical Analysis of the Exoplanet Population”
Mentor: Dr. Darren DePoy
Schertz, Texas
Physics major
Future Ph.D. and researcher in astronomy
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “Impact of Environment on Stellar Populations of Massive Galaxies at redshift z=1.6”
Mentor: Dr. Casey Papovich
Houston, Texas
Physics major, computational track
Future Ph.D. and researcher
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “Frequency comb spectroscopy for atmospheric monitoring of trace gases symptomatic for nuclear enrichment activities”
Mentor: Dr. Alexandre Kolomenski
Milford, Texas
Biology major and neuroscience/philosophy minors
Future academic researcher (beginning Ph.D. at Harvard, Fall 2022)
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “CaveCrawler: An interactive analysis suite for cavefish bioinformatics”
Mentors: Dr. Alex Keene, Dr. Heath Blackmon
Brownsville, Texas
Chemistry, physics, computer science triple major
Future Ph.D. in physics en route to aerospace industry
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “Near-infrared modulation spectroscopy of atmospheric trace gases”
Mentor: Dr. Hans Schuessler
Houston, Texas
Biology major and astrophysics minor
Future astrobiologist
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “The role of genetic and environmental complexity on shaping genome structure”
Mentor: Dr. Heath Blackmon
Belton, Texas
Physics major
Future astrophysicist
SUROP 1st cohort
Title: “Determination of M-Dwarf Metallicities”
Mentor: Dr. Luke Schmidt
“Over the years, I usually had one, two, or even three undergraduate students working in my lab, and it was a good experience for them. It was a good way to introduce students to working science so they could see the difficulties as well as the high spots. I think undergraduate research is a really important step in career growth and introduces students to science every day.”
Texas A&M Science honors the individuals and corporations whose generous philanthropy benefits our undergraduate students by helping to provide them with hands-on learning opportunities in our laboratories along with invaluable incentives beyond stipends, including lab supply purchases, travel support, and a host of career-enhancing experiences.
Don Birkelbach ’70
Gina M. Dickerson ’86
Nancy and Robert L. Dunham ’63
ExxonMobil Foundation
Leslie W. Lenser ’87
Dr. Mark D. Moore ’84
Dr. John M. Quarles
Col. Harold “Hal” C. Schade ’67
Jo Ann and Dr. Charles Whiteside ’53
Stephen Zimmerman
Our three-part goal is simple yet critical to the future of science — increase retention of STEM majors, enhance our undergraduate program, and ensure that undergraduates can participate in research without having to work multiple jobs in order to afford the experience.
You, too, can play an integral role in shaping the next generation of science by supporting an undergraduate for a summer or for the spring or fall term.
