Summer Research at St. Olaf

Welcome to the St. Olaf Summer Research Page!

Summer 2002 Group

Summer 2001 Group

Each summer, St. Olaf science students and faculty work engage in a wide range of research for 10 weeks and this research is made possible through grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Merck Foundation. St. Olaf College provides summer housing for the students. The 10 weeks begins and ends with student research talks and posters, and many of the students go on to present their results at national and regional meetings.

Research Abstracts

Last summer, the Summer Research Program included over 54 students and 18 faculty from the Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology Departments and associated interdisciplinary programs.

Student research occurs during the school year and is increasingly incorporated into classes. However, summer research allows students to focus solely on research, allowing them to learn the rigour, creativity, and joy of discovery that comes from scientific research. In the words of the students:

• Opened my eyes to all the possibilities for research. Surprised me to find that things went so slowly and quickly at the same time

• Gave me more of a "real world" feeling; I could actually see how the science I learned applied in real life

• You can never really be done with your research - no definite final results

• Science isn't so much about doing one completely self-contained experiment

- Charles Umbanhowar Jr., Director of Student Summer Research