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A group of nine bright and hard-working students will embark this summer on an intensive ten-week faculty-mentored research experience as part of the University�Ӱ�ԭ��s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. The projects span a range of disciplines, including English, psychology, biology, chemical engineering, forensic science, and business.

Enthusiasm is high as these students prepare for their summer research. Melanie Rivera �Ӱ�ԭ��27, a marine biology major, is looking forward to advancing what she has learned in the classroom.

�Ӱ�ԭ��There's only so much you can understand in theory, but the hands-on experience is simply unmatched,�Ӱ�ԭ�� she said.

Melanie�Ӱ�ԭ��s project will surely afford her those hands-on experiences as she will be investigating the impact of microplastic contamination on Long Island black sea bass.

Justin Sosa Duarte �Ӱ�ԭ��27, an accounting major, is proud to be among the SURF 2025 recipients. �Ӱ�ԭ��From my perspective, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program is more than a research fellowship�Ӱ�ԭ��it is a platform to challenge conventional boundaries in education,�Ӱ�ԭ�� he said.

�Ӱ�ԭ��As the first accounting student in my department to receive this award, I am honored to contribute a financial lens to the growing conversation around ethical AI,�Ӱ�ԭ�� continued Sosa Duarte. �Ӱ�ԭ��I am especially eager to explore how consumer perceptions of trust, bias, and transparency in AI systems can inform more responsible financial practices and regulatory frameworks."

Achilles Beumel �Ӱ�ԭ��26, a second-time SURF participant, is especially aware of the benefits of SURF.

�Ӱ�ԭ��The SURF program offers an opportunity to grow both as a researcher and as a person,�Ӱ�ԭ�� said Beumel. �Ӱ�ԭ��My project this year dissects potential discriminatory practices in hiring educators, a complex topic many shy away from. Tackling this topic head on will be challenging but immensely valuable.�Ӱ�ԭ��

Beumel is also the recipient of the 2024-25 Bucknall Family Award for Undergraduate Research, following in the footsteps of SURF alumni, and Bucknall Family Award recipients, Alice Yi �Ӱ�ԭ��22, Chelsea (Hang) Su �Ӱ�ԭ��23, and Gianna Cologna �Ӱ�ԭ��25.

The 2025 SURF program marks the second year that faculty have funded student projects through their own research grants. This year, Dr. Huan Gu�Ӱ�ԭ��s grant will enable two students (Bisher Lpizra �Ӱ�ԭ��26, chemical engineering, and Sneh Dagar �Ӱ�ԭ��27, chemical and biomolecular engineering) to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE).

Last year, Dr. Shue Wang�Ӱ�ԭ��s NSF CAREER grant supported two students (Kahlea Hsu �Ӱ�ԭ��26, forensic science and Madison Marino �Ӱ�ԭ��25, forensic science). By encouraging faculty to �Ӱ�ԭ��bring their own funding�Ӱ�ԭ�� to support SURF students, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) expands opportunities for students to participate in faculty-mentored research, with support from their SURF peers and mentors in a community of researchers.

Dagar expressed gratitude, saying �Ӱ�ԭ��I am very thankful to SURF and Dr. Gu for providing me with the opportunity to conduct hands-on research. I look forward to deepening my understanding of how enzyme-responsive polyolefins can be programmed to resist fouling, which has fascinating implications in healthcare and environmental technology.�Ӱ�ԭ��

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program was established in 2007 to provide students with support for dedicating ten weeks to summer research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Since then, SURF has been supported by the Carrubba Family Endowment.

In establishing the endowment, Frank Carrubba �Ӱ�ԭ��69, �Ӱ�ԭ��79 M.S. said he envisioned SURF as an experience that �Ӱ�ԭ��provides students and faculty members with a chance to work together outside the classroom and to collaborate in areas of research that can benefit humankind.�Ӱ�ԭ��

To this day, SURF projects have been providing innovative solutions to real-world problems.