Testimonials

Justin Ortiz
B.S. Chemistry, Purdue University, 1997

During college, there are certainly a huge variety of ways to spend time outside of the classroom. Participating in activities such as clubs and recreation are an important part of the undergraduate experience. If you are looking to enrich your academic life, there is no better way than to do undergraduate research. This allows you to actively participate in generating new knowledge rather than just passively absorbing it. I started doing research in organic chemistry as a freshman even before I had a class in organic chem. I was surprised to find that I was able to learn techniques and concepts I hadn't thought I was ready for. As I progressed in my curriculum I took on increasing responsibility for planning, executing, and interpreting experiments. Doing so allowed my confidence and independence of thought to grow as it couldn't have had I merely sat in a classroom and fulfilled the basic requirements. My contact with my research mentors enabled me to see what academic scientists actually do. It also opened up opportunities for a chemical industry internship. By presenting my work at research group meetings and campus-wide poster sessions I gained invaluable experience in public speaking and scientific communications. Now, as a third year medical student, I still rely on many of the skills I learned by doing undergraduate research. I also have maintained a strong relationship with my research mentor that continues despite the separation of time and geography. In summary, by doing undergraduate research I gained a set of intellectual and personal skills that I continue to rely on and benefit from even though what I am doing now is so different from where I thought I was headed. I strongly recommend undergraduate research to anyone interested in making the most of their time at Purdue.

Aaron Hoskins
B.S. Chemistry, Purdue University, 2000

Without a doubt, I believe that undergraduate research was the most valuable part of my education at Purdue University. The science that is learned in an undergraduate classroom and from a textbook is only a shadow of the whole. I don't think that you can really understand what organic chemistry "is" or what biochemistry "is" from a textbook. Learning about a Diels-Alder reaction in a class is a much different experience than having to carry out the experiment yourself with no manual and with side-reactions, purification steps, or other things. Certainly for me, research helped define my career goals. Research is not for everyone. I certainly discovered through research that I did not want to be a synthetic chemist, but that instead, I was truly fascinated by biochemistry and enzymology. I have several friends who discovered that research was not to their liking, and they are happier in medical school. Undergraduate research helped them make that decision. Currently I am a graduate student at MIT in chemistry, and many of my decisions about graduate school were made from candid conversations I had with my research professors at Purdue. If the possibility exists that you wish to continue in science in graduate school or in industry, prior experience is an invaluable asset. Certainly everyone in my cohort of graduate students at MIT has done extensive undergraduate research. In the real world, lab manuals are very rare. Only experience can give you insight into the chemistry and experiments needed to determine the unknown, and whether for a major professor or a commercial company, the unknown is what interests science.

Sienna Henning Yarbrough
B.S. Chemistry, Purdue University, 1999

Towards the end of my freshman year of college, I decided to transfer to Purdue in search of research/"hands-on-experience". I was introduced to the idea of undergraduate research by both my peers and by my undergraduate counselor (Kay Conner). At that time I thought "oh, just another lab" but now, as a professional in the field, I realize just how much I have benefited from this option (At Purdue, we are fortunate to have a wide variety of choices in undergraduate research; smaller schools may not offer as many). In fact, if I hadn't done undergraduate research, I would not have gotten the position that I have today in industry (many companies require you present research at your interview, in my case that was my interview). My research advisor was wonderful (Joseph S. Francisco). He provided materials and advice for the project at hand, while letting me explore the research on my own (this is very typical of "real-life"). Even though weekly meetings may have seemed intimidating at first, I now realize their importance when I have to explain/defend my work in industry. Undergraduate research is a very important step that everyone should include in their curriculum. Whether you have 1 year or 4 years to devote, the experience you will gain is immeasurable.