Eight inaugural undergraduate SURD fellows (pictured with their mentors) are carrying out research projects in labs within the College of Chemistry.
Photo courtesy of College of Chemistry
They come to Berkeley with a deep enthusiasm for chemistry, a desire to experience hands-on research, and the motivation to spend the summer immersed in a College of Chemistry lab. This summer, eight undergraduates from around the country are participating in Berkeley’s inaugural Summer Undergraduate Research Diversity (SURD) program. The students, including both four UC Berkeley undergraduates and four students from other colleges, arrived on campus in early June and will spend 9 weeks carrying out research and receiving professional development training and mentorship.
“This new program gives students from populations that are typically underrepresented in chemistry and chemical engineering an opportunity to have a really in-depth research and training experience that will ideally better prepare them for future careers in research and industry,” says Dr. Marissa Yáñez, the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer of the College of Chemistry.
To recruit a diverse population of students for the program, Dr. Yáñez focused on outreach at diversity conferences including NOBCChE, ABRCMS and SANCAS, as well as outreach to more than 70 institutions including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUI’s) and community colleges. As a result, more than 100 diverse undergraduates applied for SURD. About 70% of those applicants were from underrepresented minority groups and 75% were female. To apply, students did not have to have previous research experiences; instead, they were selected based on their academic record, letters of recommendation, and an essay about their interest in chemistry, chemical biology or chemical engineering.
“Our goal is that these students become empowered to succeed in chemistry and go on to graduate school in advanced sciences — here at Berkeley, or elsewhere,” says Yáñez.
The 2024 SURD fellows, all women from underrepresented backgrounds, come from North Carolina A&T, Cal State East Bay, Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio Texas, Smith College and UC Berkeley. They are currently being hosted in the labs of Brooks Abel, Rebecca Abergel, Polly Arnold, Eran Rabani, Richmond Sarpong, Dean Toste, and Wenjun Zhang.
As part of the SURD program, each participating student has been assigned two mentors: a research mentor who is a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow from within the College of Chemistry, as well as an industry mentor from a biotechnology company. The research mentors are receiving ten hours of in-depth mentor training as part of the BURET mentor workshop that is offered within the College of Chemistry, and is sponsored by the College of Chemistry Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging office, to help boost their own mentoring skills.
“One of the keys to diversifying STEM fields is good mentorship, but there isn’t typically a lot of training on how to be a good mentor,” says Yáñez. “We want a comprehensive program that not only trains undergraduates, but trains their mentors as well.”
Yáñez’s team is also offering weekly professional development lectures to the students on topics like networking, preparing for graduate school, finding funding for graduate school, scientific communication, preparing a scientific presentation and poster, and overcoming imposter syndrome. Those lectures are followed by faculty lunches where the SURD fellows hear from a College of Chemistry faculty member about their work.
On August 7, the SURD fellows will present their summer research projects as part of an undergraduate research symposium open to the Berkeley community.
Stay tuned for a follow-up story following the symposium.