Undergraduate research is an important part of all programs. Gaining practical experience in applying knowledge to solve problems is becoming an expectation of employers and graduate schools, alike.
About Field Experience
Undergraduate research has been a part of our programs for over 25 years, and it’s easier to get involved than you think. Faculty in the department work on a wide variety of research projects that you can participate in. You also have the option to work with a professor to design a study that interests you. In many cases, students will take the results of their projects to regional and national professional conferences to present.
Recent Field Experience Projects
Reilly Blocho (Geology ’19) is investigating variations in the geochemistry of black shales across New York. He started the work during the summer of 2017 as part of the University’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program which provides a summer salary and free on-campus housing over the summer. Reilly is continuing the work during summer of 2018, but already presented at the Geological Society of America annual meeting which was in Seattle in October 2017.
Eliza Crane (Water Resources ’20) began working on a project investigating the chemistry of phosphorus in suspended sediment of the Irondequoit Creek watershed in the summer of 2018. This watershed is the primary source of sediment to Irondequoit Bay which is the largest embayment on the south coast of Lake Ontario, and has historic issues with eutrophication. Results will be presented at the Geological Society of America annual meeting in the fall of 2018.
Molly Bartley (Meteorology ’20) is working this summer on a project to study thunderstorms crossing the Hudson River Valley as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. This region sees more severe weather than perhaps any portion of the Northeast U.S., and Molly is investigating how the local topography may play a role in this anomaly. She will be presenting her work at the Northeast Storm Conference in March, 2019.