Our undergraduate and graduate students get into the lab with professors and put chemistry to work. Student researchers in chemistry help support innovative faculty research projects funded by major institutions including the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Argonne National Laboratory, Rush University, National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States Army, and many other organizations.
As an undergraduate, you’ll have the opportunity to gain valuable, hands-on experience on research of interest to you. Examples of faculty projects include:
- Exploring separation science and sustainability with Assistant Professor Sameh Elsaidi
- Developing new cancer treatments with Professor Hyun-Soon Chong
- Synthesizing more efficient materials for solar energy conversion with Associate Professor Adam Hock or Professor Braja Mandal
- Inventing nanopore sensors with Professor Xiyun (Richard) Guan for use in detecting bio-terrorist chemicals or environmental pollutants
$5,000 Undergraduate Summer Research Stipends
Students may conduct research during the school year or between terms. Lewis College of Science and Letters provides $5,000 Undergraduate Summer Research Stipends to do research with professors for 10 weeks during the summer. Examples of past undergraduate chemistry research with faculty includes the work of:
- John Clark, with Associate Professor David Minh, on research in computational methods for predicting binding affinities between proteins and small molecules
- Emily Mick, with Professor Hyun-Soon Chong, on NIH-funded cancer research making fluorescent iron-depleting agents for cancer therapy and imaging
Summer Research Opportunities
Summer research opportunities allow you to work alongside faculty and graduate students on fascinating projects. For some students, conducting research early in their academic career is an important step in determining whether to pursue graduate school or a career in either academia or industry. Research experience can also help students decide whether their specific academic course is right for them.
Illinois Tech offers four- and eight-week summer research opportunities in engineering, science, and business. As a current Illinois Tech student, you do not need to fill out the formal application. Instead, email the faculty member that is associated with each research opportunity directly to inquire about participating in the course. Be sure to indicate your interest in the project and highlight relevant experience when you contact the faculty member. Also, make sure to verify with your academic adviser that the research opportunity you would like to pursue fits into your degree plan. If admitted to the research opportunity, the faculty member will provide you with instructions for registering.
Questions about summer research opportunities? Email elevate@iit.edu or call 312.567.3849.