Undergrad researchers learn valuable skills, make real-world impact

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — From designing corn that can withstand extreme climates to developing materials that improve energy production, undergraduates across Penn State are gaining firsthand experience in research with real-world impact.

As members of hundreds of research teams across the University that are working to advance knowledge and make discoveries, undergraduate students are an integral part of Penn State’s research landscape. Undergraduate research provides a hands-on learning experience and allows students to advance research at the University, potentially co-author papers and connect with future employers. No experience is the same: Students can participate in internships, summer programs, jumpstart programs or reach out directly to work with faculty and graduate students on professional research projects, to name a few example pathways.

Whether in the humanities or the sciences, undergraduate research is not just performed at a lab bench. Each undergraduate researcher at Penn State has their own story. 

Charlie Colvin is a fourth-year student majoring in plant sciences and is driven to develop ways to feed the world’s population in a time of climate uncertainty. He studies plant genetics and sustainable agriculture, investigating the role of flavonoids, chemical compounds that affect plant color, in maize resistance to insect pests with Surinder Chopra, professor of maize genetics. 

“What helped me most was learning to see each problem as a puzzle, something to figure out, not just an obstacle,” he said. “There always seemed to be something unexpected.”

He encouraged undergraduates to get involved in research early, regardless of their comfort level. 

“Don’t wait until you feel ‘ready,’ just start,” he said. “The earlier you get involved, the more you’ll learn, and there are so many skills and insights you can only gain through real research experience. It also helps reinforce what you’re learning in the classroom — and it’s never too late either.”

Kueyoung Kim, who recently graduated with a bachelor of science in chemistry this past spring, caught the research bug while trying to create plastic from apples as part of a high school project. At Penn State, he was a core member of the lab directed by Lauren Zarzar, professor of chemistry and of materials science and engineering, researching oil-in-water emulsions. Zarzar’s lab develops innovative ways to integrate materials at nano and microscale levels for next generation technologies. Today, Kueyoung is a graduate student studying physics at Cambridge University.

“The idea of creating new knowledge and venturing into the unknown was super exciting to me, and I wanted to dive right in,” he said. “Undergraduate research experience has been extremely valuable since it’s given me the confidence to pursue ideas and the skills needed to execute new experiments.”

Why should students get involved in research?

Tineka Lebrun, director of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring at Penn State, encouraged all students to take advantage of the undergraduate research opportunities available. 

“As a top research university, Penn State is a place where you learn a lot of different skills,” she said. “It can be related to field specific skills, but it can also be things like teamwork and problem solving. Working on a project, either on your own or with a faculty member, can help you start to see what you're good at, what you like to do, what you're interested in, and I think that's just incredibly important for this particular time of life.”

Undergraduates who are involved in research echo this perspective. As Kim put it, “research isn’t just for scientists who have spent their whole lives in the lab — anyone can do research and contribute to the advancement of human society.”

Beyond exploring interests and honing skills, Lebrun also emphasized the mentorship relationships that are integral to the research experience. 

“It's a great place for networking,” she said. “You get the chance to work with faculty really closely, talk with them, learn about their career paths and learn from their graduate students who are also on their own career paths. Research will help you build relationships.”

What is undergraduate research like?

Megan von Abo, a fourth-year student majoring in biotechnology, studies the mechanisms behind long-term memory formation in mice with Janine Kwapis, the Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences. 

Inspired by her research journey, von Abo said she plans to continue in neuroscience research by pursuing a doctorate with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases, potentially founding a biotech startup that provides therapeutics for these diseases. 

As the nature of research is exploratory, there are often setbacks and struggles in the process. The key, von Abo said, is to communicate.

“When I first started working in the lab, I was really hesitant to ask questions because I didn’t want to seem like I didn’t know what I was doing,” von Abo said. “However, once I did, I found that people were more than willing to help and actually appreciated my curiosity.”

Von Abo encouraged fellow students to conduct research during their undergraduate years and try to start early. 

“Conducting research not only provides a fascinating way to learn research techniques, but also challenges your emotional skills as well, such as organization, resilience and critical thinking,” she said. 

How can undergraduate students get involved in research?

As starting points for exploring research opportunities at Penn State, Lebrun suggested first to connect to faculty. 

“Get to know your professors, because they're the ones who are doing the research,” she said. “Taking classes that interest you and exploring adjacent topics could introduce you to your potential research mentor.”

Lebrun emphasized that as personal as each research experience is, so is the journey to finding that experience. 

“It depends on what space you're in and what structure is set up,” she said. “What research looks like in the liberal arts is going to be very different from what it looks like in STEM, and so the pathways to find those projects are going to be different.”

Research could become an impactful part of any student’s college experience. For Colvin, this meant defining his future career path. 

“It’s given me hands-on skills in molecular biology and bioinformatics, confidence in presenting to a wide range of audiences, and access to opportunities I never imagined,” he said, noting that his research experiences gave him the opportunity to travel across the country, work in labs in different states and present at national conferences. “Most importantly, my research experiences helped me discover my passion and define my next steps.”

Colvin said he plans to pursue a doctorate to develop crop varieties that are more resilient and sustainable and emphasized that undergraduate research experiences are not just for personal growth and skill building. 

“Research is for anyone who wants to make a real impact and deepen their understanding at the same time,” Colvin said. “It gives students the chance to work on real-world problems early on, whether that’s improving food security, protecting the environment, or advancing the future of health and medicine. At Penn State, undergrads are contributing to research that truly matters.”

Take advantage of Penn State’s resources 

The University offers many programs, services and resources to help students get involved in research. Lebrun recommended the following programs as a start for exploring, funding and presenting research: 

• Spark Program
• Undergraduate Research Readiness 
• Undergraduate Research Ambassadors 
• Undergraduate Research Exhibition
• Undergraduate Research Conference Presentation Support
• Erickson Discovery Grant