Summer 2023 offerings expand Summer Scholars and SURFS programs
There’s no better way to get advanced, hands-on research experience at the undergraduate level than through the SURFS and Summer Scholars programs through Belmont’s College of Science and Mathematics.
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in the Sciences (SURFS) at Belmont offers the opportunity for selected students at all levels to work full-time on a focused, summer research project. Those selected are assigned to one of their top choices of the various faculty-led projects, providing firsthand experience in industry or graduate-level research experiences.
Belmont’s Summer Scholars program also expanded this year, with an increased number of students working part time in the labs all summer for academic credit.
“My favorite part about summer research at Belmont is the combination of getting to know these incredible students and knowing that we are giving them a deeper experience and understanding of the exploratory side of science,” said Director of Undergraduate Research Dr. Beth Bowman. “Science is not just learning facts in a textbook, but asking questions, learning how to find the answers, discovering the complexities of data interpretation and the cyclical nature of the process.”
Students embrace these lessons by working on unique, specialized projects that give them incomparable experience conducting research at a higher level than what they find in their undergraduate classrooms. The programs offer interactions with other researchers and faculty mentors, use of state-of-the-art instrumentation and weekly lectures.
Students presented their project findings through poster sessions on Friday, July 7. Learn more about a couple of this summer’s projects below.
Getting Hands On
Sydnee Floyd, sophomore biology major, participated in Summer Scholars and is testing the accuracy of yogurt labels on their probiotic claims. While Floyd has had clinical internships and chances to volunteer medically, she has never been able to get a hands-on research opportunity like this.
“I've always wanted to see behind the scenes of what you could see every day in the news or a medical clinic,” Floyd said. “And because of Dr. Beth Bowman and Dr. Elizabeth Schoenfeld, I was able to get that opportunity.”
Dr. Timothy Schoenfeld in the Psychology Department is doing a study on rats and the impact of a high fat diet of yogurt. Floyd’s project with Elizabeth Schoenfeld builds off that foundation to test the number of healthy bacteria in yogurt. Floyd puts yogurt on the testing plates each day to incubate and then collects data over the five weeks to watch for inconsistencies with the labels that accompany each type of yogurt.
The experience, Floyd said, has given her a newfound appreciation for professional researchers.
“My main takeaway from the summer is that science is not perfect,” Floyd laughed. “You’re going to make mistakes and get frustrated; you’ll have to redo things and trouble shoot. But it’s worth it in the end to get the results you want.”
Testing the Waters
Another sophomore biology major, Lauren Melton, jumped at SURFS for the chance to feel out her passion for research in order to think about her future career goals.
“SURFS is a really good way to figure out if research is for you and if it’s the right fit,” she said. “We have a great group where we have enjoyed getting to know one another and being able to strengthen our relationship with our professors and advisors. It’s a fun experience overall while also helping you figure out your career goals.”
Like a handful of other students, Melton is working with Dr. Rebecca Adams on mRNA exports to learn more about the structure of proteins. While all the students in this group are looking at yeast cells and the mRNA exports, each is testing a different variable. This makes for a dynamic environment where students can compare notes, learn from one another and raise new questions about what they are testing.
Melton’s research focuses on determining which regions of the protein are most important.
“It’s pretty complicated,” Melton laughed. “When I got my project title, I brought it to my parents. They asked me what I meant, and I just laughed. I had no idea. I think I recognized two of the words from my freshman year classes, but it really sounded like a bunch of letters and numbers.
“But now, I feel like I am a master of it.”
Going Deeper
Rising senior psychology major Michelle Johnson knew Summer Scholars would help her gain more knowledge in her field before starting to apply for grad schools this year.
Her group is studying how lifestyle factors play a role in cognitive performance, with each student looking more closely at a different variable. After their research participants fill out their project questionnaires, the Belmont students place the EEG cap on their participants’ heads and measure brainwaves while the participants complete various tasks on a computer.
The project has allowed Johnson, an international student from Sweden, to dive into her areas of interest in neuroscience and focus on factors that hit close to home for her personally as her study tests how bilingualism affects working memory.
“I think everyone should take this opportunity if they get the chance. I have really enjoyed the summer collaborating with other people as a team, diving into research and learning from Dr. [Michael] Oliver,” Johnson said. “Plus, I have never done an EEG before, so that was so cool to learn a lot more about that part of research.”
Sparking Further Questions
Rising junior biochemistry and molecular biology major Renee Boone counts this as one of the best educational experiences she has had and said her project has sparked other research she wants to pursue in the future as she works toward obtaining her masters and PhD and eventually going into teaching.
Boone had taken organic chemistry during the school year and had a basic understanding of some of the lab concepts, but the chance to dive deeper through summer lectures and hands-on experience has taken her knowledge to new levels. Students are involved in sample prep work, protein digest and operating the mass spectrometer.
Her lab group is focused on proteomics, or the study of proteins, and is specifically looking at exosomes secreted by colorectal cancer cells. Through their study, the students are able to further understand the role of exosomes in the metastasis of colorectal cancer and, thus, further understand how cancer functions and metastasizes.
“Research can be pretty daunting because you have to become a mini expert in something, right? Especially if you have never stepped foot in a lab or anything like this,” Boone said. “But SURFS makes research very approachable, and the professors are here to guide you, work with you and teach you everything. So, I would recommend anyone who is remotely interested in research or the sciences to make use of the education opportunity.”
Learn more about studying biochemistry and molecular biology at Belmont
Junior data science major Quinn Saleik wanted to use SURFS as an opportunity to get more plugged into his major while being compensated, getting to network and make connections in Nashville and exploring different fields of data science.
His project is conducting a housing analysis of the Davidson County area and a linear review of complex regional inflation. Essentially, Saleik is looking at the wealth distribution of Nashville as a whole and how that contributes to the sale price for housing.
"By doing a holistic project like this, it kind of helps me to dive into the areas that I'm passionate about and learn the skills and tools to use, and it helps me see the areas of data engineering, data science and data analytics that I want to go into," Saleik said. "It also helps me establish independence and gives me a strong research opportunity after one year of undergraduate data classes, which is something that's pretty unheard of."