SURF FELLOWS respond to the question: "What did you gain from doing summer research?"

I gained a greater love and appreciation for my craft. Having a dedicated space and time to do the research and work I wanted without any other stressors or obligations was freeing. I don't think my project would have turned out as good as it did if I didn't have the space that SURF provided for me this summer. – 2023 SURF Fellow

I gained a broader sense of what it means to operate at a more professional and complex level in disciplines other than my own. I also was able to form a more clear understanding of what that means in my own discipline as well. Working on my project also helped me to better understand my own abilities and what I am capable of in terms of work ethic. – 2023 SURF Fellow

I was able to see myself as more than I had previously identified myself as. I learned how valuable my individual skillset is, even if it is different than the fellows interested in and studying science. It was a way to further your education in a way that is tailored to your specific interests while being a part of a bigger community, sharing and bouncing thoughts, experiences, and ideas off of each other. Having the community of fellows, mentors, and directors, allows for the development of such incredible relationships that would not be the same without SURF. – 2023 SURF Fellow

I'm really lucky that I had professors who encouraged me to apply for SURF because it taught me how to make science accessible for everyone and how to gain confidence as a researcher. It was especially helpful for me being early in my career to learn the workings of a lab, learn how to make it a transferrable skill, and communicate to anyone willing to listen.  – Hannah Yarbrough, SURF 2017

Unlike most other undergraduate research opportunities, this one allowed me to write my own proposal and thus do research on a question that I developed. – Katie Huerta, SURF 2017

I learned how a research laboratory worked, and that was a very valuable experience for me to learn so early on in my career.  – Cassie Youshaw, SURF 2017

... and the question, "What was valuable about working with an interdisciplinary research cohort?" 

Being able to see the value in each discipline while also growing both in confidence and knowledge of your own, while learning about how you can complement the other disciplines around you and add to each others' work. I think that it would have been a completely different experience -- there is something so valuable about being immersed in your own research but also getting some escape in learning about other people's research and hearing about people with different interests. – 2023 SURF Fellow

I learned what defines success in other disciplines. Some disciplines have an ongoing process for their professional work, while others have a clear definition for success. Learning this opened my mind to how different disciplines adapt to and act on the principles of expertise and professionalism. – 2023 SURF Fellow

Working with an interdisciplinary cohort gave me the same benefit as working with any other varied group of people. I was able to get varied feedback about how to improve my story from a variety of people, and this helped me better tailor my writing to a wider audience so that my story could reach the audience I wanted. I also learned a lot about other fields of study and found myself frequently fascinated by what my SURF fellows did. – 2023 SURF Fellow

I shared my suite with people from entirely different disciplines, who I might never have become friends with otherwise.    – Matt Borden, SURF 2017

I thought about my field (religious studies) in a more mathematical way-- I learned how to analyze qualitative data. - Stephanie Donovan, SURF 2017

... and finally, our SURF alumni look back on what the experience gave them:

Doing research has been a wonderful and eye-opening experience. I came into college with a very set mind on applying to medical school. However, the St. Mary’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship has given me a firsthand view of research and the scientific community. Throughout my project, I requested the help of other professors outside my field of research, including a physics professor who had knowledge of electronics, a microbiologist, and a geneticist. By engaging with all of these professors, I began to understand just how interdisciplinary science can be, and that really inspired me to start thinking about a different path. I am very excited about the work that I have accomplished on my project, and it has led me to think about possibly pursuing a graduate program or a joint MD/PhD program. During the course of my project, I gained confidence in the lab and in my ability to take a large problem, break it into its parts, and determine a solution. I also honed in on my time management skills and learned how to maintain my own lab schedule. The program has also taught me the importance of communicating science to people of all disciplines and how to do so in a way that everyone can understand. Finally, the program has taught me the invaluable skill of believing in your work and persevering even when certain parts of the project are not working. – Erica Leyder, SURF 2016

In addition to providing me with an opportunity to get a jump-start on my SMP, participating in summer research has allowed me to improve my research and communication skills and to gain an understanding of and appreciation for other academic fields that I was not very familiar with. I have also been able to share the passion I have for my research with others and have become better able to explain what I do to audiences of all sorts. In spending eight concentrated weeks on one project, perhaps the hardest thing I have had to learn is how to keep my motivation going and manage my time in such a way that I don’t exhaust myself. Participating in this program has also taught me that as frustrating as it can be at times, I enjoy my field and doing research in it. – Catherine Dye, SURF 2016

SURF MENTORS respond to the question: "What was valuable about working with an interdisciplinary research cohort?"

It was an incredible experience getting to hear from the rainbow of academics. I felt like the mentors receive a unique perspective on their research or bodies of work, while the mentees receive help from their peers in areas of their project that may not be the strongest in but their cross-disciplinary peers are (e.g., an English student helping a STEM student write). I would not change this aspect of SURF, as it is one of its strongest suits. – 2023 SURF Mentor

The interdisciplinarity enhances the experience because mentees come to better appreciate what research consists of across disciplines and to consider the elements specific to as well as consistent between those disciplines. – 2023 SURF Mentor

It is amazing to see the different disciplines come together. The underlying goal of communicating science effectively to a larger audience is the biggest takeaway for students! – 2023 SURF Mentor