Surf Diaries

This summer, SURF’s way up at Randolph-Macon! Thirty students are hard at work in the laboratory, out in the field and even in Yucatan, Mexico, by way of Randolph-Macon College’s 2006 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. SURF introduces students to advanced research under the guidance of experienced professors here at the college.

This summer, projects are all over the intellectual map. R-MC senior Susan Borowski, for example, is investigating ways to remove sulfur from coal and accordingly, squelch one of the primary causes of acid rain. Junior McKenzie Myers will study the impact of parenting styles on children’s ability to delay gratification, while junior Sara Tittermary will use fruit flies to study the effects of two proteins, one of which can lead to the development of chronic myelogenous leukemia, on cell migration.

In order to participate in the program, students had to write proposals and apply for grant money to fund their research. SURF students also receive a stipend and room and board. In addition, many past SURF participants have presented their research throughout the United States and the world. Numerous students also have had great success in publishing their work and obtaining entry into graduate school.

As students dive into their research, you can ride the waves of adventure through six R-MC student online blogs this year. Throughout the summer, they will be posting online diaries with updates on their research, discoveries and exciting experiences. So, take a peek as Susan Borowski, Robert Pullin, Travis Thomas, Synthia Reader, April Armstrong and McKenzie Myers SURF through summer at Randolph-Macon...

	Activation of Sulfur-Hydrogen Bonds by Bimetallic Platinum Complexes Susan Borowski		Rendering Terrain with C# Travis Thomas
	Muting the Muse: A Study of the Pharsalia and Why Nero April Armstrong		An Economic and Political view of the 19th Century through Balzac’s La Comedie Humaine Synthia Reader
	The Role of Parenting Style in Children’s Ability to Delay Gratification McKenzie Myers		Calibration of On-Campus Radio Telescopes for Use by Astronomy and Physics Students Robert Pullin

[ 2005 SURF Spotlight Archives ]

The SURF program was established in 1995 by the Schapiro Research Program, an endowment fund that supports scholarly undergraduate research by Randolph-Macon College students in all disciplines.