Workshops, application deadline upcoming for 2017 Summer Research program

Marianne Virnelson ’17 and theatre professor Stephanie Earl collaborate on their 2016 Summer Research project to compose music for some of Shakespeare’s plays.

Several Randolph students and faculty members are already making plans for summer break. But they aren’t booking a hotel room at a beach resort—they’re developing projects for the College’s 2017 Summer Research program.

Next week, grant proposal workshops will be held for students and faculty participating in this year’s program. Students are required to attend one of the 30-minute sessions, which are offered Monday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 5 p.m.; and Thursday, Jan. 26, at 12:15 p.m. Each session will be held in the Alcove Conference Room, outside Cheatham Dining Hall. Final project proposals for the 2017 Summer Research program are due by midnight on Feb. 10.

Biology professor Amanda Rumore, director of Randolph’s Summer Research program, said the College’s program is unique in that it is interdisciplinary. “Each year we have research groups from the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences,” she said. “We have quite a few events throughout the summer where we get to share our research with each other, both through formal presentations or informally during social outings. This interaction really enhances the overall experience and helps our Summer Research program stand out compared to others.”

Rumore added that the eight-week program affords students the opportunity to dedicate a significant amount of time carrying out intensive, hands-on research within their disciplines. They also get to enjoy quality time with their favorite professors.

“In recent years, students have commented on the excellent working relationships they build with their faculty mentors and peers that leads to a deeper understanding of their field of study,” Rumore said. “We also bring in outside seminar speakers from various fields to discuss their own research and give career advice.”

Some of the projects from the 2016 Summer Research program included:

• Shelby Koretke ’17: Effect of Honor Codes on Academic Integrity, Cheating, and Research Misconduct
• Mengjin Sun ’19 and Nhut Dang ’18: Variations of Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Problems
• Marianne Virnelson ’17: If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On Accompanying the Bard

More articles about 2016 Summer Research projects can be found at http://bit.ly/2jVAnyA.

For more information about Summer Research and the 2017 program, please visit https://www.randolphcollege.edu/research/summer/apply/.