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Drew University Undergrads Spent Summer Diving Into Research

Science students get hands-on lab research skills alongside professors

August 2022 – Forty three Drew University undergraduate students took part in the Drew Summer Science Institute (DSSI) this summer.

The students conducted lab research alongside professors and RISE fellows, getting hands-on experience with research techniques, skills, and topics.

We spoke with several students about their time in DSSI.

Jaden Mena C’25 – Animal Behavior/Ecology lab

“This amazing experience not only provided me with valuable field experience but also allowed me to learn one-on-one with my professor, opened my eyes to what I may want to do as a career, and enabled me to turn strangers into friends! It will provide me with the boost I need to stand out on future internship and graduate school applications. It was an opportunity I am so fortunate to have been able to take part in.”

Carly Orent C’23 – Moral and Political Psychology lab

“I was able to learn to construct and run an online psychology survey-based study as well as qualitative data analysis in Google Sheets and SPSS Statistics, gaining first-hand research experience. I found it exciting to collect and analyze real data. Being a part of DSSI showed me how to apply what I have learned in the classroom to the real world. I enjoyed working directly with Dr. Morgan [associate professor and chair of psychology]! I was able to have conversations with him in the lab about how my interests connected to our research as well as other areas that I am interested in.”

Brianna Hernandez C’23 – Immunology/Molecular Biology lab

“I gained a lot of laboratory skills and learned how a lab operates. It was nice being able to carry out experiments on my own and experience the full extent of the scientific method. This experience came at the perfect time for me, as I will be getting ready to apply to grad schools in the upcoming fall semester. I plan on using all the skills I’ve gained during DSSI to strengthen my applications and prove to graduate programs that I am more than capable of handling whatever they have to offer.”

Joel Moses C’24 – Biochemistry lab

“As someone deeply interested in research science, this opportunity gave me an essential insight into the process of research. It also allowed me to use the knowledge I’ve seen in textbooks into practice. This helps me to contextualize the information I’ve learned, which gives it a new level of importance. I was somewhat unsure of whether I wanted to pursue research science as a career path in the future. This experience helped me to peer into what that career entails, which makes me feel like it would be something I’d like to pursue.”

Jamie Lynn Connors C’23 – Statistics lab

“I pursued DSSI to get more research experience under my belt, but came out of the program with a large portion of my Honors Thesis complete. Being able to talk with my advisors one-on-one allowed me to explore my academic passions while also discovering new ones. I was able to experience the life of a researcher. Not only was it appealing, but provided a clear goal for my graduate studies: I plan to stay at Drew for a fifth year to obtain my Masters in Data Analytics.”

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