A look at the program through the eyes of students
October 2026 – Every summer, Drew University offers unique, hands-on research experience to undergraduate students through the Drew Summer Science Institute (DSSI).
Each summer, the program pairs more than 50 undergraduates with faculty mentors for an individualized experience working full-time on a research project. In addition to the personal guidance, students are also able to collaborate with research universities and local industries during their research.
When considering the impact of their DSSI experience, many students look to the future.
“I want to go to medical school, which either highly suggest or require research experience before applying,” said Delila Snell C’28. “DSSI will look great for that, especially since we are able to do it over multiple semesters, which most medical schools love to see. In medical school I will also most likely have to do some lab work and when I go into those labs I will have many of the skills that DSSI taught me.”
“DSSI has played an essential role in informing my career decisions,” said Sydney Nguyen C’28. “Through DSSI, I got to see what a typical day of work was like in the career I was interested in and it gave me more confidence to pursue this career. My passion for research has also grown with DSSI.”
The program also presents a unique opportunity to explore interests and go beyond the classroom lab experience.
“DSSI gave me the opportunity to work on an open-ended research problem rather than a predefined classroom assignment,” said Xianzhou (Ari) Yin C’29. “My project focused on semantic retrieval for drug patents, so I had to think about both the technical methods and how they could be applied to navigating complex information in a practical setting.”
“In the classroom, things can be pretty theoretical, but DSSI gave me the opportunity to actually apply the theory to practice,” said Nguyen. “I learned hands-on skills I would’ve never had access to without DSSI. I also got to experience what it was really like to work in the field.”
Leaning into Drew’s liberal arts approach to learning, in addition to technical skills, the science students also hone presentation and communication skills, and some that go beyond definition.
“Through the program, I strengthened my skills in applied AI, research, experimentation, and communicating technical ideas,” said Yin. “But one of the most valuable parts was learning how to work through uncertainty—deciding what to test, evaluating the results, and improving the approach along the way.”
Snell echoed the sentiment, adding “DSSI expanded my technical skills on using pipettes, practicing certain sterile techniques, and proper waste disposal and clean up while also helping me with learning what type of questions to ask and how to go to a professor when I need help. It is not just lab skills but also expanding into real world problems while also connecting with other peers.”
As a capstone of their DSSI experience, participating students present their hard work to peers, faculty, staff, and guests at Drew’s annual Day of Scholars event, further putting their skills into practice. The impact is one that is felt by DSSI students.
“DSSI really helped me expand my practical skills and improved my ability to communicate with my colleagues,” said Nguyen.
