DOE Office of Science Releases Journal of
Undergraduate Research Volume VII
November 20, 2007

The Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientist (WDTS) in the Department of Energy’s Office of Science today announced the release of Volume 7 of the Journal of  Undergraduate Research (JUR). 

The JUR is the Department of Energy’s premier undergraduate research journal, highlighting the work of over 600 students who have participated in research internships involving each of the 17 DOE National Laboratories.  Students are engaged in mentor-intensive research across all DOE mission areas.  At the conclusion of their internships, each student produces a written summary of their research efforts, not only to document their work, but to learn the invaluable importance of communicating their research.  Of these papers, twenty-one were selected for publication in their entirety.  Abstracts of all student research are also included in the Journal.

The papers submitted by the students highlight the breadth of world-class research conducted at the DOE National Laboratories.  Latasha Garrett, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, investigated the properties of proteins in nano-porous materials while Marlene Tyner, also at Oak Ridge, examined the effect of climate change on decomposition in ecosystems. Alessondra Springmann, at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, investigated supermassive black holes in elliptical galaxies and Chad Weldy, at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, focused his research on the microalgae, Dunaliella Salina, a potential source of renewable fuel.  This is a small sample of the work completed by over 600 undergraduate students across all of the DOE National Laboratories.  

WDTS programs provide a variety of experiential programs for students outside of the classroom.  WDTS manages four distinct undergraduate internships:

• The Student Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program is designed for university and community college students considering a career in science and/or engineering.  Students participate during the summer or during an academic semester.
• Students from community colleges may also participate in the Community College Institute (CCI) Program.  CCI offers summer research internships in Science and Engineering and Technology as well as career planning and training/informational sessions. 
• Students who are preparing to become K-12 science, technology or math teachers may participate in the Pre-Service Teacher Program (PST). This program partners future teachers with a master teacher and a laboratory scientist. Workshops for PST participants are designed to help the master teachers provide resources and suggestions for translating the students’ research experiences to the classroom.
• The Faculty and Student Teams (FaST) Program allows a faculty member from a college or university to participate in research alongside two or three of his/her students.  This program is designed to build research capacity at institutions that currently rank below the 50th percentile in federal research funding.

More information on WDTS Programs and online copies of the Journal of Undergraduate Research are available at: http://www.scied.science.doe.gov.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the nation and helps ensure U.S. world leadership across a broad range of scientific disciplines.  The Office of Science supports a diverse portfolio of research at more than 300 colleges and universities nationwide, manages 10 world-class national laboratories with unmatched capabilities for solving complex interdisciplinary scientific problems, and builds and operates the world’s finest suite of scientific facilities and instruments used annually by more than 21,500 researchers to extend the frontiers of all areas of science.  More information on the Office of Science is available at: http://www.science.doe.gov/