Principal Investigator Ted Equi
Co-investigator Emily Cefalo
Project Website http://superurop.eecs.mit.edu/
The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) launched a new SuperUROP undergraduate research program in October 2012. The SuperUROP is a collaboration between EECS and the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) office and evolved out of the 2012 EECS strategic plan, which included strong participation from faculty, students and staff.
As a part of the SuperUROP program, students engage in a yearlong research experience, and participate in a course titled “Preparation for Undergraduate Research." The course covers a range of topics, from selecting projects and research topics in EECS, to entrepreneurship and ethics in engineering. At the end of the academic year, students receive a certificate in advanced undergraduate research with a designated focus area.
What does SuperUROP offer students? SuperUROP gives students the time, training, resources, and guidance necessary for deep scientific and engineering inquiry. They also learn to present their work professionally in poster sessions; many have published their research results. They also receive access to graduate-level facilities, such as nanofabrication labs.
How does SuperUROP work? Students are paired with faculty members or MIT researchers, enroll in a two-semester course (6.UAR) on undergraduate research, and spend 10 hours a week (or more) in the lab. Often, these year-long projects evolve into graduate theses, startup plans, or industry jobs. Guest speakers from a variety of companies provide insight on topics ranging from technical communications to intellectual property to ethics in engineering. Students typically receive named scholarships generously funded by industry, foundation, and alumni gifts, as well as course credit.