Undergraduate Research
The Department of Chemical Engineering has vibrant undergraduate research opportunities with its core and affiliated faculty members. Our research spans from the development of successor technologies to combat climate change, to medical technologies to improve human health outcomes, to optical materials, interface engineering, and the application of artificial intelligence, to chemical engineering processes. The department’s prime research strengths are advanced materials, catalysis and electrocatalysis, batteries, biological and medical systems, computational fluid dynamics, functional interfaces, optical materials, and theory, simulations and artificial intelligence.
| Professor/Research Area | Example Graphic | |
|---|---|---|
 | Professor Mitchell Anthamatten Macromolecular Self-Assembly; Associative and Functional Polymers; Nanostructured Materials; Interfacial Phenomena; Optoelectronic Materials; Vapor Deposition Polymerization |  |
 | Professor Shaw H. Chen Glassy Liquid Crystals; Robust Photoalignment Polymers; Organic Semiconductors; Self-Organization of Nanoparticles; Optoelectronic Devices | |
 | Professor David G. Foster Fluid Mechanics; Computational Fluid Dynamics; Rheology of Non-Newtonian Fluids; Biological Transport Phenomena |  |
 | Professor Astrid M. Müller |  |
 | Professor Marc D. Porosoff |  |
 | Professor Alexander A. Shestopalov |  |
 | Professor Wyatt Tenhaeff |  |
 | Professor Andrew White |  |
 | Professor Matthew Z. Yates Colloids and Interfaces; Fuel Cell Membranes; Crystallization; Microencapsulation; Particle Synthesis; Colloidal Stabilization |  |
Funding
Select funding opportunities to support students taking part in supervised undergraduate research are offered through the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Office of Undergraduate Research, and through external fellowships and awards.
Undergraduate research may be done without funding as an unpaid intern or for academic credit. Independent study courses for academic credit are available during semesters for supervised undergraduate research. Please refer to the ways to participate page for more information about the rules and registration guidelines surrounding unpaid research positions.
Department of Chemical Engineering Funding
Eisenberg Summer Research Fellowship
The Professor Richard F. Eisenberg and Harriet Rippey Eisenberg Fund for undergraduate students and/or programs, offers financial support for selected chemical engineering students for a meaningful summer work experience. Assignments are within the chemical engineering department working closely with faculty on projects that will complement the academic program and enhance the students understanding of the use of chemical engineering principles.
Projects: Interested faculty will submit proposals for summer projects with the commitment to work closely with students, providing advice and guidance. There are a variety of projects available covering different phases of chemical engineering ranging from applied to fundamental problems. Projects may be experimental and/or theoretical in nature. A brief written description of available projects will be provided to interested students.
Eligibility: University of Rochester undergraduate students completing their sophomore or junior year in the chemical engineering program may apply. The selection of students to participate in the fellowship program will be based on consideration of personal characteristics, promise as a chemical engineer, and the matching of applicants to appropriate projects.
Student Responsibilities: The selected students must make a commitment for full time work over the period of the appointment. An undergraduate research symposium is planned for late-September (or early October) during Meliora Weekend of each year and the student is required to present a poster. Students are also expected to present their research at the AIChE Annual Conference.
Term: 10 weeks during the summer. Other arrangements may be negotiable under special circumstances. 2025 Remuneration: $6,000
Additonal information: Project topics posted early January each year; applications are due on March 1st. For more details, contact Jennifer Condit, jennifer.condit@rochester.edu
Office of Undergraduate Research Funding
Discover Grant: This grant for undergraduate summer research supports immersive, full-time summer research experiences for undergraduate students at the University of Rochester. The goal of the program is to help students get involved in research early in their academic careers and enhance their competitiveness for future fellowships and other advanced research opportunities. This $2,500 grant can help fund living expenses for unpaid summer research experiences for students. The application cycle opens annually each spring and is highly competitive.
McNair Research Program: The objective of the McNair Program is to increase the numbers of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority undergraduates who pursue PhD degrees and go on to careers in research and teaching at the university level. Academic year program applicants apply during the first semester of their sophomore year. Summer program applicants apply during the spring semester of their junior year.
Research Presentation Award: Small awards used to support student conference registration, travel, lodging, and food expenses. Up to $500 domestically or $1,000 internationally. Rolling application cycle.
Research Initiative Award for Undergraduates: This $1,000 library-sponsored research award is for students in the early phases of undergraduate research, demonstrated by the initiation and organization of a project leading towards a senior thesis, capstone project, or an independent research project. Applications due annually in November.
Research and Innovation Grant (RIG): The RIG is a $3,000 grant offered to approximately 100 students per year upon admission to Rochester that can be used for experiential education opportunities during the academic year and/or over the summer after the student’s first semester at Rochester.
de Kiewiet Summer Research Fellowships in Biology and Medicine: Current juniors taking part in a non-clinical, biological summer research project may apply for $4,000 of summer funding. A letter of intent to apply must be submitted by the first week of March.
Walt and Bobbi Makous Prize for Undergraduate Vision Research: This prize honors the graduating senior who has made the most outstanding contribution to vision research at Rochester.
Bilski-Mayer Summer Research Fellowships: This fellowship provides $5,000 of summer research support for brain and cognitive sciences or neuroscience majors. Students must be nominated for support by their faculty research advisor.
Paid Research Positions
If you are in search of a paid research position, use the links below to help begin your search:
- JobLink - University of Rochester's on-campus student employment job board
- Handshake - internships and networking/connections on- and off-campus, though not all postings may be paid opportunities
- Summer research page - searchable databases and selected links for competitive, structured research opportunities
- Department of History HOUR program - apply to assist members of the history faculty who would like help on their research projects. Compensation can be an hourly assistantship wage or credit for HIS 395.
Publications Resulting from Undergraduate Research
Current and former undergraduate students and years are bolded.
Wilsey, M. K.; Cox, C. P.; Forsythe, R. C.; McCarney, L. R.; Müller, A. M. Selective CO2 reduction towards a single upgraded product: a minireview on multi-elemental copper-free electrocatalysts. Catalysis Science & Technology 2021,11, 416-424. Editor's Choice!
Juneau, M.; Pope, C.; Liu, R.; Porosoff, M. D., Support acidity as a descriptor for reverse water gas shift over Mo2C-based catalysts. Applied Catalysis A: General 2021, 620, 118034.
Krajovic, M. Anthamatten, Melt-Recyclable Shape-Memory Elastomers Containing Bisurea Segments. ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2021, 3 (4), 2082-2087.
Juneau, M.; Vonglis, M.; Hartvigsen, J.; Frost, L.; Bayerl, D.; Dixit, M.; Mpourmpakis, G.; Morse, J. R.; Baldwin, J. W.; Willauer, H. D.; Porosoff, M. D., Assessing the viability of KMo2C for reverse water–gas shift scale-up: Molecular to laboratory to pilot scale. Energy &Environmental Science 2020, 13 (8), 2524-2539.
Gandhi H.A.; Jakymiw S.; Barrett R.; Mahaseth H.; White A. D., Simview VR: Real-time Simulation and Visualization of Organic Molecules. Journal of Chemical Education 2020,97 (11), 4189-4195.
Chakraborty M.; Xu J.; White A. D.; Is Preservation of Symmetry Necessary for Coarse-Graining?Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2020,22 (26), 14998-15005.
Makuc, E. H. Chimowitz, Process Waste Heat with a Supercritical Carnot Engine. engrXiv Preprints, DOI: 10.31224/osf.io/qrgtz, 2020.
Meng, W. Xu, M.R. Newman, D.S.W. Benoit, M. Anthamatten, Tuning the Viscoelasticity of Soft Biomaterials through Thermoreversible Hydrogen Bonding. Advanced Functional Materials, 2019, 1903721, 1-9.
Anthamatten, S.W. O’Neill, D. Liu, T. M. Wheler, R. S. Vallery, D. W. Gidley, Tunability of Free Volume and Viscoelastic Damping of Thiol–Ene Networks Deep in the Glassy State. Macromolecules,2018, 51, 2564-2571.
Meng, X. Huang, C. Fitzgerald, H. Lee, J.-C. Yang, M. Anthamatten, Laboratory-Scale Reaction Injection Molding of Poly(caprolactone) Elastomers for Rapid Prototyping of Stimuli-Responsive Thermosets. Rubber Chemistry and Technology, 2017, 90, 337-346.
Meng, J.-C. Yang, C. L. Lewis, J. Jiang, M. Anthamatten, Photo-inscription of Chain Anisotropy into Polymer Networks. Macromolecules, 2016, 49, 9100-9107.
Anthamatten, J. J. Ou, J. Weinfeld, S. H. Chen, Enthalpy versus Entropy: What Drives Hard-particle Ordering in Condensed Phases?Chemical Physics Letters, 2016, 660, 18-21.
Meng, J. Jiang, M. Anthamatten, Body Temperature Triggered Shape-Memory Polymers with High Elastic Energy Storage Capacity. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, 2016, 54, 1397-1404 (cover)
Meng, M. Tsai, G. R. Schmidt, M. Anthamatten, Gradient-Index Materials Based on Thiol–Ene Networks. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2015, 7, 8601-8605.
Meng, J. Jiang, M. Anthamatten, Shape Actuation via Internal Stress-Induced Crystallization of Dual-Cure Networks. ACS Macro Letters, 2015, 4, 115-118. Editor Choice Award!
He, G. L. Shebert, E. H. Chimowitz, An Algorithm for Waste Heat Recovery from Chemical Processes. Computers and Chemical Engineering, 2015, 73, 17.
R. Harding, H. Goodrich, A. Caveglia, M. Anthamatten, Effect of Temperature and Volume on the Tensile and Adhesive Properties of Photocurable Resins. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, 2014, 52, 936-945.
L. Lewis, K. Stewart, M. Anthamatten, The Influence of Hydrogen Bonding Side-Groups on Viscoelastic Behavior of Linear and Network Polymers. Macromolecules, 2014, 47, 729-740.
Li, C. Lewis, D. Chen, M. Anthamatten, Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Photo-Crosslinked Shape-Memory Elastomers. Macromolecules, 2011, 44, 5336-5343.
A.G. Papastrat, T. Chu, M. Anthamatten, Monomer Crystallization during Vapor Deposition Polymerization. Chemical Vapor Deposition, 2011, 17, 141-148.