Quick Facts
Ages: 15–17
Grades: Rising 10th graders through rising 12th graders in high school and community college students who have completed at least one chemistry course
Dates: July 7–August 1
Time: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location: Mies Campus
Format: Overnight and Daytime
Duration: Four weeks
Cost: TBD
Application deadline: March 31, 2025
Topic Area
Chemistry
Research
Program Description
This program offers high school students an opportunity to dive deeper into chemistry research in a lab setting. It will cover research topics ranging from bioanalytical and environmental chemistry to forensic and materials chemistry. Students will explore real-world applications across areas such as energy, sustainability, health, and technology, and they will be paired with a faculty adviser to conduct research.
Schedule
7 a.m.—Wake up
8 a.m.—Breakfast with the Chemistry Scholars cohort
9 a.m.—Set up a reaction
10 a.m.—Purify product from previous day
11 a.m.—Take spectra of product
Noon—Lunch
1 p.m.—Discuss results with your adviser
2 p.m.—Work up reaction that you set up in the morning
3 p.m.—Do literature search for guidance on next steps of synthesis
4 p.m.—Print off articles to read for homework and discuss with adviser the next day
Activities
- Learn how chemistry research works
- Learn to use different chemistry instruments involved in chemistry research
- Learn how to set up reactions in the chemistry research lab
- Learn how to read and understand a chemistry research journal article
Benefits
- Students will understand how the scientific method is applied to research
- Students will understand how textbook principles of introductory chemistry courses are applied
- Students will have to opportunity to present their research and communicate their results
- Students’ whose research projects are successful will have the opportunity to publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal article
Faculty and Their Research Interests
- Mona H. Mohamed (Profile): Development of new materials, fuel production and storage, green hydrogen production, water splitting, carbon dioxide conversion to valuable products, and electrochemistry
- Sameh Elsaidi (Profile): Gas separation, gas storage, heterogeneous catalysis, extraction of valuable elements, nuclear waste management, and carbon capture
- Braja K. Mandal (Profile): Lithium-sulfur battery technology and fuel cell membranes
- Yuanbing Mao (Profile): Luminescent metal oxides for nanothermometry, luminescent nanoparticles for fingerprint detection, persistently luminescent materials for biosensing, negative thermal expansion-based phosphors for next-generation LEDs, and optically stimulated luminescent phosphors for optical information storage
- M. Ishaque Khan (Profile): Synthesis and characterization of functional materials for sustainable development, materials for potential applications in catalysis, sensing, and energy
- David Minh (Profile): G-protein coupled receptor molecular dynamics and machine-learning models of pharmacodynamics
Eligibility and Program Requirements
This program is open to rising 10th–12th graders (ages 15–17) and community college students who have completed at least one chemistry course. High school students can participate as either commuters or residential students, but community college students are only eligible to apply as commuters.
Please note that this is a selective program, and the following materials are required for your application:
- School transcript showing a grade of C or above in a chemistry course
- Resume
- Cover letter
- Recommendation letter
In your cover letter, we recommend that you explain which area of chemistry interests you the most and why you are excited to explore that field.