After a year of remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of 318 undergraduates was brought back to campus this summer to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) and WAVE Fellows programs. Through SURF, Caltech undergraduates can conduct 10-week-long research projects with faculty; WAVE aims to promote the participation of underrepresented students in science and engineering, and allows students from other institutions to do summer research at Caltech. "I had never done any research or worked in a scientific setting before the SURF program," says Caltech sophomore Rahul Chawlani. "I learned not only how research works but also how to manage responsibilities in a workplace and lab."
Click through the slideshow to meet some of the students and learn about their summer projects.
Written by Andrew Moseman