In 2017, Zach Shomo was an undergraduate at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania with no ties to University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) or Nebraska. But when Zach was selected to participate in the Nebraska Summer Research Program - one of the largest Summer Research Opportunities Programs in the Big Ten, he liked what he saw. “Coming from a small liberal arts college on the east coast, this was the first time I’d worked with state-of-the-art resources.”
Zach’s experience in the Summer Research Program’s Redox Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) was such a positive one, that he decided to come back to Lincoln for graduate school. The fact that faculty and staff at UNL – everyone from professors to department support staff – remembered him from his 10 weeks in the Summer Research Program left a distinct impression on him. “Even though I was moving over 1,000 miles from home, people cared. You’re not just a cog in the machine here.”
In his time as a student and researcher, Zach has been involved in several projects with significant practical application, from researching how heavy metals affect cancer progression to understanding freezing tolerance in crops to increase yields. Zach graduated with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in May 2024 and now holds a postdoc position at the University of California, Berkeley.
The Nebraska Summer Research Program is designed to engage undergraduate students in scholarly research and/or creative activity under the supervision of a UNL faculty member, provide opportunities for talented students from underrepresented and historically underserved groups, and to provide pathways for graduate education. A consortium of grants, between 16 and 19 each year – many from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) – make it possible to attract top undergraduate talent to the Summer Research Program. Each REU and Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates (REEU) provides an average stipend of $6,000-$7,000, on-campus housing for 10 weeks, a meal plan, and access to other campus services, as well as social excursions and travel opportunities.
Graduate Studies has been supporting faculty Principal Investigators (PIs) and the Nebraska Summer Research program for nearly 25 years, growing each year. At the helm of the program is Casey Coleman, Assistant Director of Programs and Events, who is quick to point out that more than 1,500 scholars have successfully completed the program. While the PIs and mentors coordinate the research and provide research-related training, Graduate Studies’ role focuses on managing the logistical arrangements, fostering a community among the scholars, and providing support outside of their program. Casey coordinates 10 weeks’ worth of workshops and other professional development opportunities, graduate school preparation, social events, and a Symposium where scholars can present their research to the campus community. This summer’s Symposium is on August 6, 1-3 p.m., in the Nebraska Union.
The community surrounding the Summer Research Program is strong. Every summer, 110-130 of the country’s best and brightest young scholars make the program what it is. “It’s very interdisciplinary,” Casey says. “Many of these programs draw from multiple majors and include faculty mentors from across several departments at UNL. Scholars learn from and build relationships with their mentors, which can lead to a letter of recommendation for graduate school or future research opportunities.”
Another summer research scholar, Moriah Brown, who came to UNL from Howard University in 2021 to work with the Sustainability of Horizontal Civil Networks in Rural Areas REU, cites her positive experience with the Nebraska Summer Research Program – specifically the relationship she developed with her faculty mentor, Dr. Shannon Bartelt-Hunt – as being the decisive factor in selecting Nebraska for her graduate education, out of 15 other offers.
Like Zach, Moriah had no previous ties to Nebraska prior to the program. But it didn’t take long for a hometown connection to materialize. Chancellor Rodney Bennett attended high school in Knoxville, Tennessee with Moriah’s aunts. Moriah has since graduated from UNL with her master’s degree and is currently enrolled in UNL’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D. program.
Nebraska has become a model for summer research experiences, and Zach and Moriah are just two of the many successful alumni that returned to Nebraska for their graduate degree. There really is no place like Nebraska.
For more information on the Nebraska Summer Research Program, visit http://www.unl.edu/summerprogram/
Faculty interested in applying for a Research Experience for Undergraduates or similar grant should contact Dr. Jennifer Wood, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.