High School Summer Research Program
About
As part of its strategic plan, mission, and vision, the LSU College of Engineering is dedicated to developing students into the next generation of transformative problem solvers for the local region, the state, and beyond. The High School Summer Research (HSSR) Program is an outreach initiative aimed at engaging high-achieving high school students in real research in the fields of engineering, computer science, and construction management. HSSR interns have opportunities to learn from faculty research groups and understand how they work, what inspires them, and how to continue in fields related to engineering in college and beyond.
In addition to their work on a research team/project, HSSR interns also attend workshops that include trainings on safety, research best practices, ethics in research, and communication. The program culminates in a poster presentation for students to present their research projects, which is mandatory for the completion of the internship.
Program Goals
- To give high-achieving, highly motivated, and hard-working local high school students meaningful experiences in engineering, computer science, and construction management research during summer.
- To develop students’ curiosity, research methods, and intellectual abilities before they have completed high school or made decisions about which college to attend and what bachelor’s degree to pursue.
- To develop students’ abilities to communicate technical content using both written and oral modes of communication.
- To teach students about the engineering design process and how it can be applied to both fundamental and applied research.
- To introduce these students to the opportunities available at the LSU College of Engineering and showcase the impressive faculty and research available to them at the state flagship university.
- To support faculty in their research projects and outreach efforts.
Information Sessions
Three information sessions will be held:
- October 12, 2021 at 6 pm (in-person)
- November 2, 2021 at 6 pm (in-person and Zoom)
- November 30, 2021 at 6 pm (in-person)
Registration is required to attend an information session. Meeting details will be provided via email after registration.
Register for an Information Session
Program Details
Students selected as HSSR interns are matched with a College of Engineering faculty member's research team. They will receive guidance from the professor, as well as graduate-student and undergraduate-student mentors, as they work on a project related to the research team's ongoing research. Here are examples of past research projects and an article about a student/project from summer 2020.
HSSR Interns will not be paid for their work.
HSSR Interns will be held accountable for their work responsibilities by the College of Engineering and will be expected to compete in regional science fair competitions. The program will provide information and training regarding science fair participation.
HSSR Interns will have to complete detailed safety paperwork and training through the course of the spring 2022 semester in order to begin work on a project in summer 2022 and beyond.
HSSR Interns will be required to work about 15-20 hours per week during summer 2022 for a total of about 120-140 hours. Weekly schedules can be flexible depending on summer travel/activity schedules, however students should not miss more than 4 working days.
The HSSR Intern application and selection process will be highly competitive due to high interest and a limited number of available positions.
Apply
Application Deadline: TBA
The LSU College of Engineering is seeking qualified local high school students to apply for a limited number of High School Summer Research (HSSR) Intern positions available in summer 2022. Please see the program details and eligibility before applying. If you have questions about eligibility and program details, please contact Raynesha Ducksworth at rudcksworth@lsu.edu.
To be eligible for this program, you must:
- Be at least 15 years of age.
- Be currently enrolled as a 9th, 10th, or 11th grader.
- Have a 3.5 (or equivalent) high school GPA (as listed on a current high school transcript).
- Complete and submit this application by end of day (Date TBA).
To apply for this program, you must:
- Complete the LSU College of Engineering 2022 High School Summer Research Intern Application.
- Include/upload a 500-word personal statement focused on your interest in this opportunity and how you think it will impact you as your pursue an education/career in engineering.
- Include/upload a current unofficial high school transcript.
- Include/upload a signed Parent/Guardian Statement of Support.
- Include/upload a current resume of academic, volunteer, community service, leadership, and extracurricular activities.
- A letter of support from a current science teacher must be emailed to Raynesha Ducksworth at rducksworth@lsu.edu.
Applications must be completed and received by end of day (Date TBA).
Past Projects
| Project Title | Program | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Application of PCR to Detect Aromatic Hydrocarbon Producing Bacterial Populations in Sediment Samples from South Louisiana | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Bill Moe |
| Role of the Genus Azospira in Biological Nutrient Removal | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Tamara K. Martin, Bill Moe |
| Investigation of Physical and Mechanical Properties of a Mud Dauber Wasp Nest | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Joon S. Park, Hai Lin |
| Hurricanes vs. Oil Storage Tanks | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Sabarethinam Kameshwar |
| Effect of Sand Content on Metakaolin Based Geopolymers | Construction Management | Ruwa AbuFarsakh, Gabriel Arce |
| A Data-Driven Approach to Improving Energy Efficiency in Buildings | Construction Management | Amirhosein Jafari |
| Crystal Phases of Metal Oxide Materials | Chemical Engineering | Yuming Wang, James Dorman |
| Optimization of Hydrogel Identity and Composition in an Open-Air 3D Printed Microfluidic Device to Study 3D Cell Migration | Chemical Engineering | Kalena Nichol, Adam Melvin |
| Development of a Modular Microfluidic Device to Study the Effects of Fluid Shear Stress on ER+ Breast Cancer | Chemical Engineering | Blake Nassar, Adam Melvin |
| 3D Bio-Printing of Tumor Phantom in the Larynges for Tumor Resection Training Applications | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | Kaushik Sunder, Michael E. Dunham, Jangwook P. Jung |
| The Effects of Bone Dye Techniques on Numerical Microstructural Analysis | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | Kevin Hoffseth |
| Droplet Interaction with Propagating Shockwaves | Mechanical Engineering | Shyam Menon |
| Colorimetric and Spectroscopic Sensing of Biomarker for Cystic Fibrosis Using a Smartphone | Mechanical Engineering | Elnaz Sheik, Manas Ranjan Gartia |
| Preventing Handheld Device Distraction for Drivers Using Smartphone Motion Sensors | Computer Science | Chen Wang |
| Preventing Driver Distractions Via Acoustic Sensing | Computer Science | Long Huang, Chen Wang |
| Machine Learning Methods on Raman Spectroscopic Cancer Data for Early Diagnosis | Electrical Engineering | Zheng Li, Jian Xu |
| Project Title | Program | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Simulating Cortical Bone Structure in Large Vertebrates | Biological Engineering | Kevin Hoffseth |
| Microstructural Geometry and Damage Detection in Cortical Bone Images | Biological Engineering | Kevin Hoffseth |
| Characterization of Fluorescent Proteins Produced in the E. coli Cell-Free Protein Synthesis System | Biological Engineering | Yongchan Kwon |
| Meta-Analysis of Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Proteins: Information Extraction for 3D Bio-printing | Biological Engineering | Philip Jung |
| Dynamic Photoluminescence Response of Dipole-Modulated Rare Earth Doped Core-Shell Nanoparticles to Local Changes in Temperature and Solution pH | Chemical Engineering | James Dorman |
| Machine Learning-Based Feature Analysis and Classification for ICG-Assisted Vibrational Spectroscopic Data of Pancreatic Carcinoma | Electrical Engineering | Jian Xu |
| 3D Tumor Spheroid Generation Using a Droplet Microfluidic Device | Chemical Engineering | Adam Melvin |
| Circulating Microfluidic Co-Culture Device for the Dynamic Analysis of the Tumor Secretome | Chemical Engineering | Adam Melvin |
| Development of a Modular Microfluidic Platform to Investigate the Role of Fluid Shear Stress on Cancer Cell Phenotype | Chemical Engineering | Adam Melvin |
| Using Pulsed UV Light for Enhancing Advanced Oxidation Water Treatment | Environmental Engineering | Samuel Snow |
| Using Pulsed UV Light for Enhanced Water Disinfection | Environmental Engineering | Samuel Snow |
| Shockwave Induced Droplet Breakup | Mechanical Engineering | Shyam Menon |
| Characterization of Animal Nest-Building Geomaterials | Civil Engineering | Hai Lin |
| Breath Monitoring: Analyzing Breathing with Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds | Computer Science | Chen Wang |
| Evaluation of the Field Performance of Stabilized and Non-Stabilized Asphalt Overlays in Louisiana | Construction Management | Momen Mousa |
| The Use of RAP and WMA Mixtures in South-Central States: Challenges & Limitations | Construction Management | Husam Sadek |
| Variability and Uncertainty of Overlay Tester Testing Data, Analysis, and Results | Construction Management | Husam Sadek |
Photos
Contact
The program administrators are responsible for the facilitation of the program from start to finish by creating the policy/structure, providing regular communication to all stakeholders, serving as the key liaisons between all stakeholders, and generally supporting/directing the program throughout each cycle.
Program Administrator Contact Info:
Raynesha Ducksworth
Assistant Manager
225-578-5335
rducksworth@lsu.edu
Adam T. Melvin, PhD
Associate Professor
Cain Department of Chemical Engineering
LSU College of Engineering
3314F Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
melvin@lsu.edu
office: 225-578-3062