Turn Curiosity into Discovery with the SURF Program
Get hands-on research experience, work alongside DeSales faculty mentors, and prepare for your next step.
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is an immersive, 8-week summer research experience for DeSales University undergraduate students. Fellows work alongside science faculty mentors on active research projects while developing valuable laboratory, communication, and professional skills.
Whether you're preparing for graduate school, a healthcare profession, or a career in science and industry, SURF gives you the experience to stand out.
Why Participate in SURF?
Work directly with a DeSales science faculty mentor and contribute to active research projects in a modern laboratory environment.
Gain hands-on experience that can help you stand out when applying to graduate and professional programs or pursuing careers in science and industry.
SURF fellows have presented their research at scientific conferences and contributed to peer-reviewed publications.
Develop professional skills through workshops focused on résumés and CVs, scientific communication, presentations, networking, elevator pitches, and research writing.
What You'll Experience
Through SURF, you'll:
- Spend 8 weeks conducting research with a DeSales science faculty mentor
- Gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation
- Work in modern research and laboratory facilities
- Receive a competitive stipend
- Stay in free on-campus housing
- Participate in professional development workshops
- Build relationships with faculty and fellow student researchers
- Take part in social, recreational, and community service activities
More Than Research
SURF combines intensive research with opportunities to build your professional skills and connect with your fellow student researchers. Past activities have included IronPigs games, community service, mini golf, escape rooms, and outdoor recreation.
Who Can Apply to SURF?
SURF is open to current DeSales University undergraduate students who meet the following requirements:
- Have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA
- Have completed either BI 151 & BI 152 or CH 101 & CH 102 before the start of the program
- Are able to commit to the full 8-week program
Where Can SURF Take You?
SURF Alumni Success
SURF alumni have gone on to pursue advanced degrees and careers at institutions across the country, including:
Graduate & Research Programs
- Lehigh University — PhD in Bioengineering
- Temple University — PhD in Biochemistry
- University of Delaware — PhD in Biology
- North Carolina State University — PhD in Biological Sciences
Medical & Health Professional Programs
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University — MD
- Penn State College of Medicine — MD
- Lincoln Memorial University — DO
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine — DO
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine — DVM
SURF Program FAQs
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is an intensive 8-week summer research experience that allows qualified DeSales University students to work closely with faculty mentors on active research projects.
Please contact Dr. Joshua Slee at Joshua.Slee@desales.edu if you are interested in joining the SURF program.
Absolutely. Research experience is highly valued by many healthcare professional programs, including medical, dental, veterinary, and other health-related programs. SURF can help you develop critical thinking skills, gain hands-on experience, and strengthen your application.
Yes. SURF participants receive free on-campus housing for the duration of the program.
No. There are no costs to participate in the SURF program.
Yes. All SURF participants receive a competitive stipend during the program.
No. In addition to conducting research, participants take part in professional development activities, including résumé preparation, networking, elevator pitch workshops, scientific presentations, and manuscript writing. Fellows also participate in social and team-building activities throughout the summer.
SURF alumni have gone on to master's and doctoral programs, medical and other health professional schools, and careers in industry and research.
Hear From Past Research Fellows
SURF provided me with an incredible opportunity to apply what I learned in lectures to real-world problems. As a pre-vet student, I was able to connect my interest in animal health to our projects, focusing on research questions that were interesting to me.
Working directly with faculty provided me with a wide network of mentorship and support, and new skills in data analysis, scientific writing, and the publication process. Being able to contribute to science literature as an undergraduate student is an incredibly rare opportunity and easily the highlight of my time at DeSales.
My experiences in SURF shaped how I am as a scientist. Through SURF I was able to design an experiment, test my predictions, and present my research to a broader community.
Participating in SURF early in my scientific career allowed me to figure out what I wanted to pursue after my time at DeSales. I am still following my passions as a Ph.D. candidate in Biology at Wesleyan, and I am still using the skills I gained during my time in SURF. I would strongly recommend anyone interested in a research career to apply to SURF.
I joined the SURF program because of the great opportunity it provided to gain hands-on lab and research experience, develop and apply critical thinking skills, as well as build a valuable experience for a résumé or CV as I pursue future academic and professional prospects. During the summer, I took part in eight weeks of research with Dr. Barnett studying the evolutionary and functional genetics of leg segmentation in the mite species Archegozetes longisetosus. Under the guidance of Dr. Barnett, a fellow SURF student and I performed advanced techniques such as CRISPR, HCR, and confocal microscopy.
Something unique about this program is that there is no set lab procedure to simply follow. We were paving the path for our research under the guidance of Dr. Barnett, which taught us how to troubleshoot when experiments did not go as planned. I greatly appreciated being able to work side-by-side with the experienced faculty at DeSales, who made the world of research less intimidating.
Throughout SURF, I became more confident in the lab, better understood the research process, and gained an appreciation for the hard work it takes to make advances in science. SURF 100% strengthened my desire to incorporate research into my future role as a physician because of its uses in medicine, academia, and many other facets of society. I would without a doubt recommend the SURF program to anyone interested in gaining meaningful research experience, no matter one’s goal after your scientific journey at DeSales.
Being a part of SURF gave me the freedom and skills to prepare for grad school like no other experience on campus. Being in control of my own research and presenting on a professional level provided me with valuable expertise that I continue to utilize today.
As a SURF fellow, I learned the core lab techniques that I use daily in my graduate school research at NC State, and I have only expanded on these foundational skills in grad school. My experience in SURF completely shifted my career goals towards pursuing a doctoral degree in research and shaped who I am as a researcher now.
The experience in SURF led to more development opportunities as well as continuing working in research at DeSales which eventually led to a publication, all important aspects that led to my success during grad school applications.