Undergraduate Research Opportunities
A number of undergraduate research opportunities exist within the Department of Physics and Astronomy, both during the semester and during the summer. In addition to the programs listed below, research opportunities are available with many faculty members.
We encourage you to peruse the research pages of the department website and contact faculty members about their research directly. Please note that Bachelor of Science degree candidates must complete at least one semester of research — PHYS 401 — as part of the degree requirement.
On this page, there are links to research opportunities for undergraduates. Some are organized through the Clemson University Creative Inquiry Program. Some are through the National Science Foundation.
Opportunities for Undergraduates
Creative Inquiry Program
The department has several research projects organized through the Clemson University Creative Inquiry Program. Some, but not all, of the CI programs offer course credit.
- Biophysics of Parasitic Kinetoplastid Motility (PI: Joshua Alper; Project ID: 1411)
- Building and Probing Simple Neuronal Circuits with a Combined Optical Tweezer and Microelectrode Array Instrument (PI: Joshua Alper; Project ID: 1414)
- Design, Development, and Creative Uses of a Combined Optical Tweezer and Fluorescent Microscope (PI: Joshua Alper; Project ID: 1085)
- Drag Determination for Suborbital Vehicles in the Upper Mesosphere Using Micro-g Accelerometers
- Generation and Characterization of Radiation for Biomedical Applications (PIs: Endre Takacs, physics, and Delphine Dean, bioengineering; Project ID: 789)
- Ion Beam Physics (PI: Chad Sosolik; Project ID: TBD)
- Ionospheric Radar Data Analysis and Instrument Development (PI: Stephen Kaeppler; Project ID: 1858)
- K-12 Math and Physics Competitions: A Primary Tool For STEM Recruiting
- Mind Controlled 3D Printing (PI: Hugo Sanabria; Project ID: 1092)
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates
The National Science Foundation sponsors a number of undergraduate research summer programs across the country. See the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates website for opportunities at other locations. Current REU Programs involving physics and astronomy faculty include:
- Biophysics REU: Nature’s Machinery Through the Prism of Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Engineering.
- SURE: Solid-State Devices for Electronics, Photonics and Magnetics Technology. In cooperation with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chad Sosolik hosts one student as part of the NSF REU SURE: Solid-State Devices for Electronics, Photonics and Magnetics Technology program to do research with highly charged ions involving the detection of secondary particles such as electrons and X-rays that arise in surface collisions. For more information and to apply, please visit the SURE website. Questions specific to Clemson research projects may be directed toChad Sosolik at sosolik@clemson.edu.
- QuIC-TAQS: Undergrad Research Experience in Cryogenic Quantum Devices. This program accommodates two to three students each summer. For more information, connect with Kasra Sardashti, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
