Our first Research Pathways event of the 2026/2027 academic year was held on Friday, October 2, 2026.
Presentation Materials | Questions & Answers | Next Steps
Presentation Materials
STEM Faculty Availability Sheet
APA Peer Technology Specialists
Questions & Answers
The following questions were submitted during the presentation. They were answered in collaboration with faculty representatives, student researchers, and our STEM ambassadors. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to scienceresearch@wesleyan.edu.
The Basics | Reaching Out to Mentors | Summer Research | Specific Fields | Specific Audiences
The Basics
What exactly does research look like at Wesleyan? What kind of work might we be doing?
Below are examples provided by current student researchers.
- Astronomy: data collection, analysis, and interpretation
- Biology: maybe coding, maybe counting how much food squirrels have eaten and everything in between
- Chemistry: reactions
- Computer Science: coding
- Earth and Environmental Science: field work, microscopy, analysis
- Economics: statistical analysis and coding
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry: running gels, purifying protein, molecular biology techniques, cell culture, fluorescent microscopy, stuff where you can’t “see” what’s going on eg. you cannot use a microscope to see the protein you are studying unless you are more in a biochemistry lab with X-ray crystallography
- Physics: collisions, lasers, computational work, engineering
- Psychology: surveys, observation, dataset creation and statistical analysis
- All NSM research: making and interpreting graphs
What are the requirements to do research?
The only true requirement is interest. Some professors prefer students to have taken certain classes, but do not be afraid to reach out and ask. You can also check to see if they’ve specified anything on the availability list available above.
What do we DO in a research lab? How can we ensure that we are prepared? How can we want you to want us in your lab?
You most often start by observing a student, grad student, or postdoc in the lab. It’s important to be okay with being confused or inexperienced. Whenever you don’t understand something your mentor or the researcher you are “shadowing” is doing, ask them to explain again.
Research the lab before reaching out to faculty. Visit the lab/research website and read recent papers published by the PI and lab group. This preparation shows your interest in the work being done and is a good starting point for your first conversation with the professor or their group.
How do I prepare for research at Wesleyan?
Take introductory classes such as intro bio lab, intro chem lab, intro to programming, etc. to build a skillset.
Read articles of the professors you are interested in to see how they approach a research question.
Attend research seminars. You can find lectures (and many other events!) at our NSM Events Calendar. External speakers are hosted by Wesleyan research groups, and many departments have seminars you can ask to attend to hear from internal speakers (grad students, honors students, and faculty).
What should I bring to lab group meetings?
A notebook and pen. Don’t open your laptop throughout the meeting. If a paper or other review materials were assigned, be sure to read them, and bring a copy, especially if you have questions.
Is it possible to conduct your own study/research in a lab as an undergrad at Wesleyan?
Wesleyan’s summer research program requires students to submit a proposal for an independent research program. These projects are mentored by Wesleyan faculty and the proposals are based in their research disciplines and expertise. Students who are interested in a particular study or project are encouraged to meet with the CIS to discuss potential mentors, avenues, and options. The CIS linked-major allows students to connect their personal research interests and projects to their course work.
Reaching Out to Mentors
How do I get involved in research as a first year?
Email email email Professors! Do not get discouraged if you get no reply; it is acceptable to follow up up to three times. If the first one or few say they do not have space, email other professors. Be persistent and polite.
What do we do if we have emailed a professor/lab director several times and have yet to get a response? Should we try to get in touch with them in person?
You could go to office hours, explain you are interested in their research and ask if there are opportunities available. Do not approach their office or lab without an invitation (such as office hours) or an appointment.
If I’m trying to reach a professor, is it possible to find their office hours & location online?
We are actively working on a research directory which will be available on the CIS webpage and linked from here. In the meantime, all faculty at Wesleyan have a profile page you can find by searching “[Faculty Name] Wesleyan” or typing “https://www.wesleyan.edu/about/directory/profile.html?id=[username]”.
Summer Research
How do we do research during the summer?
At Wesleyan: email professors indicating your interest in doing research over the summer specifically and ask how you could get funded to do so. They may have their own grants or you can apply to the CIS research program or other related programs (COE, QAC, GISOS, McNair, etc.).
Outside of Wesleyan:
- Google “summer research opportunity undergraduate” to find opportunities
- Pathways to Science: https://www.pathwaystoscience.org/
- Zintellect: https://zintellect.com/
- OR cold email professors (or ask Wesleyan Professors for a recommendation of who to contact) and then apply for Wesleyan Summer Grant
For international students consider:
- OIST: https://www.oist.jp/
- DADD: https://www.daad.de/en/
- University of Houston’s list of programs that accept international applications
Do you accept first year students for the summer of 2027?
Yes, first year students are eligible to apply for summer funding. You should ask individual faculty if you can start with them in the summer.
Specific Fields
What requirements/skills do we need do do Psych research?
As with most research, they are specific to the individual research lab. It is a good first question when you reach out.
How can you get involved with psychology research as a freshman?
The psych department has dedicated advanced research courses where you essentially join a lab for a semester and you put together a poster! These seminars are great for an introduction to research with the potential for maybe even staying with the lab research. Look for PSYCH course names that start with “advanced research in __”
I am interested in doing research at Economics or Computer Science. I am new to it and really want to know how to get started from scratch!
We suggest taking a QAC quarter-credit class to build skills in programming. Also talk to your Econ or CS professors about their research or just ask about research opportunities to them — they may let you into their lab or refer you to someone else!
Is there any Wesleyan research at the intersection of computer science and AI agentic workflows?
Not at this time. Some of the CS faculty may have incorporated some agentic workflows but it is not their research focus.
Physics
Specific Audiences
What is the Goldwater Scholarship, and what are the requirements to be eligible, or what would I need to do/want to be likely to receive it?
The Goldwater Scholarship is a program for juniors and sophomores interested in applying to PHD or MD PHD programs. It gives you a yearly $7000 scholarship towards tuition or school costs, and, more importantly, it is like a network for you to connect with people who have successfully applied to and completed PhD programs.
The Goldwater Scholarship is available to American citizens and permanent residents. To receive it you should think about common threads behind your research/research motivation, how you would like to integrate that with your future research interests and career goals, and how you can integrate your interests into your research at Wesleyan.
Can you prepare another program or event for international students?
Yes, we hope to have an event during International Education Week.
Next Steps
Here are three follow-up tasks for your next steps:
1. Upload your latest resume into Handshake. If you need to make a resume or want your resume reviewed in-person – login to Handshake, click on Career Center, select Appointments, choose Resume Review, then select a day & time that works for your schedule.
2. Complete or update your Handshake profile and be sure to include “Research” as one of the industries you seek. This way, you will receive targeted emails about research opportunities on campus. Want to select other industries to follow? Check out Handshake’s list of all industries to choose from.
3. Mark your calendar now to attend the January 29, 2027, Spring Research Pathways program from 1:30 – 3:30pm held throughout the Casper Life Sciences Building. There you’ll be able to meet with the Juniors and Seniors that are showcasing their research posters and talking about their Wes labs and Summer REUs.
Links
Contact Us
Anika Dane
College of Integrative Sciences
adane@wesleyan.edu
Appointments
Ladd Flock
Gordon Career Center
lflock@wesleyan.edu
Appointments