The Munroe-Meyer Institute is preparing for its fourth year hosting students as part of UNMC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program.
SURP provides summer opportunities for undergraduate students to become members of research teams and discover first-hand the broad spectrum of research activities occurring at UNMC.
Katelyn Kelley, clinical research program manager and director of the MMI SURP program, said it has been gratifying to see the program grow at MMI, from six students in 2021 to 10 incoming students this summer.
“Some of the growth has been work that we’ve done on our end,” Kelley said. “But a lot of it also has been our students have a wonderful time here, and they tell their friends.”
It’s exciting to see MMI working with the next generation of scientists, Kelley said.
“The final research product for SURP students is to create and present a research poster. We start from day one helping them prepare for that.”
The students also sit in on the weekly research meeting, where each of MMI’s principal investigators give updates on their own research, giving the students a broad view of all the research work that goes on at the institute.
“We also focus on helping them develop their CVs,” Kelley said. “We talk to them about applications for graduate school. We discuss topics such as, ‘What’s a good mentor?’ ‘What’s a not good mentor?’ ‘What questions should you ask?’ So we’re proactive helping them on their path towards graduate school.”
Working at MMI gives the students a perspective into the lives of the people MMI serves.
“The SURP students are often interested in attending medical school. We’ve also had a lot of prospective dental students,” she said. “It’s great for them to come here and get this experience. Kids and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities need a doctor. They need a dentist. It’s good for them to be exposed to our MMI community, and hopefully, as professionals, they are able to provide services that are more tailored to the IDD community.”
Jenni Blackford, PhD, associate dean of research at MMI, said the SURP program also benefits the faculty mentors who take part.
“The students are actively engaged in research studies and many faculty have said that having a SURP student has provided motivation to either start a new research study or finally complete a study,” Dr. Blackford said. “In addition, many faculty gain valuable experience in research mentorship. Along with the benefits to the trainees, this is a win-win experience.”
The program runs from June to August, culminating in a poster session.
And afterwards, MMI SURP students have had a great deal of success.
“Nine of the 23 students we have trained are currently in graduate programs, and an additional eight of them are applying this round for graduate programs,” Kelley said. “And that number might be larger — these are just the students that have kept in contact with us. Eight of those nine that are currently in graduate programs are within the University of Nebraska system, and out of those eight that are applying, four of them at least have the University of Nebraska system as their top choice. That’s pretty awesome.”
“The success rate of our trainees has been incredibly rewarding,” Dr. Blackford said. “I am especially excited that we have created a strong pathway towards graduate education in Nebraska. MMI is actively working to reduce Nebraska’s brain drain.”