Envision
Video: UD Envision 2024: youtube.com/watch?v=r103sICWcw0
Envision yourself as a scientist
UD Envision is a five year continuation of a previously-awarded three year program, funded through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) focused on generating the next generation of agricultural scientists. While minorities have traditionally been underrepresented in these disciplines and research target areas, this project supports the development of all students through intensive, hands-on research education and experiential learning projects to help bridge the perceptual change required for students to envision themselves as scientists.
With partnering institutions (Lincoln University, Delaware State University, Cheyney University, Wesley College and the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore), 10 to 13 undergraduates per Summer will:
- Work with a faculty mentor to develop their own hypothesis-based research project,
- Document this project in a laboratory notebook, ePortfolio, and by creating a video summarizing the project,
- Present and distribute this video at the Delaware State Fair (it will also be posted to YouTube)
- Make a scientific poster presentation at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in August.
The summer includes training in video equipment, editing, and storytelling, ethics, laboratory, and safety trainings, and participation in camraderie-building activities.
Envision is open to participation by any individual regardless of any characteristic protected by state and/or federal law, including, but not limited to, race, color, national origin, sex/gender, disability and/or age.
Participate in Paid Summer Research at the University of Delaware:
Stipend: $4,500 for 10 weeks
Duration: 10 weeks (June 9-August 15)
Housing: On campus Residence Hall, if needed
| Name | Department | Area of Research | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benham Abasht | abasht@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Bioinformatics/Genetics/Genomics | |
| Aditya Dutta | adidutta@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Animal Physiology and Nutrition | |
| Tanya Gressley | gressley@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Animal Physiology and Nutrition | |
| Brian Ladman | Bladman@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Animal Diseases or Immunology | |
| Shafeekh Muyyarikkandy | msm@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Food Safety and Microbiology | |
| Mark Parcells | parcells@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Animal Diseases or Immunology | |
| Juzhong Tan | jztan@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Food Processing | |
| Changqing Wu | changwu@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Food Toxicology, Food Chemistry | |
| Alex Yitbarek | yitbarek@udel.edu | Animal and Food Sciences | Animal Diseases or Immunology | |
| Kelly Davidson | kade@udel.edu | Applied Economics and Statistics | Consumer Perceptions and Preferences | |
| Michael Crossley | crossley@udel.edu | Entomology and Wildlife Ecology | Entomology | |
| Vincenzo Ellis | vaellis@udel.edu | Entomology and Wildlife Ecology | Wildlife Ecology | |
| Chris Williams | ckwillia@udel.edu | Entomology and Wildlife Ecology | Wildlife Ecology | |
| Harsh Bais | hbais@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Plant Molecular Biology | |
| Yin Bao | yinbao@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Digital Agriculture | |
| Jesus Beltran | jbeltran@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Plant Molecular Biology | |
| Alyssa Betts | akoehler@udel.edi | Plant and Soil Sciences | Plant Pathology | |
| Nicole Donofrio | ndonof@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Plant Pathology | |
| Jeff Fuhrmann | fuhrmann@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Plant Microbiology | |
| Zach Hammaker | zhamm@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Landscape Architecture | |
| Alex Huddell | ahuddell@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Environmental Studies | |
| Shreeram Inamdar | inamdar@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Water Quality Analysis | |
| Deb Jaisi | jaisi@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Water Quality Analysis | |
| Jung-Youn Lee | jylee@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Plant Molecular Biology | |
| Matt Limmer | limmer@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Environmental Studies | |
| Qi Mu | qimu@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Bioinformatics/Genetics/Genomics | |
| Tara Trammell | ttram@udel.edu | Plant and Soil Sciences | Environmental Studies |
Over the summer, ten to thirteen students take part in a broad range of research topics, such as Animal Health and Disease, Bioenergy and the Environment, Food Safety and Microbiology, Genetics and Genomics, Physiology, Immunology and Nutrition. During their time with Envision, students will get to experience video documentation, laboratory work, and general hands-on experience as well as many other take-aways from this program. Along with laboratory safety trainings, students also attend ethics training and multi-media trainings to learn how to effectively preform and present their work, especially for the Delaware State Fair and the Undergraduate Research Program.
Archive
UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAMS
- Hands-on Training
- Programs run June 5 to Aug. 15, 2025
- $4,500 Stipend and $500 Research Allowance
- On-campus housing available
Professor
Dept. of Animal and Food Sciences
Dept. of Biological Sciences
University of Delaware
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From the South African wilds, Aniya Brown reports
July 24, 2025 | Written by NC State College of Veterinary MedicineAniya Brown is a Delaware native and rising junior at the University of Delaware. She is traveling over 8,000 miles this summer for a three-week extramural experience service trip with Live4Now W!ld Vets in South Africa. She recounts her experience in this story. One of her highlights included assisting a buffalo-breeding program to help maintain a foot-and-mouth disease-free herd. -
In New Jersey, benefits bloom in tiny forests
July 23, 2025 | Written by Sachi Kitajima Mulkey | The New York TimesDoug Tallamy, University of Delaware ecologist, entomologist, and TA Baker Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, was interviewed by the New York Times about “microforests”. These tiny forests in New Jersey are packed with native plants. They benefit air quality and can absorb storm water. Tallamy said they can have a big impact on increasing biodiversity in cities. -
UD’s Insect Research Collection provides Solomon Hendrix the tools to turn a passion for identifying insects into a future in entomological discovery
July 22, 2025 | Written by Nya WynnThrough the UD Insect Research Collection, Solomon Hendrix found a home for his passion for taxonomy and insect identification. Under the mentorship of Charles Bartlett, Hendrix published 12 academic papers and identified 12 new genera of planthoppers — an extraordinary feat for an undergraduate student.