Envision

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:

  1. Work with a faculty mentor to develop their own hypothesis-based research project,
  2. Document this project in a laboratory notebook, ePortfolio, and by creating a video summarizing the project,
  3. Present and distribute this video at the Delaware State Fair (it will also be posted to YouTube)
  4. 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.

Meet our 2024 participants

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 Email 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 PHOTO

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
Contact Us
302-831-0114

Mark Parcells
Professor
Dept. of Animal and Food Sciences
Dept. of Biological Sciences
University of Delaware
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