Identifying a Research Sponsor

Some students may be approached by a faculty member and invited to apply to the LSAMP program.
However, this is NOT the only way to become a participant.
You may apply to the program yourself after identifying a faculty member willing to sponsor your research.

Tips for successfully finding a professor to sponsor your research.

• Get to know the professors of your courses by talking to them after class or in office hours. Ask their advice and inquire if they sponsor undergraduates research themselves or know of other professors that do.
• Learn about faculty research in your major. Use the web sites listed below and research catalogs available in department offices to read descriptions of the research of individual faculty members.
• Be brave and go visit professors in their office to ask about research opportunities. You may need to make an appointment first, and email is usually the most polite way to do this.
• Understand that the professor is taking a risk if they bring you into their lab. They will invest time and resources into training you, and will do so with the expectations that your hard work will advance their research projects.
• Communicate the fact that you will work hard.
• Be persistent. It may take a few semesters of visiting a professor before an opportunity opens up in their lab or research program.

STEM Majors and Faculty Research Programs

*College of Natural Science and Mathematics*

Astronomy
Biology
Biochemsitry
Chemistry
Geosciences
Mathematics and Statistics
Computer Science
Physics

*College of Food and Natural Resources*

Microbiology
Entomology
Food Science
Plant and Soil Science
Veterinary and Animial Science

*College of Engineering*

Chemical Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering