[Jd1828]

Anyone ever done one of these before?  I have no idea what I have to do.  I guess I have to think of a topic and then find a prof that will be able to help me on it.  But I dont think I know enough chemistry to just pick some research topic.   I have to pick which professor I want to work with by the fall.  

[Mitch]

The professor will give you a project not the other way around.

[movies]

Yeah, when I worked in a lab in undergrad I just decided that I wanted to do organic chemistry and I started emailing the organic faculty members.

[Jd1828]

Thanks, that makes a lot more sense.  I thought I needed to come up with some research on my own.   I guess now I just have to figure out which kind of chemistry I want to do.  

[Goddess]

Congrats!  I have had an undergraduate research position for  a year now.  I've actually had two different projects as I'm looking for what I might like to focus on in the future.  One of my projects has lead to a paper so I'll be published here in a few weeks.

Have fun with it!

[Donaldson Tan]

cool. I applied for undergrad research for fuel cell technology, but was passed over because I am a first year student. sigh.. the professor told me he had a pool of year 3 students to choose from

[jdurg]

It's always great doing undergrad research, though I will admit that at times you may have no clue what you're actually researching.    I did research my freshman year of college on Green Fluorescent Protein, and to this day I'm still unsure of what I was actually doing.  However, my name is published in the journal of chemical physics as an author, so that's always something that can never be taken away from me.  (And later this year I'll be published in a general chemistry textbook in the manner of one of my photographs of phosphorus.   )

[Blueshawk]

This year I will be doing research with Quantum Dots.....Its very interesting stuff...

I have already did an independent project that was to demonstrate the quenching effects of Air, and Ar on CdSe Q.Dots.

I also used sonichemistry...applying ultrasound technology to the Q.Dots.   What it did, or was supposed to do is make the dots smaller...which shows a blue shift in the flouresence spectra...

I will hopefully have an opportunity to get my info published....Cool!!

Some of my next research is to apply a Sulfur coating on the dots which helps them to maintain their size..but also quenches there emmisions...As well as other research on them.

More info on Quantum Dots can be found at this site that produces them.

http://www.evidenttech.com/

[Jd1828]

Well, I start classes in 3 weeks and still have no idea who I will be working with.  Ive tried to contact 2 profs now.  The first prof is doing stuff with nanotubes, which I actually have some intern experiance with.  I tried emailing him and leaving a voice message and have yet to hear back (3months  later).  

The next prof I contacted said he was intrested in talking with me and wanted to meet in person.  Its summer and I live about 200miles away from the school so we agreed that I would drive to the school on a saturday so we could meet in person.  I get there and call to see where he wants to meet and he says "You have a wrong number", hangs up,  and then doesnt anwser when I call him back.  

It seems like the profs dont care about undergrads doing research.  My last resort is  to ask to work with my advisor.  I wanted to work with someone else besides him so that I could have another person that would write a letter of rec for gradschool.  Now Ill be lucky to find anyone to work with at all.