Since 1979, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program has allowed undergraduate students to apply the theories they've learned in the classroom to address real-world research problems at Caltech, JPL, and a variety of other institutions. It is, says Candace Rypisi, director of the Student-Faculty Programs Office, a true career-shifting opportunity for students as well as a chance for today's scientists, engineers, and graduate students to pass the proverbial torch to the next generation of researchers.
This past summer, 306 Caltech undergraduates participated in SURF. On October 15, students will present their research at the annual SURF Seminar Day.
