STEM at Union College by Union College

S@UNION TEM

STEM@UN I O N

NEW FRO FOR S C IE NC E, EN G I N EERI N G AN D T HE L IBERAL ART S In 1845, Union became the nation’s first liberal arts institution to offer engineering, and we have been revolutionizing the integration of traditional liberal arts, science and engineering ever since. We offer a diverse number of programs in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Our facilities rival professional and graduate-level resources, and our talented faculty are passionate about their teaching and research. Union’s focus on integrating the liberal arts and STEM will prepare you to understand the dynamic demands of our tech-centric society, and to address age-old questions about the human condition through courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences. We are equipping students with the knowledge, experience and wisdom to lead in emerging fields that cross disciplines, and to make an extraordinary difference in the world, now and across multiple tomorrows. It’s why students come to Union today.

N T I ER S TALKING WITH PHYSICS PROFESSOR CHAD ORZEL There are many good reasons to study STEM at Union. Chad Orzel, associate professor of physics, weighs in on a few of them. He is a popular scientific author (Breakfast with Einstein: The Exotic Physics of Everyday Objects; How to Teach Physics to Your Dog; and other books). He blogs at forbes.com.

Why study STEM at Union? “ Our students are engaged in research at a level that’s just not possible at many other institutions. We have facilities and equipment that are comparable to those at larger universities, such as our particle accelerator. But at those schools, the facilities are mostly controlled by graduate and postdoctoral students. Our undergrads are deeply involved in the operation of everything we have.” Do you get to know your students?

“ As with many other things at Union, the most important element of our science teaching is building relationships between students and faculty. We work so closely with students on research projects that over four years, our top students become akin to research colleagues. And because our classes are so small, we interact with our students on a variety of levels.”

What’s exciting about Union’s undergraduate research?

“ It spans all disciplines. At our annual research day, Steinmetz Symposium, it’s exciting to see so many students cross academic boundaries in unexpected ways— like the electrical engineering major who created digital tap shoes and performed in the dance festival.” What makes Union STEM students more competitive after graduation?

“ I never fail to be impressed with how well our students express themselves in public. Beyond developing the ability to do a narrow technical presentation in their field, our students learn to speak with knowledge and confidence on a wide range of topics to many different audiences, whether on campus, or at local or national research conferences. These communication skills are essential in almost any line of work.”

JACKSON SELENT ’22 AND MIA VILLENEUVE ‘22 WORK ON THE PARTICLE ACCELERATOR

PROFESSOR ORZEL

STEM@UN I O N

THE CLASS EXPERIENCE

A COURSE IN MICROBIOLOGY INCLUDES LECTURES PLUS LAB WORK.

Small classes and labs. Professors who care. Nationally recognized programs. Union is the ideal place to immerse yourself in the STEM disciplines.

SAMPLE COURSES

ROOM BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Microbiology: A focus on bacteria and viruses, with a special emphasis on organisms that cause disease in humans

ACADEMIC LIFE AT UNION

MAJORS + MINORS: 58 IN THE SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, PLUS THE ABILITY TO COMBINE THEM ACROSS DISCIPLINES

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Can Computers Think?: Introduction to algorithms, data structures, programming techniques, and basic methods and philosophy of artificial intelligence

DEGREES: ABET-ACCREDITED ENGINEERING PROGRAMS AND BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.S.) DEGREES IN ALL STEM DISCIPLINES STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 10:1

MATHEMATICS

Ancient Greek Mathematics: An examination of Thales and Pythagoras, Plato and his academy, Euclid and his Elements, and the great Archimedes MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Space Flight: The basics of space travel, including orbital motion and trajectories, interplanetary transfers, atmospheric entry, ground tracking and attitude control

AVERAGE CLASS SIZES: 14 (UPPER LEVEL CLASSES); 21 (INTRO CLASSES) TEACHING: ALL CLASSES AND LABS TAUGHT BY PROFESSORS (NO TEACHING ASSISTANTS), AND 98% OF FACULTY HAVE A PH.D. OR THE HIGHEST DEGREE IN THEIR FIELD TRIMESTER SYSTEM: THREE 10-WEEK TERMS OFFER FLEXIBILITY FOR CLASSES, INTERNSHIPS AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

PSYCHOLOGY

The Psychology of Language: How neurological disorders impact language functioning, with a look at basic anatomy as well as speech perception and linguistic diversityÂ

STEM@UN I O N

UNDERGRA RESEARCH 6

INTELLECTUAL. CREATIVE. INSPIRING.

Hands-on, faculty-mentored undergraduate research is at the heart of a Union education. All year round, students work closely with their professors—in classrooms, labs, studios, archives and in the field—delving into topics that intrigue and challenge them. And for one day each May, the College suspends classes so that students can share their academic and creative interests and talents at the Steinmetz Symposium, a campus-wide celebration with peers, professors and families. Held annually since 1991, the symposium features an extraordinary array of oral presentations, posters, performances and exhibits. The event is named after Charles P. Steinmetz, the Union professor of electrical engineering who was world-renowned in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served as General Electric’s chief engineer, and was known for his inventions and pioneering work in alternating current.

DUATE

The symposium celebrates a culture of personal discovery that integrates coursework, faculty mentorship and peer collaboration to deepen students’ understanding of their subjects and themselves.

Charles Steinmetz ENGINEER, INVENTOR, SCHOLAR, TEACHER

STEM@UN I O N

STEINMETZ FROM A TO Z

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a look at a few recent STEM-focused presentations by students. Automated Surface Photometry of Galaxies in Groups Biopolymer-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators Carbon Dynamics in a Marsh-Dominated Estuarine Ecosystem Designing a Low-Cost Ultrasound Pulser Freezing Brain Tumors Noninvasively with Laser Cooling Geometric Constructions, Origami and Galois Theory Identifying Backward-Looking Neurons in the Aeshnidae Dragonfly Light-Induced Expression of a Blue Coral Protein in an Industrial Fungus Mozart Effect and Other Misbeliefs About Psychology Optimizing a Connecting Rod through 3D Printing Portable Solar Energy Power System for Natural Disaster Relief Quantification of hFSHR Signaling to Determine Dependence of Lipid Raft Residency Teleoperation of Robotic Systems in Virtual Reality Using Stable Isotope Analysis to Identify Tick Hosts Water Quality Policies in New York and California Zero Emissions Credits and Nuclear Energy Subsidization in the Empire State

500+ STUDENTS PRESENT AT STEINMETZ SYMPOSIUM EACH SPRING

STEM@UN I O N

RT E S E A R C H HAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE Union’s undergraduate researchers tackle tough problems in local communities and beyond.

SOIL CRUST SAMPLES FROM THE ALBANY PINE BUSH; JESSICA GILBERT ‘18 DOING FIELDWORK (INSET)

A LIVING LABORATORY NOT FAR FROM CAMPUS

Biology professor Jeffrey Corbin conducts much of his experimental work in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. This globally rare pine barren ecosystem is a short car ride away from the Union campus, creating an ideal opportunity to get his classes into the field and also include students in his research. Pine barrens and other open, sandy habitats are home to plants and animals not found elsewhere in the northeastern United States. Working in the pine bush, Corbin recognized a previously undescribed

component of this ecosystem— biological soil crusts. Many people may recognize “biocrusts” from trips to Utah, Arizona or other dry U.S. regions. Yet they remain largely unknown in the wet northeast. Corbin’s follow-up surveys at the pine bush and more than a dozen other sites resulted in the first broad description of biocrusts in temperate habitats. He and Jessica Gilbert ’18, a biology major with a minor in Japanese, spent many hours using the pine bush as a living

laboratory. They found that intact biocrusts inhibit vascular plant seed germination, suggesting that these tiny organisms play a mighty role in what plants grow where. This work was the basis of Gilbert’s senior honors thesis in biology, which later was published in a paper in a scientific journal. Corbin reports that his future work “will build on what Jess and I found to understand how we can best manage, conserve and restore the Pine Bush. That place is a real treasure.”

EMPOWERING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

For the past several years, Union engineering students have been working to design a replicable wheelchair for children that’s reasonably priced and easy to use by retrofitting the Power Wheels Wild Thing, a Fisher-Price battery-powered vehicle. “Small kids without the ability to walk need a low-cost training power wheelchair. It’s not a simple thing to build in a way that can be easily duplicated,” said Cherrice Traver, the David Falk and Elynor Rudnick-Falk Professor of Computer Engineering.

The next year, Pyae Sone (Patrick) Aung ’19 developed an improved version of the control system as his senior thesis, the UMobility Project. He also created an easily replicable open-source product that would be accessible to a wide range of clients.

Commercial power wheelchairs typically cost more than $10,000, making them too expensive for wide usage in physical therapy and rehabilitation programs. To address this problem, Lam Ngo ’18 and Joe Caruso ’18 began designing the first version of a replicable chair as their senior capstone project in fall 2017.

Currently, Traver is advising Benjamin Davis ’21, an electrical engineering major, and computer engineering major Yueyin (Susy) Su ’22, who are working on enhancements on the wheelchair structure.

Ngo adapted the control interface, while Caruso created and constructed flexible seating customizations. They delivered a prototype to the Langan School at the Center for Disabilities in Albany, N.Y., the following spring.

PROFESSOR TRAVER

“This project gives me a chance to solve a problem with real world implications,” says Davis. “It’s nice to be able to apply learned skills outside the classroom.”

ENGINEERING STUDENTS YUEYIN SU AND BENJAMIN DAVIS COLLABORATE ON THE REPLICABLE POWER WHEELCHAIR.

STEM@ UN I O N

INTERDISCI BIOLOGY AND ART HISTORY DOUBLE MAJOR IMOGENE WELLES ’20 SPENT TIME SOPHOMORE YEAR EXPLORING A COLORFUL SUBJECT: INDIGO.

Working with physics professor Seyfollah Maleki, she sought to understand how this highly prized deep blue-violet pigment used by painters over the millennia degrades with the passing of time. Such research could help art conservationists determine the unknown dates of some old paintings. “As the pigment ages, its chemistry changes, affecting its original color,” Maleki notes. “And so a lot of the indigo pigment that was once bright blue is now yellowish.”

Welles was seeking a project for her Sophomore Research Seminar when a friend mentioned Maleki’s research. As someone who has always gravitated toward classes in both the fine arts and the sciences, she found that “the combination of both my passions in a single area of research seemed like the perfect opportunity.” She used lasers and a spectrometer in Maleki’s art conservation lab to analyze the indigo sample. She also observed how to extract microscopic samples from paintings and viewed them under various polarizing and ultraviolet microscopes.

As a senior, Welles did research for her thesis on the stable isotope ecology of ticks. After independently working in the physics lab, “I now appreciate the application of spectroscopy to research in a broad range of disciplines,” she said. “Spectroscopy, by definition, doesn’t sound like it would be applied to art history or ecology. Luckily, I’ve been able to do both—and will continue to do so after Union”—at a research institute for ecosystem studies and in a Ph.D. program at the University at Stony Brook.

P L I N AB YRD Y ESIGN FROM COOKING TO QUANTUM DOTS

Few faculty members span more STEM disciplines than Joanne Kehlbeck, professor of chemistry. Research in the Kehlbeck Lab falls into three major categories: chemical biology, chemical ecology and material science. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a look at one of her more popular courses and some research collaborations: Culinary chemistry: Students work in a fully equipped kitchen and in a traditional chemistry lab to explore the chemistry that makes meat tender and allows bread to rise. Fruit flies and pheromones: Kehlbeck works with professor and evolutionary biologist Roman Yukilevich on research involving a species of the fruit fly, Drosophila athabasca, and how pheromones (chemicals produced by the body) affect their social and mating behavior. Dots with strings attached: Kehlbeck is studying the properties of nano-tethered quantum dots (QDs) with Michael Hagerman, chemistry professor and co-director of Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nanoscience program. QDs are fluorescent nanoparticles of semiconducting materials that are used in emerging applications and research developments, ranging from enhanced LCD TVs and thin-film solar cells to high-speed data transfer and fluorescent labeling in biomedical applications.

CHEMISTRY CLUB MEMBERS MAKE LIQUID NITROGEN ICE CREAM.

PROFESSOR KEHLBECK

STEM@ UN I O N

AINLAY HALL

Students who are looking to go into STEM will find Union’s Integrated Science and Engineering Complex one of the most inspiring undergraduate science facilities in the United States The largest and most ambitious project in Union’s history, this $100 million complex was completed in 2020. A key feature of the building is the striking glass-walled Ainlay Hall. It’s home to a 1.1-MV tandem pelletron accelerator, 400-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, micro CT scanner and other sophisticated instrumentation for student use, as well as a thermal science and fluid mechanics lab. In addition, electrical engineering research will be enhanced in laboratories dedicated to real-time power grid analysis, and students working on communications systems will enjoy a wide range of opportunities to explore the electromagnetic spectrum. From top to bottom, the classrooms, labs, corridors and shared public spaces are buzzing with activity as students and faculty across disciplines collaborate, innovate and exchange ideas about the future. More S+E power: Thanks to a brand new $51 million alumni gift, the College will transform engineering and the liberal arts with the creation of the Templeton Institute for Engineering and Computer Science.

S+E

—WITH STYLE

STEM@UN I O N

WALKING PAST THE WOLD CENTER, WITH THE OLIN CENTER IN BACKGROUND

IMAGINE LAB » STOCKED WITH AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF VIRTUAL, AUGMENTED AND MIXED REALITY TOOLS, ALONG WITH 360-VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT, SO YOU CAN “IMAGINE THE UNIMAGINABLE.”

INSPIRED 16

No matter what your STEM field, our campus environment is designed to spark your passion for exploration, discovery and reasoning in scientific and technical fields â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and empower success in your future studies and career. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a look at some of the exciting ways you can delve into the STEM disciplines at Union.

V IEW the planets and gain a galaxy of knowledge by using the Union Observatory, which features a 20-inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope with SBIG CCD camera and a 7.5-foot radio telescope for research projects in observational and radio astronomy. D O cutting-edge work in tissue culture and molecular biology suites. W ORK with robots in the CRoCHET lab, and leverage a state-ofthe-art motion capture system. E XPLORE sustainable building design and renewable energy systems in the Energy and Environmental Engineering Suite. Design, set up and monitor prototypes in the Rooftop Energy Research Lab. U NDERSTAND how the brain works, with studies in everything from neuroethology to the intricacies of cognitive processing, in the Center for Neuroscience. F ABRICATE and tinker in our Makerspaces, interdisciplinary labs that support maker activities using digital and analog tools, including virtual reality technology, 3D printers and scanners, a laser cutter, CNC router, soldering kits and more. L EARN about how to acquire, analyze, interpret and visualize data in our Center for Data Analytics. S TUDY the peptoid-mediated assembly of nanoparticles at fluid interfaces using the Langmuir trough.

SPACES STEM@UN I O N

STEM BE Studying STEM at Union means more than taking classes or working in the lab. On campus and off, there are great ways to become involved in activities geared toward your interests.

ON CAMPUS

OFF CAMPUS

There are more than 130 student clubs, from beekeeping to robotics. Here’s a sampling for the scientifically and technically inclined. Don’t see something you like? Our Student Activities Office can help you start your own.

Biomedical Engineering Summer Clinical Immersion Program

• Baja Club • Beekeeping Club • Biology Club

Working at a local medical college and its affiliated hospital over six weeks, students shadow doctors and residents in the thick of their clinical duties, from patient rounds to surgeries. They help identify the biomedical challenges associated with equipment and devices used in patient treatment—and then return to the Union campus to design solutions as part of their two-term senior capstone course.

• Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)

CARE Program

• Chemistry and Biochemistry Club

Students who are selected as CARE (Community Action, Research and Education) fellows volunteer up to 30 hours a week at the Joan Nicole Prince Home for terminally ill patients. For eight weeks during the summer, they serve as surrogate family members to hospice patients, and also do coursework and research on end-of-life and palliative care.

• Colleges Against Cancer • Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) • Environmental Action Club • Mathematics Club • MEDLIFE • National Society of Black Engineers

Internships

• Ozone House

Union students have interned at these and other organizations:

• Partners for World Health • Pre-Health Society

• Boston Museum of Science

• Nature Conservancy

• Red Cross Club

• FloDesign Wind Turbine

• Robotics Club

• General Dynamics

• New York Department of Environmental Conservation

• Rocket Club

• General Electric

• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Aero Club

• Harvard Psychophysiology Lab

• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)

• MGE Engineering

• Society of Physics Students (SPS) • Society of Women Engineers (SWE) • U-Sustain

• Johns Hopkins Medical Center

• MiSci (Museum of Science and Innovation) • NASA

• Novartis Institute of Biomedical Research • Semprus Bioscience • Sierra Leone Health Care • Stanley Black & Decker • Yale Bioethics Institute

YOND THE CLASSROOM

COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR BENITA LOPEZ ‘21 INTERNED AS A DATA ANALYST AT ZENDESK IN SAN FRANCISCO.

San Francisco Internship on Innovation and Creativity Union students get a firsthand look at the culture of Silicon Valley while working for start-ups and other companies during this term away. The program combines an internship with a course in culture and entrepreneurship, which includes readings, field notes, and meetings with key employers and alumni in the area. About half of the students work in STEM-related fields. Most recently, participants have interned at the California Academy of Sciences, the Exploratorium, the software company Zendesk, a student loan refinancing start-up, and numerous nonprofits.

GEOLOGY AND ECONOMICS MAJOR BLAKE NEWCOMER ‘21 DIGITIZED MICROFOSSIL METADATA AT THE

STEM Abroad We offer nearly 40 full terms and mini-terms abroad in 25 countries, from Argentina to Vietnam. Most programs are led by Union faculty. Challenge yourself academically and personally. Learn a new language. Volunteer for a community project. Experience another culture. You’ll also find opportunities for international field research and internships.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

STEM@UN I O N

THE VALUE OF A

STEM EDUCA

Our emphasis on innovation, research, problem-solving and communications will set you up for success in graduate schools, fellowships and a wide range of careers. Here’s a look at some jobs held by recent graduates:

ASTRONOMY

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

» Educator, Astronomical Society of the Pacific » Fulbright researcher, Germany » Ph.D. candidate in astronomy, Yale University » Ph.D. candidate in atmospheric sciences, University of Washington

» Assistant project manager, Triumvirate Environmental » Estuary stewardship educator, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation » Financial associate, Fidelity Investments ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

BIOCHEMISTRY » Ph.D. candidate in chemistry, Purdue University » Physician, Jackson Memorial Hospital » Research associate, Berg Diagnostics

» Bioacoustician, Alaska Fisheries Science Center » Landscape designer, Sasaki Architecture and Planning » Ph.D. candidate in earth and planetary sciences, Northwestern University

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

GEOLOGY

» Anesthesiologist, Maimonides Medical Center » Medical writer, Yale New Haven Hospital » Veterinarian, Valley Animal Hospital

» Ph.D. candidate in igneous petrology, Stanford University » Physical scientist, Naval Oceanographic Office, Stennis Space Center » Seismologist, National Earthquake Alerts Centre, Australia

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING » Associate project engineer, Stryker Orthopaedics » CAD engineer, ConforMIS Inc. » Mechanical engineer, Ephesus Lighting » Research manager, Partners HealthCare

MATHEMATICS

CHEMISTRY

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

» Assistant professor, Duke University » Chemical research scientist, Roche Pharmaceutical » Senior research chemist, Nalco Chemical Company » Senior scientist, Base Pair Biotechnologies

» Chief design engineer, General Electric » Engineer, Toyota Racing Development » Pilot, Wasabi Air Racing

» Associate vice president, Barclay’s Capital » CRM applications account manager, Oracle » Software developer, Allscripts

NEUROSCIENCE COMPUTER ENGINEERING » Database developer, AcuStream » Senior systems engineer, Lockheed Martin » Systems analyst, International Atomic Energy Agency » Vice president, Morgan Stanley

» Chief resident, New York Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center » Clinical research coordinator in neuro-oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital » Educator, Teach for America » Image reading center manager, Johns Hopkins University

COMPUTER SCIENCE » Lead financial analyst, IBM » Patent examiner, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office » Robotics researcher and Ph.D. candidate, Cornell University

PHYSICS » Chamberlain fellow, Berkeley National Lab » Nuclear operations engineer, Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation » Ph.D. candidate in physics, University of Michigan

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING » Electrical engineer, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories » Engineer, Apple » Manager / integrations engineer, Google » Systems engineer, Raytheon

PSYCHOLOGY » Clinical trial coordinator, Mount Sinai Medical Center » Ph.D. candidate in social psychology, University of Iowa » Psychiatric social worker, Bellevue Hospital Center

TION ST EM STARS GORDON GOULD ’41 » Inventor of the laser; worked on the Manhattan Project, 1943-45; co-founded optical communications company Optelecom; elected to National Inventors Hall of Fame BARUCH BLUMBERG ’46 » Physician and scientist; discovered antigen for Hepatitis B; received Nobel Prize in medicine ALFRED SOMMERS ’63 » Ophthalmologist who discovered vitamin A vaccine to save millions from blindness; received the prestigious Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research RICH TEMPLETON ’80 » Chairman, president and CEO of Texas Instruments; electrical engineer and global leader in semi-conductor design and manufacturing; vigorous STEM education advocate SUE GOLDIE ’84 » Physician and MacArthur Fellow who developed models to evaluate public health impact of HIV, hepatitis and HPV MELISSA STEWART ’90 » Award-winning author of National Geographic Kids titles and other science books for children SUSAN HULSE ’92 » Medical director, Because Every Mother Matters, providing medical assistance to indigent women in Ethiopia JULIA COLLIGNON ’04 » Engineer and senior manager at Tesla’s Renewable Energy Development KAROLINA CIKOWSKA ‘07 » Founder of Girls Code Fun Foundation to inspire girls in Poland to pursue an education in technology AJAY MAJOR ‘12 and ALEENA PAUL ‘12 » Medical residents and founding editors of In-Training, the premier online journal for the worldwide medical student community MEGAN O’CONNOR ‘12 » Co-founder and CEO, Nth Cycle environmentally friendly electronics recycling firm; Department of Energy Innovation Crossroads Fellow; Forbes “30 Under 30” energy innovator

STEM@ UN I O N

INNOVATION

AND MENTORING

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR ZINEB HAJJAJ ’20 HOLDS AN AEROGEL WINDOW PANE LASER-ETCHED WITH THE UNION COLLEGE SEAL.

HEAVY-DUTY RESEARCH ON THE LIGHTEST SOLID Union’s Aerogel Lab gives students and faculty the opportunity to make significant contributions to the development of a cutting-edge material.

What is an aerogel?

An aerogel is a porous nanostructure of silica molecules that is about 95 percent air. Described by Professor Anderson as “frozen smoke,” aerogels are among the lightest solid materials known. They are formed by a highly cross-linked polymerization reaction and a careful drying phase.

The lab was founded in 2001 by Ann Anderson, the Agnes S. MacDonald Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Mary Carroll ’86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry. Working closely with students, they invented, developed and patented a novel, rapid approach to making aerogels. Since 2009, they have collaborated with Brad Bruno, professor of mechanical engineering, on

What are some applications for aerogels?

Because of their superior insulating properties, aerogels are used for everything from wetsuits to blankets to skylights. NASA has used them on the Stardust mission to collect comet dust samples and in numerous Mars missions, including the Rover. Union’s Aerogel Team is currently researching ways to make aerogel-based window panes for sustainable buildings and to develop catalytic converters based on aerogels. What’s unique about doing aerogel research at Union?

Students are closely mentored but also enjoy autonomy and the chance to do work usually not conducted at the undergraduate level. They have co-authored dozens of scientific journal papers with faculty, and they have presented at regional, national and international conferences. Several Union graduates are co-inventors on the aerogel patents.

catalytic aerogels for automotive pollution mitigation.

How do these research opportunities translate in the real world?

Union students receive substantial interdisciplinary research experience and exposure to entrepreneurial activities before entering graduate school or the STEM workforce. As a result, their aerogel research has paved the way for success in advanced studies, fellowships, and careers in engineering, science, renewable energy, teaching and medicine.

You can combine your STEM program with majors and minors in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

#25 UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING PROGRAMS

STEM MAJORS AND MINORS

OTHER MAJORS AND MINORS

ASTRONOMY BIOCHEMISTRY* BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY COMPUTER ENGINEERING COMPUTER SCIENCE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE GEOLOGY MATHEMATICS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING NEUROSCIENCE PHYSICS PSYCHOLOGY

Majors

* M AJO R O NLY

(U.S. News & World Report)

#45 LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES (U.S. News & World Report)

#1: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS (Council on Undergraduate Research)

TOP 5 INSTITUTIONS FOR WOMEN STUDYING STEM FIELDS

ADDITIONAL STEM MINORS ASTROPHYSICS DATA ANALYTICS ENERGY STUDIES ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING NANOTECHNOLOGY STATISTICS

AFRICANA STUDIES AMERICAN STUDIES ANTHROPOLOGY ART HISTORY ASIAN STUDIES CHINESE CLASSICS ECONOMICS ENGLISH FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE STUDIES GENDER, SEXUALITY AND WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STUDIES GERMAN STUDIES HISTORY LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STUDIES MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS* MUSIC PHILOSOPHY POLITICAL SCIENCE RELIGIOUS STUDIES RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES SCIENCE, MEDICINE AND TECHNOLOGY IN CULTURE SOCIOLOGY SPANISH AND HISPANIC STUDIES STUDIO FINE ARTS THEATER

Minors DANCE DIGITAL MEDIA FILM STUDIES GREEK JAPANESE JEWISH STUDIES LATIN LAW AND HUMANITIES PUBLIC HISTORY WORLD MUSICS AND CULTURES

(USA Today College Guide)

130 SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED TO STUDENTS ANNUALLY

STEM@ UN I O N

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