IM-SURE

Preparing for the IM-SURE Program

After being accepted as an IM-SURE Participant, we will contact you to coordinate your housing, transportation and other program details. Based on your interests, you will also be advised of the research project you will be working on. Your faculty mentor will contact you to further discuss the project, address any questions you may have, and recommend literature to prepare for your upcoming involvement.


What will a typical day be like in the IM-SURE Program?

Your normal day will start at 8:00 and end at 5:30, with an hour break for lunch. Each day will be unique, and may include a variety of activities such as seminars and workshops, tours and fieldtrips. You will also spend time working under the guidance of your faculty mentor and graduate students on your research project. Social activities throughout the program will give you a chance to get to know other students, faculty, and administrators.

After 5:30, your time is free to explore on and around campus. Planned with your fellow IM-SURE students or by the Program, several weekend activities will give you the chance to make the most of your experience in Southern California.


Program Components

Each week will provide you with a variety of unique academic and social experiences to further develop your knowledge and skills and enhance your experience within the program. Program components include:

Orientation Weekend You will arrive on the UCI campus on Saturday and spend the day exploring the campus and settling into your housing. On Sunday, a Kick-Off Barbecue will be hosted for all the IM-SURE participants to get acquainted and gear up for the first week of the program.

Seminars In the first week of the program, students will build knowledge of micro/nano-systems engineering and applications through a daily series of faculty-led lectures and discussions. Post-lecture labs will provide the opportunity to apply this knowledge. In the following weeks, participants will meet as a group each Wednesday for faculty-led seminars to discuss research and career development. Students will also hear presentations from outside speakers, including representatives from industry, national labs and defense research agencies. Additional seminars will focus on relevant micro/nano-technology topics and the ethical implications of research.

Workshops UCI faculty and outside professionals will make a series of presentations geared towards helping students prepare for graduate school opportunities, explore career options in the fields of micro/nano-science, and develop their writing and presentation skills.

Mentoring Students will meet at least once a week with their faculty mentors to discuss progress. Faculty and graduate students will also continue to guide students towards further developing their communication skills and provide support regarding student goals, including graduate school and career options. Students will also have the opportunity to meet several times with the program’s Principal Investigator and Managing Director to discuss their experience.

Tours Students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of field trips and tours. A trip to Jazz Semiconductor, will provide the chance to explore a local, independent high-performance wafer foundry for biomedical devices. Students will also tour state-of-the-art microfabrication instruments in the clean rooms of UCI’s INRF and other faculty research labs. UCI’s Science Library will also provide in-depth tours and workshops on how to conduct literature searches.

Research Projects Under the guidance of their faculty and graduate student mentors, students will be fully immersed in the facilities related to their assigned research projects. Students will gain hands-on experience and will be responsible for carrying out their assigned research roles and responsibilities.

Project Presentations & Research Symposium Students will use their first week to develop their research project plan and formally present their abstracts to faculty and fellow students. Halfway through the program, students will present a formal project update. The program will conclude with a Research Symposium where students will have the opportunity to present the results of their work over the course of the program. Students will deliver a formal 15-minute oral PowerPoint presentation to program participants, faculty mentors, and on- and off-campus guests.

Social Activities Each week, students will have several opportunities for social interactions with faculty mentors, fellow student participants, and senior administrators. Planned with fellow IM-SURE students or by the Program, several weekend activities will give you the chance to make the most of your experience in Southern California. These include weekly coffee hours to discuss the program, as well as a series of weekend excursions, including:

Corona Del Mar Beach: Just minutes from campus, enjoy a sunny day at Corona Del Mar Beach with faculty and fellow students. Coronal Del Mar is a ½ mile stretch of sandy beach, framed by cliffs and a rock jetty, making it extremely popular with surfers and divers. Students will enjoy a team barbecue, followed by a bonfire into the evening.

Disneyland: Join fellow IM-SURE participants for a trip to “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Disneyland and California Adventure (www.disneyland.com). Both parks feature thrill rides, shopping, and unique entertainment experiences. Next door is a lively entertainment district, Downtown Disney, filled with shops, restaurants, live entertainment, and the famous concert hall, House of Blues.

Six Flags Magic Mountain: With over 46 rides to choose from, Magic Mountain (www.sixflags.com/parks/magicmountain) is famous for it’s roller coasters and unique thrill rides.

Sea World San Diego: Join us for a trip south of campus to Sea World (www.seaworld.com/seaworld/ca). Located on beautiful Mission Bay in San Diego, Sea World is a 190 acre, premier marine life park, famous for it’s amazing interactive shows and marine life exhibits, and theme rides.

Note: For Theme Park excursions, transportation will be provided, but participants will be responsible for paying a discounted entry fee.

What happens after the program?

After the program, you will be encouraged to continue your research efforts under a faculty mentor at your home university. Additionally, you will continue to receive e-mail updates and will be encouraged to present your research findings at undergraduate research conferences, as well as other conferences highlighting micro/nano research and applications.

Within the year following the program, you will be eligible to request travel funding to present at a local undergraduate research conference. You will work with a faculty mentor at your home university, and submit a final paper representing your research, including an itemized budget of projected expenses and needs, evidence of an abstract or paper accepted by the sponsoring conference, and a description of the conference and its benefits.