Mines Professor Creates Summer Research Opportunity for First-Year Chemical Engineering Undergraduates

The summer after the first year of college is difficult for many students. Few internships or jobs are available for students with only one year of schooling completed.

Travis Walker, Ph.D., associate professor in the South Dakota Mines Karen M. Swindler Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE), is determined to change that.

Thanks to seed money from the Swindler Endowment, Walker launched the Accelerated Career Exploration (ACE) Scholars program this summer, a research experience to bridge the gap for first-year chemical engineering undergraduates.

“We are trying to provide them with the opportunities that they seek,” Walker said. “They want to build their resume, but few companies will hire them. We want to take that student population and provide them with experiences that will help assure their future success.”

Four Mines students participated in the inaugural year, participating in research led by faculty members and working with Mines graduate and Ph.D. students. The ACE Scholars then had the opportunity to mentor other students through the summer, including high school participants in the Army Educational Outreach Program. These experiences gave the ACE Scholars invaluable opportunities to develop their job skills in various work-related situations. 

“I got to take part in genuine research projects that will have a meaningful impact,” said Allison Kahler, a sophomore chemical engineering major. “It’s really exciting to get that kind of experience with only a freshman education. Not only do you get experience as a freshman specific to your degree, but you also get paid to do it.”

Kahler worked with Tanvi Govil, Ph.D., chemical and biological engineering assistant professor, on optimizing the production of exopolysaccharides using two different types of bacteria. “Having this experience will undoubtedly help me when I apply for internships and jobs in the future,” she said. “This program has allowed me to develop my knowledge and skills with 300 hours of laboratory research.”

Evan Gran, a sophomore chemical engineering major, worked with Kenneth Benjamin, Ph.D., associate professor of chemical and biological engineering, on using molecular simulations to understand certain equilibria and transport properties of liquids in nano-confinement. “My favorite part of this experience was learning about a wide range of chemical engineering topics and being able to work one-on-one with Dr. Benjamin.”

The ACE Scholars presented their summer research at the annual South Dakota EPSCoR Symposium in Sioux Falls earlier this month. They plan to attend the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting this fall.

Walker believes the program will help with recruitment, retention, and overall career student success. “We want the students to have an awesome experience and to be ambassadors for the CBE program. And when high school students come on campus, we can use this as a recruitment tool,” he said.

With the inaugural summer a success, Walker is excited to continue to grow the program, aiming to increase the number of participating students and to create a separate endowment to continue funding ACE. He also sees the possibility of starting similar research experiences across other university departments.

“A program like this gives first-year undergraduates access to research labs, a paid summer job and valuable experience that will give these students a head start in their career,” Walker said.