May 29 – On Tuesday, May 28, students arrived at the Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, for the summer kickoff of the annual Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) internship.
Interns toured the facilities and met fellow Institute interns and researchers who will serve as their mentors during the program.
Founded in 1977, SURE is a nationally recognized 10-week summer internship program for students held at the Hormel Institute. Participating students gain firsthand hands-on experience with biomedical research practices and equipment beyond what many undergraduate programs typically offer.
Over the course of these 10 weeks, interns receive mentorship from world-class scientists, participate in weekly professional development courses, and build connections with fellow interns and other researchers to expand their networks within the scientific research community. At the end of the program they present their scientific research at a symposium.
More than 250 students have participated in SURE’s nearly 50-year history, and the program has seen a 540% increase in enrollment from 2021 to 2024.
“It [SURE] It just seemed like a great opportunity. I have always been interested in science and research, and this seemed like a great way to do that,” said SURE intern Morgan Arnold, adding that she is currently interested in pursuing a masters and/or PhD program in the future and is curious about the computational side of biomedical research.
There are plenty of benefits she expects to get from the program as it gets underway, including: “experience and some real skills that I can bring to the table if I want to continue in science. And also just making relationships and connections with people in science.” laboratory and connections with fellow interns,” she said. “[There is also] the opportunity you have to come into contact with so many people and the welcoming environment of the laboratories. I feel like it’s really important for me to be in an environment where questions are very welcome and collaborative, so I think that will be really helpful in my learning journey.”
SURE intern Rachel Trebesch, who is also considering future graduate school prospects, also shared what she was looking forward to.
“I’m hoping to learn new techniques… and just really try new things,” she said. “I’m also hoping to strengthen some different skills like communication… to better understand how to make a poster; I’ve done that a few times but I’m working on a new project, see if I can use those skills I also hope to have a better sense of what I want to do after graduating.”
