Stony Brook University has launched its 2025 SOAR (Summer Opportunity for Academic Research) program, welcoming a diverse group of undergraduate students from the State University of New York (SUNY) system. This 10-week initiative is aimed at providing research opportunities specifically for first-generation and economically disadvantaged students.
The program takes place on Stony Brook’s campus, where participants are offered full-time research placements with faculty mentors. Additionally, they receive on-campus housing, meal support, and a $5,400 stipend. These provisions enable students to concentrate on advanced research areas within STEM fields such as artificial intelligence, microelectronics and semiconductors, biotechnology and bioengineering, quantum information science, and climate and sustainability.
Students in the program engage in weekly professional development workshops and research seminars throughout the summer. The aim is to enhance both their technical knowledge and essential academic and career skills. The program concludes with a poster presentation at the annual Summer Research Symposium.
Mei Lin (Ete) Chan-Lo, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Biomedical Engineering who mentors two SOAR student participants, remarked: “My SOAR students can truly focus on their research projects in this 10-week summer program without having to worry about studying for classes or doing a part-time job.” She added that her students Aldey Brutus (electrical engineering, ‘27) and Mohammad Kader (biomedical engineering, ‘27) have already shown significant progress by the third week of the program.
This year’s cohort consists of 29 Stony Brook students alongside two students from Farmingdale State College and two from Puerto Rico.
SOAR is spearheaded by Karian Wright, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion at The Graduate School and director of the Center for Inclusive Education (CIE). Co-principal investigators include Karen Kernan from Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA), Maria Nagan from the Department of Chemistry, along with Lisa Ospitale who also manages the program. Coordination is handled by Diana Champney in the CIE.
