Undergraduate Research at Virginia Tech

Ample opportunity and support for undergraduate research sets Virginia Tech apart as an educational institution, and provides our students with the means to set themselves apart as experienced and competitive scholars.

The student researchers featured on this site have distinguished themselves by their active involvement in research at the undergraduate level. In these interviews, student researchers talk about how they got started doing research, discuss their specific projects, and reflect on their experiences in the field and lab.

Collegiate Football: Inspiration for Research

College football is of interest to many people at Virginia Tech, but, for senior honors student John Cassara of Centerville, Virginia, it served as an inspiration for undergraduate research Read more about John’s research.

Beverage — Not Soda?

Junior Kelly Wilson took up the task of researching beverage consumption patterns in middle-aged and older adults, a segment of the population particularly prone to weight gain. Read more about Kelly’s research.

Increasing Virginia Tech-Malian Relations to Save Lives

Mosquito infections such as dengue and yellow fever are a dangerous issue. Virginia Tech senior Christine George is working to fight it. Read more about Christine’s research.

More than Just a Bug Bite

Sam Faith combined his interest in biology and his love of the French language by becoming an intern at the Pasteur Institute in France, where he worked in the malaria research lab. Read more about Sam’s research.

Million Dollar Car

Jesse Hurdus and Shawn Kimmel turned their volunteer work on the autonomous vehicle team into a research project with support from a national car manufacturer to build a full-scale computer controlled vehicle. Read more about Jesse’s and Shawn’s research.

Rule the Road: Prevention, Intervention, Abstention

Within his first two weeks as a freshman, Ryan Smith was on his way to discovering which activities reduce high-risk behavior on high school prom night. Read more about Ryan’s research.

Student studies impact of mercury-based compound on cells

Angela Barker spent two semesters examining the effects of the mercury-based compound, thimerosal, on developmental signaling in human cells. Read more about Angela’s research.

Canine brain tumors a possible model for human cancers

Jessica Kross has dedicated the last two years to studying the development of astrocytic brain tumors in canines. Read more about Jessica’s research.

Exploring reasons behind marijuana use

After volunteering to be a research assistant as a freshman, Kristin McCants completed two field studies and a literature review by her junior year. Read more about Kristin’s research.

Honey Bee Survival

Kat Connors scored a research gig after hitting it off with Dr. Rick Fell, one of the two professors on a study abroad trip to South Africa. Read more about Kat’s research.

Accent Preference in Infants

Krisztina Varga learned about an opening in Virginia Tech's Infant Perception Lab from a friend who worked there. She applied, and was accepted. Read more about Kirsztina’s research.

Chemistry of Biodegradable Sutures

Dan Crowther, a senior biology major, decided he would give a chemistry internship a try. Dan applied and received a 12-week internship through the chemistry department. Read more about Dan’s research.

Spider Embryology

Sophia Bous’ opportunity came when she was discussing a lecture with one of her professors. Her intelligence and interest won her an invitation to participate in the research he was doing. Read more about Sophia’s research.