Students in Research

Opportunities Beyond the Classroom

The EMS Energy Institute has an array of research opportunities and internship programs available to graduate and undergraduate students.

Since the EMS Energy Institute attracts faculty from many affiliate departments, there is a diverse selection of research programs from which students may choose. Students can work on research projects related to fossil fuels, including coal oil and gas; renewable energy, including solar, biomass and biofuel; or nuclear energy.

Students interested in conducting research within the EMS Energy Institute should contact the Office of Student Development for more information. 

Undergraduate Opportunities

• Senior Thesis, Independent Study, Wage Payroll – Students may fulfill a senior thesis with research at the EMS Energy Institute. Faculty and staff act as adviors. They can also use research for an independent study or work as wage-payroll students within the Institute.
• DOE Technical Career Internship Program – The Department of Energy (DOE) began this internship program to recruit students from the nation’s top earth sciences and engineering universities for internships in fossil energy programs. The mutually beneficial program provides employment for students and employees for DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy.
• Summer Research Opportunities Program – In this program students stay on campus while they participate in the eight-week summer session. Each student is paired with a faculty mentor who takes them through all the phases of research.

Graduate Opportunities

The EMS Energy Institute welcomes graduate students and has opportunities available in many major research areas in the energy field. At the Institute, students can get vital research experience while building important relationships with industries and government agencies. Graduate students within the Institute work alongside research faculty and are viewed as colleagues.

Other Opportunities

The EMS Energy Institute’s Office of Student Development works with industry to facilitate internships for undergraduate and graduate students to gain valuable research experiences. Three such programs are the Student 
Career Experience Program, the Minority Mentoring and Internship Program, and Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships.

Outreach

The Office of Student Development also has it’s hand in several outreach activities. For example, the Institute sponsors the Science Lions, a volunteer organization made up of Penn State students, that holds demonstrations on subjects such as energy for students in grades K-12. The Institute also participates in summer camps sponsored by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and other University organizations, and Summer Experience in Earth and Mineral Science (SEEMS) sponsored by Upward Bound Math and Science Center (UBMS) at Penn State.

Undergraduate Student Semesters by Gender *
 
The EMS Energy Institute has seen an increase in student researchers, since the Office of Student Development was established.

Undergraduate Participation in Research at the EMS Energy Institute by Degree *
 
The EMS Energy Institute attracts students from many different majors and colleges.

* Student participation is reported as “student semesters.” A “student semester” refers to the number of semesters that a student participates in research at the Institute.