Testimonials
Read what students say about their experiences in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program.
Jeannie Camarillo, University of Arizona
The summer experience that I had at Gerstner Sloan-Kettering was incredible. From the moment I got here, I felt so much support from both the program administration and my fellow SURP students. Once I got into my lab, all of my labmates were willing to assist me in any way possible. The activities that we attended were also excellent in allowing us to grow as scientists. The seminars were an excellent way to learn about other areas of research to which I have not been previously exposed. Also, meeting with current graduate students and learning about their experiences about applying to graduate school and life in graduate school was very helpful. I have a much better understanding for what it takes to be a scientist after my experiences here and that I have the capabilities to succeed in my future graduate education.
Jeannie was mentored by faculty member Luca Cartegni.
Emily Grzybowski, University of Rochester
After discussing the school with several grad students, I feel I have a much better idea of the type of program and intellectual environment this school provides, which will be really helpful when I'm applying to and choosing graduate programs to attend. The talks I had with various professors and students in labs really helped me get a better handle on the philosophy of this institute in its approach to cancer research, which matches up with my philosophies about cancer research and how it “should be done.” Overall, I had a great experience and hope I receive the opportunity to return.
Emily was mentored by faculty member Zhirong Bao.
Nathaniel Kim, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
My experience at Gerstner Sloan-Kettering has been amazing. I was paired up with a mentor who would strengthen and expand my chemical and biological research techniques. The program staff was helpful with any problems that I had. Additionally, the weekly seminars, Journal Club, and Works-In-Progress exposed me to the various fields of research that are being studied. This summer has been invaluable in defining my research interests and building my research tool kit. Thank you all for everything.
Nathaniel was mentored by faculty member Jason Lewis.
Cynthia Sandoval, University of Arizona
The aspect of the program that I liked best was the helpful workshops such as the presentation and interview skills workshops. These workshops not only gave me a glimpse into what a good interview and presentation should consist of but also gave me a solid starting point for strengthening these vital skills. The interaction we had with the current PhD students was also extremely informative as it helped us better understand how these students have coped with the transition from being an undergraduate to being a PhD candidates.
Cynthia was mentored by faculty member Michael Overholtzer.
Artem Serganov, SUNY Stony Brook
This was probably the best summer I have ever had in my life and I am very grateful for another opportunity to participate in this program. I just about loved all aspects of the program: the journal articles we had to read, and most of the seminars were great, and I felt a great deal of pride about finishing my works-in-progress talk in a timely manner and still managing to explain everything I needed to. The research experience, as well the experience of presenting in front of my peers, and living with people going through the same problems as I are priceless. I feel that I have evolved as a person and scientist over my ten weeks here. My goals for the future and my mindset changed dramatically, so much so, I feel like I became a different person.
Artem was mentored by faculty member Dinshaw Patel.
Jenessa Smith, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
I enjoyed the lectures given by the different PIs. I thought it was really interesting to hear about other science that is going on at the institute, especially because it was from different areas of research. I also enjoyed the journal club articles because of the researchers' diverse backgrounds. I also really liked the symposium with the graduate students. I thought they gave really helpful information and it a great thing to see that not that long ago, all of them were in our position. In addition, I enjoyed the works-in-progress because it helped me to gather my thoughts and ideas for my poster, and I learned other people in the program were doing. I enjoyed the people at Gerstner Sloan-Kettering and how everyone is very excited about what they do. I think the overall environment is great for learning, socializing, and living.
Jenessa was mentored by faculty member Alexandra Joyner.
Daniel Triner, Walsh University
My experience this summer at Gerstner Sloan-Kettering was absolutely wonderful. The opportunities for growth as a scientist in this program were immeasurable — whether it was journal clubs, seminars, or professional development courses. I personally had not experienced such growth as a scientist. The depth of research at Sloan-Kettering is astounding and the opportunity to learn about the cutting-edge research being conducted here was phenomenal. I cannot begin to thank the Haynes Lab enough for providing me with a challenging yet relaxed environment that promoted independent thinking and research. The ability to go out and have fun in the greatest city in the world with my fellow SURPEEs was priceless. Participation in this program has really reinforced my desire to pursue a career in science. Overall, I rate this program as excellent and I enjoyed one of the best summers of my life here at Gerstner Sloan-Kettering.
Daniel was mentored by faculty member Cole Haynes.
Alexandra Valle, University of Miami
There were various aspects of the program that I thoroughly enjoyed. Journal club was an exceptional way of being introduced to many different fields of research in an interactive manner. The graduate students were exceptionally helpful in answering questions any of us had and in incorporating everyone in the conversation. I also liked the weekly seminars and learning about the different research projects that the faculty are conducting. Being that some of my fellow SURPees were in those labs it was interesting to get a broader understanding of what they were learning. The session I enjoyed the most was the PhD student informal conversation during which they told us about their future goals, how they decided what they wanted to pursue, and what they did to get to where they are now.
Alexandra was mentored by faculty member Jayanta Chaudhuri.
