Student applications are currently being accepted for the 2009 Amgen-UROP Scholars Program, scheduled to run June 8 through August 7, 2009. Managed by the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP), Amgen-UROP is geared to undergraduates focused on research in the sciences and biotechnology areas. Up to 26 students will be accepted and placed in MIT labs to collaborate with MIT faculty; approximately half will be recruited from other US colleges and universities.
MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program marks its fortieth anniversary this year and a variety of events are being planned throughout the year to commemorate this important milestone.
Celebrations commence this IAP with a presentation series, UROP @ 40: Past, Present, and Future. The series' first event, UROP Present: Making a Difference, focuses on Michael Tarkanian, '00, currently a Technical Instructor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. As a UROP student, Michael played a central role in the discovery that ancient Mesoamericans were processing latex to produce rubber as early as 1,600 BC. On January 15, 02-04:00pm in 32-123, he will not only describe his research and the subsequent media coverage it received, but will discuss how involvement in UROP altered the course of his future.
