At a kick-off luncheon on June 10, 2019 in the Trustees Room in Estes Dining Hall, Randolph-Macon College’s Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, William T. Franz, welcomed Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) students and their mentors. SURF offers students the opportunity to conduct 10 weeks of full-time, original research during the summer months, under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Franz spoke about the opportunities that the SURF program offers and encouraged students to work hard and value the research process itself—not just the outcome they hope to achieve.

Generous Support, Innovative Research
The SURF program was established in 1995 through a generous endowment made by Ben Schapiro ’64 and his wife, Peggy Schapiro. The Schapiros continue to support this program, which promotes scholarly undergraduate research by students in all disciplines. Ben Schapiro has served on a number of RMC committees, including the Board of Trustees and the Society of Alumni.

In order to participate in the program, students write proposals and apply for grant money to fund their research. SURF students receive a stipend and room and board, and results of their research are presented at the annual SURF Symposium and on Research Day. Many SURF participants have presented their research throughout the United States and internationally, and some have published their work. The SURF program is co-directed by Art History Professor Evie Terrono and Chemistry Professor Serge Schreiner.

Summer SURFers
This year’s SURF projects focus on a variety of disciplines, including chemistry, psychology, political science, and history. A sampling of projects includes:

Seth Ravenstahl ’20, under the guidance of Computer Science Professor John McManus ’84, will research Evaluating the Security of Smart Home Devices; Katie New ’20, who is mentored by Music Professor Brian Coffill, will research Meeting the Standards: A Critical Assessment of the Elementary General Music Education Curricula and Curricular Resources Used in the State of Virginia; and Joshua Byrd ’20, under the mentorship of Political Science Professor Lauren Bell, will research The Politics of Disaster Recovery: The Role of Institutions Before and After Disaster.

Throughout the summer, RMC will post web stories about individual SURF participants. Visit www.rmc.edu and “surf” RMC’s social media pages often as we highlight students who are diving into research, soaking up new information in a variety of subjects, and making groundbreaking discoveries.