You make the experience exceptional

First-year Research Immersion (FRI):

Students involved in research from day one

• In academic year 2020-21, 565 students participated, developing new methods of thinking about questions or problems directly related to their research stream themes.
• Tara Mercer ’23, in the FRI Clean Energy stream, spent three semesters researching perovskite quantum dots (QDs), essentially nanoparticles, that have properties that are advantageous for the creation of LED displays and more efficient cells for solar energy. With a team, Mercer worked on the instability moisture had on QDs and found ways to protect the QD interior, allowing the QD to function even when exposed to humid environments or submerged in water.
• “FRI inspired a deeper love of chemistry and research and was the first introduction I had into geological and nanoscale sciences,” she said. “I learned that you don’t need to know everything to work in STEM research. The whole point of research is to learn as you go."

Source Project:

Research experience in the humanities and social sciences

• In academic year 2020-21, 126 students participated in this program for exceptional first-year students, producing original projects to discover new ways of understanding and supporting the human experience
• Using rain data and information on stormwater retention from studies at nearby universities, Tyler Linnehan ’24 modeled how much stormwater could be retained in green roofs if they were implemented on suitable roofs all around campus. 
• “One thing that surprised me was how easy research can be,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be this highly sophisticated experiment done with tools and lab equipment that requires technical skills. It’s as simple as asking questions and putting some numbers together to test out your ideas.”

Internships:

Connecting education to career

• More than 1,000 students earn academic credit each year through the Career Development Centralized Internship (CDCI) Program, the largest credit-bearing internship program at Binghamton University
• Chloe Van Caeseele ’23 said the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, which implements the CDCI Program, helped her prep for her interview for the internship and made sure her résumé showcased her as a top candidate. 
• “I was honestly treated like a full-time reporter,” she said. “I learned so much more than I ever imagined. I have no doubt that this experience will look stunning on a résumé, but the transferable skills that I learned will be applicable wherever I end up.”