Oregon State School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering

As an MIME student, if you're passionate about doing research or simply want to explore this important dimension of engineering, there's no need to wait for graduate school to get involved. Our faculty view research as an integral part of every engineering education and welcome undergraduate participants on their research teams.

There are many benefits of participating in research as an undergraduate, such as:

  • Engaging in hands-on learning
  • Enhancing your experience through mentoring relationships with faculty
  • Receiving effective career preparation 
  • Defining your interest in graduate education
  • Developing critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, self-confidence, and intellectual independence

School-Based Undergraduate Research Opportunities

On virtually every MIME research team, there is a place for undergraduate involvement and learning. In most cases, however, it will be up to you to seek out the opportunities that interest you, and to initiate the conversations to make them happen.

  • To do this, you'll first want to get up to speed on the kinds of research going on in MIME, and who's doing it. You can do this by visiting our research area pages and talking to your course instructors, academic advisors, and other knowledgeable MIME faculty and staff.
  • After identifying some areas or projects of interest, schedule meetings with the associated faculty members during their office hours. You'll want to find out more about what they're doing, and they'll want to learn more about your interests and qualifications.
  • When you join a research team, practice the same professionalism expected of all other research team members. Attend research meetings as requested, fulfill your assigned responsibilities in a timely way, keep your supervisors informed of your progress, and learn everything you can from the experience.

See this recent presentation deck by Dr. Harriet Nembard, MIME school head, for more about undergraduate research opportunities.

Robotics REU

MIME Robotics faculty successfully hosted their first National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) – Robots in the Real World. Ten undergraduates from around the United State spent ten weeks working alongside graduate students in robotics on a variety of projects.

Opportunities Beyond MIME

There's no need to limit your search for undergraduate research opportunities to those within MIME. Additional options to consider are research positions elsewhere on campus for which you may be qualified; the NSF REU programs are offered throughout the U.S.; and company-sponsored undergraduate research experiences.

For More Information...

For more information, posted opportunities, and strategies for getting involved with research both within and beyond MIME, be sure to visit the Oregon State Undergraduate Research Framework (OSURF).

The MIME Weekly E-Bulletin and the university's Career Development site also post information about on- and off-campus research opportunities.