Pratt Research Fellows
The Pratt Research Fellows Program is a unique, immersive opportunity for undergraduates to conduct authentic research with a faculty member. It’s a deeply engaging and rewarding experience. Typically, Pratt Fellows also graduate with Departmental Distinction and many other honors.
Third-year and advanced second-year students are encouraged to apply. Applications are accepted each fall, with a deadline of October 31.
Program Details
-
Traditional
- Three (3) independent study semesters. Students earn a total of 3 course credits
- 10-week, full-time internship experience on campus for one summer
- Students receive a stipend of $5,000 to cover living expenses incurred during the summer research experience
Alternative
- Four (4) independent study semesters
- Students earn a total of four course credits.
-
Pratt Research Fellows work on projects under the direction of dedicated faculty advisors. Course credit is given in your major in a linked three-semester course sequence:
- 394: Engineering Undergraduate Fellows Projects
Intensive research project selected by a Pratt Engineering Undergraduate Fellow. Course credit is contingent upon satisfactory completion of 493 and 494. - 493: Engineering Undergraduate Fellows Projects
Continuation course for Engineering Undergraduate Fellows, contingent upon satisfactory completion of 394 - 494: Engineering Undergraduate Fellows Projects
Final course for Engineering Undergraduate Fellows, contingent upon satisfactory completion of 394 and 494
- 394: Engineering Undergraduate Fellows Projects
-
- Browse available research projects for your graduating class
- Browse samples of possible additional projects from last year’s research projects
- Contact and meet with engineering faculty to learn more about their projects
- Select up to six (6) research projects
- Rank your selected projects in order of preference
- Request a reference letter from an engineering faculty member
-
In the research projects section of your application, provide the Project Title and the Faculty name(s) for each preferred project.
Ensure that your reference letter is submitted as an email attachment to Referen.ausriencbxpyiwd5@u.box.com.
Complete and submit your application by October 31.
Program Coordinator
It’s a very satisfying feeling knowing that you’re contributing to and advancing the science.
2023-2024 Pratt Fellows
Kaden Bock
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Piotr Marszalek
- Project Title: Evaluating the mechanical stability of the bioluminescent protein NanoLuc
Sarah Broders
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Nenad Bursac
- Project Title: Cardiac Crainbow: A Mouse Model to Study the Use of Oncogenes for Heart Regeneration
Anna Demelo
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: George Truskey
- Project Title: Investigating Triggers of Muscle Weakness in Juvenile Dermatomyositis
Charlotte Ellis
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: David Katz
- Project Title: Computational Mass Transport Model of Franz Diffusion Cell
Chloe Freitas
- Major: Civil Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Gabriel Katul
- Project Title: Overland Flow Simulation
Dadmehr Ghasemfar
- Major: Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace Focus)
- Faculty Mentor: Boyuan Chen
- Project Title: BoomBox 2.0 – Simulated Data To Train CNN To “See With Sound”
Emily Gjertsen
- Major: Environmental Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Heileen Hsu-Kim
- Project Title: Lead in Dust in Building Around Campus
Dahlia Halabi
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Charles Gersbach
- Project Title: CRISPR-based epigenome editing for the direct reprogramming of astrocytes to neurons
Selena Halabi
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Zachary Hartman
- Project Title: Investigation of Mouse and Human Androgen Receptor as Novel Immunological Targets for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Alexandra Hoffman
- Major: Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science
- Faculty Mentor: Lingchong You
- Project Title: Microbial Community Bioengineering
Ritvik Janamsetty
- Major: Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Science
- Faculty Mentor: Maria Gorlatova
- Project Title: Environmental Manipulation in Augmented Reality
Benjamin Johns
- Major: Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Brenton Hoffman
- Project Title: Screening the Mechanical Performance of Fluorescent Proteins in Living Cells
Joe Laforet
- Major: Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science
- Faculty Mentor: Daniel Reker
- Project Title: A novel molecular model for the identification of nanoparticle forming drug-excipient pairs
Claire Li
- Major: Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science
- Faculty Mentor: Hafeez Dhalla
- Project Title: Registration of scanning laser ophthalmoscopy images for motion tracking to evaluate a hybrid spiral scan pattern
Kishen Mitra
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Samuel Adams
- Project Title: Evaluating Mechanical Properties and Metabolic Activity of 3D Bioprinted Menisci Models
Alaa Osman
- Major: Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: George Truskey
- Project Title: Interferon β Reduces Pediatric Skeletal Muscle Differentiation: Insight into Juvenile Dermatomyositis Pathogenesis
Joanna Peng
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Project Title: Rational engineering of multimeric constructs for ultra-sensitive point-of-care diagnostics against Ebola secreted glycoprotein
David Prada
- Major: Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science
- Faculty Mentor: Xiaoyue Ni
- Project Title: Soft-Robot with Actuation and Embedded Shape Sensing Function
Catherine Price
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Project Title: Stealth Polymer based Dual Targeting Drug for Type II Diabetes
Samuel “Lucas” Ramirez
- Major: Biomedical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Sharon Gerecht
- Project Title: Inhibition of VEGFR2 with Tivozanib in a Mouse Model of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
Arya Tschand
- Major: Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Science
- Faculty Mentor: Dan Sorin
- Project Title: Rigorous Evaluation of Computer Systems
Mia Woodruff
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Joel Collier
- Project Title: Gastrointestinal Delivery of α-helical Supramolecular Peptides
Sophie Wu
- Major: Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science
- Faculty Mentor: Zachary Reitman
- Project Title: Generating primary mouse models of diffuse midline glioma through a combination of the RCAS/tv-a retrovirus system and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing
Featured Stories
Katherine Li: A Binding Research Experience
Katherine Li researched the ability of bacteria to bind to water contaminants metals like cadmium and lead
Becca Lau: Pandemic Pivot Enables Materials Science for Future Nanomaterials
The Pratt Fellow and Grand Challenges Scholar developed a computational focus, leading to materials science research in a faculty lab.
Yi Chen: Embracing New Challenges
Pratt Fellow Yi Chen switched his major from music to engineering; his research project seeks to squeeze more energy from batteries