RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Hands on Research Experience
The Villanova Physics Department enthusiastically supports student research, both during the summer and the academic year. In 2018, 13 students were on campus during the summer conducting research in the department. Below are some ways students can get involved in Physics research at Villanova and elsewhere—a great opportunity for students interested in graduate school or a career in a quantitative field.
Faculty Mentored Research
Students who are interested in research should reach out to faculty directly to discuss opportunities. Faculty can often support student research via external grants, or students can earn academic credit via a Supervised Study.
University Support
Villanova has several programs to support student research, including Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellowships (VURFs), travel grants, and the First-Year Match Program.
Departmental Support
The Physics Department is able to offer additional support for students interested in working on campus in the summer. In recent years, the department has been able to help fund three to five students—in addition to Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellows—for summer research.
Through a successful proposal by Dr. Stuver and Dr. Engle (Astronomy), Villanova has been made a site for an REU program (Research Experiences for Undergrads). Learn more about the REU site.
- The National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program offers fellowships for students performing research away from their home university. Programs are available in Physics, Astronomy, Materials Science, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Economics, Ethics and Value Studies, Ocean and Earth Studies, and more.
- Pathways to Science keeps a database of funded research programs. Many of these are REUs, but some institutions may have internal summer programs that are open to students from other colleges and universities.
- NASA invites applications for internships every summer. These opportunities span the Agency’s Science and Exploration directorates.
- The Society of Physics Students has a competitive multidisciplinary internship program based in the Washington, D.C., area. Interns in this program span fields as diverse as development of NASA technology to Physics Education Initiatives to Science Policy.
Interested in hearing about different career paths directly from alumni and professors? Curious about connections between physics and research in other fields? Want to know how writing papers or going to grad school? Dr. Carlo runs a wide-ranging bi-weekly Physics Club. Come for the physics, stay for pizza and conversation!
College and University Resources
In addition to resources and opportunities through the Physics Department, Villanova provides support to undergraduate students in all aspects of their collegiate experience and beyond through the centralized services of the Office for Undergraduate Students, Office of Education Abroad and Career Center.
