The Carbon Fellowship program offers a full two-year, interdisciplinary research opportunity for undergraduate students majoring in Biology, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics or Statistics. Students must have a junior standing when they enter the program and will work closely with faculty mentors.  The Program is designed for students who plan to pursue research in graduate or professional schools.

Carbon Undergraduate Research Fellowship Application Requirements and Instructions - Deadline March 1.   

To apply online, visit the Loyola Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.

The Fellowship program enables students to gain practical experience in interdisciplinary scientific research. The program increases student scientific literacy, critical thinking, and verbal and written communication skills while developing a student's leadership potential and sense of social responsibility.

For more information, contact the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy (CUERP) located in room 422 of the Life Sciences Building (773-508-8255; cuerp@luc.edu).  CUERP staff can provide details on the application process and can assist students in pairing with faculty who are conducting research in an area of interest to the students.

Highlighted Carbon Fellow Research 

Undergraduate Carbon Scholar, April Williams, has her research highlighted in "Becoming an Independent Thinker," Endeavors, Summer 2010, Issue 2, pg. 10.

Current & Former Carbon Fellows, Mentors and Projects   

Congratulations to the following students awarded the prestigious Michael and Dorothy Carbon Scholarship!

2011-2013 Carbon Fellows

Fellow:  Miguel Barajas
Mentors:  F. Bryan Pickett, PhD (Biology) & Catherine Putonti, PhD (Bioinformatics, Biology)
Project:  Understanding Embryo Patterning: Fetal Alcohol Effects and the Roles and Regulations of the Gene Raldh2

Fellow:  Sheena Hussain
Mentors:  Ken Olsen, PhD (Chemistry) & Karie Scrogin (Molecular Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Loyola Stritch School of Medicine)
Project:  Development of Hemoglobin Nanoparticle as a Potential Blood Substitute

Fellow:  Krista Reiling
Mentor:  Catherine Putonti, PhD (Bioinformatics, Biology) and Dali Liu (Biochemistry)
Project:  Viral Evolution of Genomic Composition and Protein Structure 

Fellow:  Ashley Schon
Mentor:  Stefan Kanzok (Biology) and Catherine Putonti (Bioinformatics, Biology)
Project:  Stress Response as Survival Mechanism for the Human Malaria Parasite during Mosquito Transmission 

2010-2012 Carbon Fellows

Fellow:  Jennifer Gomez
Mentors:  Daniel Becker (Chemistry) and John Kelly (Biology)
Project:  Carbohydrate Microarray Synthesis for Pathogen Detection and Capture

Featured in the Endeavors, Loyola's research highlights distributed by Office of Research Services

Fellow:  Srividya Prasad
Mentors:  Jacob Ciszek (Chemistry) and Douglas Natelson (Physics and Astronomy, Rice University)
Project:  Functionalization of Rubrene Crystals via Vapor Phase Reaction

Fellow:  Bryan Quach
Mentors:  Catherine Putonti (Biology, Computer Science) and Stefan Kanzok (Biology) and Konstantin Laufer (Computer Science)
Project:  Computational and Experimental Analysis of the Malaria Parasite's Gene Expression

Fellow:  Brian M. Sweis
Mentors:  Louis R. Lucas (Biology) and Robert G. Morrison (Psychology)
Project:  The Behavioral and Neurochemical Analysis of the Effects of Chronic Stress on Mental Health

2009-2011 Carbon Fellows

Fellow:  Krishna Bharani
Mentors:  Ken Olsen (Chemistry) and Miguel Ballicocra (Biochemistry)
Project:  Allosteric Mechanisms of Effector Binding on ADP-glucose Pyrophosphorylase

Fellow:  Lauren Mogil
Mentors:  Howard Laten (Biology) and Catherine Putonti (Computer Science)
Project:  Experimental and Computational Analyses of Retrotransposon-associated Satelitte DNAs in the Genomes of Complex Organisms

Fellow:  Emily Peterson
Mentors:  John Kelly (Microbiology) and Richard Holz (Chemistry)
Project:  Development of a Bacterial Community Microarray

Fellow:  Laurel Yohe
Mentors:  Louis Lucas (Biology) and Duke Han (Psychology)
Project:  The Behavioral and Neurochemical Analysis of the Effects of Stress on Aggressive Behavior

2008-2010 Carbon Scholars

Fellow:  Donald Jonker
Mentors:  Howard Laten (Biology) and Tom Gallagher (Microbiology and Immunology)
Project: Expression and Function of Genes from the Soybean Retroelement SIRE1.

Fellow:  Gennadiy (Gene) Katsevman
Mentors:  M. William Rochlin (Biology) and Timothy O'Brien (Mathematics / Statistics)
Project: Does Eph/Ephrin Signaling Contribute to the Divergence of Sensory Nerves During Embryonic Development?

Fellow:  Alyssa Kuschel
Mentors:  Ken Olsen (Chemistry) and John Olson (Biochemistry, Cell Biology) Rice University
Project:  The Effects of Mutations on Oxygen Binding to Myoglobin:  Computational and Experimental Studies.

Fellow:  Michal Olszewski
Mentors:  Nancy Tuchman (Biology), Pamela Geddes (Biology), Shane Lishawa (Biology), Alanah Fitch (Chemistry), and Daniel Larkin (Chicago Botanic Garden)
Project:  Effects of Invasive Plant Species on Wetland Denitrification and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Fellow:  April Williams
Mentors:  Catherine Putonti (Computer Science, Biology) and Kimberly Williamson (Biology)
Project:  Methods for Recognizing the Adaptation of Pathogens to Host.

2007-2009 Carbon Scholars

Fellow:  Martin Bezener
Mentors:  Martina Schmeling (Chemistry), Martin Buntinas (Mathematics), David Treering (Georgraphic Information Systems).
Project:  Air Quality studies in Chicago

Fellow:  Christine Falaschetti
Mentors:  Ken Olsen (Chemistry, computational modeling) and Miguel Ballicora (Biochemistry)
Project:   Molecular Mechanisms for the Control of Starch Production in Plants

Fellow:  Frank Garcia
Mentors:  Ken Olsen (Chemistry) and Michael Mardent (Biology, INSERM, Paris, France)
Project:  Computational and Experimental Studies of Oxygen Binding to Neuroglobin

Fellow:  Tanya Grancharova
Mentors:  John Kelly (Microbiology), Pamela Geddes (Wetland Ecology), and Timothy O'Brien (Mathematics and Statistics)
Project: Impacts of an Invasive Plant Species on Nitrogen Cycling Bacterial Communities in Freshwater Wetland Sediments