Undergraduate Research
Students in the Honors College are strongly encouraged to engage in undergraduate research projects. The Honors College staff, together with the Office of Undergraduate Research, assists students with finding opportunities across all the disciplines at ECU. Additionally, the Honors College offers a colloquium on research in the sophomore year that will position students for exciting opportunities as an upperclassman.
Honors College students are also eligible to receive private support in the form of Undergraduate Research awards. These can be used by students as they gain valuable research experience working one-on-one with a member of the ECU faculty.
ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week provides students with an excellent opportunity to practice their presentation skills and meet other creative scholars with similar interests. Current students in the Honors College who are pursuing University Honors are required to make a public presentation of their Senior Honors Project. Research & Creative Achievement Week is the preferred symposium in which to present.
Brody School of Medicine and Honors College Summer Heart
Institute
Internship Program
Overview
The East Carolina University Honors College internship at the East Carolina Heart Institute provides an interactive clinical and scientific summer program. Students are exposed to laboratory research methods and clinical procedures, as well as the ambiance of an integrated cardiovascular disease program. For 6 weeks (full-time) student interns are immersed in daily clinical activities of cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, which include observing robotic cardiac surgical operations as well cardiac catheterization procedures. The program is supervised by Dr. Wiley Nifong, an internationally recognized surgeon who helped pioneer robotic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and Dr. Randolph Chitwood, the Director of the East Carolina Heart Institute and past president of three international cardiovascular surgical professional societies. The program is noted for personal interaction between student interns and our faculty and is devoted to spawning early interest in cardiovascular science and medicine. At the end of the internship, each student will receive a certificate of accomplishment.
Number of Internships available for Summer 2012
Two
Dates
July 9, 2012-August 17, 2012 (6 weeks; full-time)
Compensation
One intern will be awarded an Honors College stipend for $2000.
One intern will be awarded a Brody School of Medicine stipend for $2000.
Students are responsible for their own room and board during the internship weeks.
Primary Contact Person
Dr. Katherine O’Connor (oconnork@ecu.edu); 252.328.5466
Eligibility
Participation is restricted to students who are in good standing in the Honors College. Honors College students who have completed a minimum of 60 credit hours as reflected on their ECU academic transcript at the commencement of the internship date are eligible to apply.
Application Information
Interested students are required to submit a resume, one letter of reference and the Brody School of Medicine and Honors College Summer Heart Institute Internship application form and essay by March 30, 2012 to oconnork@ecu.edu to be considered for this internship. Application packets will only be accepted by email attachment. Applications will be reviewed by the Honors College administration. Finalists may be asked to participate in an interview.
Post-Selection Interview
After the interns are selected, they will be responsible for working with Rebecca Merrick to arrange a telephone interview with Dr. Chitwood and/or Dr. Nifong so that the interests of the interns can be determined and the summer program tailored, in part, by those interests.
Advance Work
The internship site will provide readings for the interns in advance of the experience.
