the uplim research lab

Research Inquiries: 

Working with undergraduate and graduate students on research projects and mentoring them is one of the greatest joys of being a faculty member. If you're interested in learning more about my work or collaborating on a research project, keep reading! 

If you are at Cal Poly, feel free to contact me or stop by my office. I'm located in Building 25, Room 302. 

Undergraduate Students at Cal Poly (Undergraduate Research Experiences or UREs):

I only work with undergraduate students at Cal Poly. All projects are either paid hourly or provide academic credit, as I do not believe in unpaid labor/internships. There are many ways to do research together, so make sure you look into all of them before reaching out to me so we can find you the best fit:

• BEACoN Research Scholars Program 

  • • For underrepresented students to gain research experience (e.g., first-time, first-year students, transfer students)

    • If my project is listed during the application period, you can select it as one of the projects you're interested in. I review all student applications and select those who are the best fit for my research.

    • 10 hours per week (Winter and Spring quarters)

    • $2,000 per quarter ($4,000 total)

    • Applications open every Fall quarter - Fall 2024 Due Date: Friday, 11/8 at 11:59 pm

• LSAMP

  • • For U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident; Be an enrolled Cal Poly undergraduate STEM major who faces or has faced social, educational, and/or economic barriers to careers in STEM; Must be a STEM major

    • You must reach out to the faculty member you wish to work with before applying.

    • 8-10 hours per week (Winter and Spring quarters)

    • $2,000 per quarter ($4,000 total)

    • Applications open every Fall quarter mid-October- for Fall 2024 Due Date, email lsamp@calpoly.edu.

• Bailey College Frost Research Scholarship

  • • Awarded for two years, starting with a student’s third year at Cal Poly. Frost Scholars must be full-time students (at least 36 quarter units a year at Cal Poly) and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

    • Scholarships are $10,000 per year with a guaranteed opportunity to participate in the Frost Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), which comes with a $4,500 award.

    • Frost Research Scholars are expected to participate in the Frost Summer Undergraduate Research Program, or in external summer research or internship opportunities, and to graduate in four years with immediate plans for graduate school, professional school or employment.

    • This is a high-commitment scholarship. Please contact me to discuss if you are considering applying.

    • Each January, department chairs send out a call for applications and details to students and faculty. Applications, completed jointly with a faculty mentor, are due during winter quarter finals week.

• Frost Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) - Mathematics Department's Program

  • • Full-time research during the summer with $4,500 research stipends

    • Students taking summer classes (except for the required zero-unit UNIV 421 course) are not eligible to participate.

    • Important note: Every department within the Bailey College has their own instructions for SURP. Here are the Mathematics deppartment's: 

1. Open to continuing Cal Poly SLO undergraduates (including 4+1 students). Math graduate students are not eligible but may contact Dr. Danielle Champney (dchampne@calpoly.edu) for other funding options.

2. Requires 30+ hours of work per week for 8-10 weeks, typically in person, with potential virtual arrangements. Projects may extend into the academic year for conferences or publication prep. Students must present at the College of Science and Mathematics Research Conference.

3. To be selected, students should have excellent grades in mathematics courses.

4.  Applications are due before March 1st and you must choose from the available projects. Feel free to contact the advisors directly if you have questions about the projects. For general questions, contact Dr. Danielle Champney (dchampne@calpoly.edu).

• Course Credit 

  • • You can earn up to two units that will be recorded on your transcript. I expect three hours of research work per unit.

• Hourly Research Assistant Positions

  • • I typically hire 1-2 students per quarter. Here is the job ad for Fall 2024.

• Senior Project

  • • Reach out if you're considering doing a senior project in my field.

For more information about doing research at Cal Poly (or other CSUs), contact The Office of Student Research (studentresearch@calpoly.edu) and make an appointment with their advisors.

Graduate Students (at Cal Poly and beyond):

If you are a master's student at Cal Poly and are interested in my research or learning about math education research, send me an email so we can discuss the possibilities. If we end up working together on a research project at Cal Poly, I do everything in my power to make sure that you are compensated for your time, as I do not believe in unpaid labor/internships. 

Mentoring has had a profound impact on my career, and I believe in its power to help others grow. If you think you could benefit from mentorship, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

For current PhD students outside of Cal Poly, I am open to co-advising or serving on your dissertation committee if our research interests align. Feel free to reach out so we can explore a potential collaboration.