»SPIRE Program

SPIRE Fellows will gain the following benefits:

• A letter of completion at the end of the program acknowledging your participation as a SPIRE Fellow
• A $700 stipend
• Personalized support for identifying and applying to research opportunities or internships in STEM
• Monthly small group meetings with a near-peer mentor (i.e., an upper-division student or recent graduate of Chapman), who will provide guidance and feedback for SPIRE Fellows as they identify and start an internship
• Access to a professional development course in spring 2024 taught by professional career advisors, which will provide guidance and support on exploring different careers; finding jobs, internships, and research opportunities; writing resumes, cover letters, and job applications; and conducting interviews
• A field trip to the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command
• Participation in a community of like-minded students interested in exploring STEM careers

SPIRE Fellows must be:

• 1^st or 2nd-year undergraduate or transfer students at Chapman University
• Interested in finding an internship or research opportunity in STEM
• Willing to commit to all SPIRE program requirements

No previous research or internship experience is necessary!

The program will start in October 2023 and continue until June 2024. All SPIRE Fellows must:

• Remain in good standing (i.e., currently enrolled and not facing any significant disciplinary issues) as an undergraduate student at Chapman University
• Participate in monthly small group meetings with their mentors
• Enroll in a 1-unit professional development course exclusive for SPIRE Fellows in spring 2024.
• Engage in all SPIRE program activities, such as career excursions or career interviews
• Commit to applying to research opportunities or internships in STEM disciplines supported by the program (see below) and participate in such opportunities if possible. We anticipate students participating in research or internships in spring or summer 2024.

The SPIRE program is designed to support students who are interested in STEM. More specifically, the program is designed to support students who are interested in research opportunities and internships in the following areas:

Engineering and Complex Systems - this includes research addressing electronics, fluid dynamics, materials, propulsion, and structural mechanics. This includes topics such as: Dynamic Materials and Interactions; GHz-THz Electronics and Materials Energy; Combustion and Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics; Unsteady Aerodynamics and Turbulent Flows; High-Speed Aerodynamics; Aerospace Composite Materials; Multiscale Structural Mechanics and Prognosis; Space Propulsion and Power; and Agile Test Science for Test and Evaluation.

Information and Networks - this includes research addressing autonomy, space situational awareness, and cyber security, as well as foundational issues in mathematical, information and network oriented sciences. This includes topics such as: Computational Cognition and Machine Intelligence; Computational Mathematics; Dynamics and Control; Dynamic Data and Information Processing; Information Assurance and Cybersecurity; Optimization and Discrete Mathematics; Science of Information, Computation, Learning, and Fusion; Trust and Influence; Complex Networks; and Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience

Physical Sciences - this includes research addressing 1) Quantum matter and devices; (2) plasma and high-energy-density physics; (3) optics, photonics, and electromagnetics; and (4) aerospace materials. This includes topics such as: Aerospace Materials for Extreme Environments; Atomic and Molecular Physics; Electromagnetics Laser and Optical Physics; Optoelectronics and Photonics; Physics of Sensing; Plasma and Electro-Energetic Physics; Quantum Information Sciences; Space Science; Ultrashort Pulse Laser-Matter Interactions

Chemistry and Biological Sciences - this includes research addressing complex materials, microsystems and structures as well as systems of a biological natural by incorporating hierarchical design of mechanical and functional properties from the nanoscale through the mesoscale, This includes topics such as: Biophysics; Human Performance and Biosystems; Mechanics of Multifunctional Materials and Microsystems; Molecular Dynamics and Theoretical Chemistry; Natural Materials and Systems; and Organic Materials Chemistry.

Please click here to apply to become a SPIRE Fellow. Applications will close at 11:59 PM on Monday, September 18.

Questions?

Please feel free to email Dr. Jeremy Hsu at hsu@chapman.edu.