A Successful Summer for the 2025 Undergraduate Education Program
Launched in January 2023, LLE’s Undergraduate Education Program was created to address the critical need for workforce development highlighted by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and many other government agencies. Through mentored research experiences, undergraduates from the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and other institutions and external programs across the country engage in mission-critical science and engineering projects, providing them with unique training and career-building opportunities. Students gain exposure to different realms of science, learn how to apply their studies to real-world scientific endeavors, sharpen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, experience teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration, and develop their presentation skills.
During the recently concluded Summer 2025 term, the program enrolled 76 undergraduates, demonstrating steady growth from its inception in Summer 2023 with over 50 participants. Summer 2025 participants hailed primarily from the University of Rochester (48 students) and RIT (10 students), with representation from 15 other colleges and universities from around the US as well as one from the UK. Nine of the undergraduates had previously participated in the LLE Summer High School Research Program, and nearly 40 students at LLE in the Spring 2025 term participated in the summer program. Students in the Summer 2025 program are majoring in a wide variety of fields, yet the majority of them are pursuing an undergraduate degree in physics or in an engineering discipline (chemical, electrical, electrical and computer, mechanical, optical, or software).
The Summer 2025 program culminated with students showcasing their work on their projects through a series of poster sessions highlighting the scope of the scientific and engineering work undertaken at LLE. Students conducted research on an impressive range of topics including x rays, high-energy-density physics, femtosecond lasers, gas permeation, nonlinear optics, thermodynamics, lithography, fluid dynamics, computational chemistry, shock physics, liquid crystals, megasonic cleaning of optics, diagnostic instrumentation, manufacturing capabilities and techniques, mass production of inertial fusion energy (IFE) targets, implosion simulations, and predictive methods using neural networks and AI techniques.
When students reflected on their experiences, they cited the value of their real-life research experiences with the opportunity to learn new skills and work on something impactful, in addition to the supportive, caring community of scientists, engineers, graduate students, and peers, and the benefits of being mentored by world-class professionals. One student commented that the experience “helped me become a better student and researcher.” Another student remarked, “The exposure to state-of-the-art scientific instruments in my group’s lab at LLE has been absolutely unparalleled compared to any other engineering or research opportunity I have had before. I also found the insights about future research opportunities, graduate school, and working in industry shared by the scientists in my group to be incredibly valuable and formative of my perspective on what I want to pursue after college.”
This summer, 51 mentors from 24 different groups within 6 divisions guided students as they pursued their cutting-edge research projects. In reflecting on his experience over the course of the program, one student remarked, “I had a great connection with my mentors, and they were extremely helpful and very invested in my project. Having dedicated mentors who are willing to meet frequently and share feedback on my progress was really beneficial, since it helped me stay on track and encouraged me to learn more.” Another student expressed appreciation for “everyone’s willingness and passion for teaching me and the other students.” Mentors also find the program rewarding. One mentor observed that “mentoring gives us the peace of mind that we will be placing our life’s work in good hands.” The Undergraduate Education Program is indebted to all the LLE mentors who devote their time to teaching and nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers. By serving as role models, mentors challenge, inspire, and motivate students to explore their scientific passions and reach their full potential.
The Summer 2025 program also offered students professional learning sessions on time management, networking, conference-going, applying to graduate school, and applying for fellowships facilitated by representatives from the URochester’s Learning Center, Greene Center for Career Education, Office of Undergraduate Research, Office of Graduate Education, and Student Fellowships Office. Additionally19 undergraduates participated in the IFE Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Symposium in July in Washington, DC, and 9 will be presenting their research at the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Annual Meeting in November in Long Beach, CA.
Over 40 students from the Summer 2025 program will continue in the Fall 2025 term. Some will be working with their mentors on manuscripts to publish their work on their projects, and others will be conducting research that will serve as the basis for their senior theses. Three participants in the LLE Undergraduate Education Program will be serving as Research Ambassadors for the URochester Office of Undergraduate Research: Andy Feng Chen, Marcos Ibáñez Matles, and Zechen (Cheryl) Liu. In January 2026, 15 students from the program will have the opportunity to tour Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Nevada National Security Sites to learn about research and career opportunities at these national laboratories. Several Class of 2025 participants will be attending graduate school, while others pursue employment opportunities in industry and within the NNSA complex. As the program continues to evolve and grow, it will remain dedicated to its focus on helping students build successful future careers in science and technology.
To learn more about the LLE’s Undergraduate Education Program, please visit our website!
