2026 Summer Research Program Updates - Welcome Luncheon

June 9, 2026 | by Colleen Norden

Summer Research Assistant Welcome Luncheon

Wednesday, June 10 from Noon–1 pm
MBH Great Hall and Discovery Court

Join other Middlebury summer research assistants and their faculty mentors for a casual lunch of pizza and salads. Enjoy some conversation and relaxation on the patio.

Save the Date!

Undergraduate Research Events
(details on the Summer Research calendar)

Game Night, June 17
Graduate School Panel, June 24, lunch provided, please register
Resume Workshop, July 1, lunch provided, please register
Game Night, July 14
STEM Fellowships, July 15, lunch provided, please register
Summer Research Symposium, July 30

Library Events
(details and links to register on the Library Events calendar)

Intro to Version Control with Git and Github, June 11 (in-person) - this week 📈
How to Conduct a Literature Review, June 15 (in-person)
AI Tools for Research, June 16 (hybrid)
Introduction to Zotero, June 17 (in-person)
Research from Afar, June 18 (online)
Introduction to R and RStudio, June 25 (in-person)
Data Visualization: Strategies and Tips, July 2 (in-person)
Introduction to Zotero, July 8 (in-person)

SRAs are welcome to schedule appointments with librarians for individual research consultations. Schedule a consultation with a librarian.

Q-Center Summer Events
(details on the Q-Center calendar)

STEM Lunch and Learn (Brown Bag) with Professors Greg Pask and Alex Bredar, every Thursday, June 11–August 13 - starts this week 🥪
Community Lego Build, June 15–19
Make Your Own Stress Ball, June 17
Go Fly a Kite, July 8
Juggling and Hacky Sack, July 22
Puzzle Week, July 27–31
Tiny and Big Bubbles, August 5
Make Your Own Sundae, August 12

Have a Great Research Pic?

Please send photos with a caption and permissions to share to ur@middlebury.edu. We are posting photos of researchers in the field, lab, library, and classroom in our newsletters, the CTLR, and Instagram!

Lab Safety Training

Students working in MBH need lab safety training. This is required for most Biology, Chemistry, Environment Studies/Earth Climate Science, and Neuroscience research students and student employees who have not already taken it. Requirements for other departments vary by lab. All summer research students are welcome to attend! If you aren’t sure if you need to take it, please reach out to Amanda Richardson.

Lab Safety Training sessions will take place in MBH 148. The next session is June 15, 3–4 pm. See the training schedule for additional sessions.

For students working in labs or in BiHall spaces that do not require the in-person training, the online MBH Hazards Awareness Training is required.

Getting Paid

Timesheets: Most summer researchers will be submitting timesheets this summer. Please make sure you read the Human Resources emails for any updates on submitting timesheets and getting paid. For payment dates see the pay calendar. Students are limited to a maximum of 40 hrs/week, although some researchers may be working fewer weekly hours. Note: if you are being paid through a stipend, do not complete timesheets!

Tracking Work Hours: We recommend you track work hours using a shared spreadsheet to help communication between researchers and mentors about activities and worked hours. The spreadsheet can be used as a reference when entering/approving Oracle timesheets and for faculty, to help stay within budget.

Donor Thank You Letters

Many SRAs are supported by donated funds. College Advancement staff will reach out to some of you in July with requests for thank you letters to donors. Please look out for this email. Our summer research benefactors greatly appreciate hearing about your summer research experience!

Online Research Training

While your faculty mentor is your best resource for training, Middlebury also has some great online resources.

CITI Program: It is highly recommended that all summer researchers complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) module. You will need to create an account and login to save your progress. All students can take any of the research training modules. You will receive a certificate at the end of each module.

LinkedIn Learning: Middlebury has an institutional subscription to LinkedIn Learning providing free access to thousands of courses on technology, software and web development, business, and design or tutorials on skills in software like Excel, R, and the Adobe suite, or writing a resume or cover letter. Get started with LinkedIn Learning.

The Undergraduate Research Team

Lisa Gates, Heidi Greenwald, and Jill Strube
Got questions? ur@middlebury.edu