Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal（SURJ） - Volume II - Spring 2003

Aug 26, 2026

Uploaded by Dozel

Spring 2003 issue of the Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal (SURJ), editorially framed to celebrate undergraduate curiosity across multiple disciplines. The editors describe the launch of a new Special Features section to showcase interdisciplinary work spanning Natural Sciences & Engineering, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The editorial emphasizes mentoring support within the Stanford community, the role of SURJ in recognizing student innovation, and recommendations for fair compensation and expanded research opportunities, reinforced by print distribution and the SURJ website presence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages72

Reading Time3 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Editorial Note

Journal sections and purpose

Support, compensation, and future plans

Sponsors and Journal Staff

Executive Board

Production Board

Communications Board

Editorial Board

Humanities

Natural Sciences and Engineering

Social Sciences

Special Features

SURJ Contents

Selected articles

SPRING 2003 ~~ ~~ Editors Note Undergraduates at Stanford are enthusiastically commencing a lifetime quest of intellectual exploration. In this second volume of the Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal (SURJ), we continue to highlight several of the finest examples of undergraduate curiosity from a diverse set of fields. This year marks the creation of a new section, Special Features, in addition to the existing Natural Sciences & Engineering, Humanities, and Social Sciences sections. Special Features provides an outlet for the highly interdisciplinary work done on campus that spans multiple sections. Much like Stanford with the Bio-X initiative and the Interdisciplinary Program in Humanities, SURJ is evolving to best represent the modern domains of research. Undergraduates are thus pushing the frontiers of human knowledge with the aid of capable mentoring by faculty, staff, graduate students, and even other undergraduates. SURJ strengthens these bonds in the Stanford community by providing a forum to recognize and discuss student innovation. As one of only a handful of interdisciplinary undergraduate journals across the nation, SURJ strives to demonstrate the variety of undergraduate research by publishing articles for an educated audience. SURJ, with its interdisciplinary focus, has served as a model for other research institutions seeking to start their own research journal. As a result, SURJ contributes to a greater appreciation of undergraduate input by the established research community, which at many other institutions largely excludes undergraduates or merely employs them for menial data-entry tasks. Yet Stanford must take care not to regress to such a state, which can only be avoided by wholeheartedly supporting undergraduate research: expanding summer research programs that cater to students who have never engaged in research before, increasing the funding of Undergraduate Research Programs as needed to allow students to receive multiple Major Grants, and ensuring that undergraduates are either paid or are receiving course credit for their efforts. This last point of fair compensation assures that both students and mentors approach undergraduate research with all due respect. SURJ will continue to champion undergraduate research through the 2500 print copies distributed to the Stanford community and selected institutions around the nation, as well as through our website at [http://surj.stanford.edu](http://surj.stanford.edu). On behalf of this year ’s staff and authors, we thank you for your support, and we look forward to sharing undergraduate research endeavours in the upcoming year. Sincerely, Christopher Baer & Rachel M. Siegel Editors-in-Chief, 2002-2003 Our Sponsors We would like to thank the following sponsors for their generosity and support of the Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal this year: Associated Students of Stanford University Office of the President Office of the Provost Department of Chemistry Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Comparative Literature The Writing Center Undergraduate Research Programs Office of Student Activities ~~ ~~ SU RJ Journal Staff EXECUTIVE BOARD Editors-in-Chief Christopher Baer Rachel Siegel Chief Financial Officer Peter Deng Managing Directors Charles Feng Gina Schiel Editors Emeritus Alex Bradford Donald Matsuda PRODUCTION BOARD Publication Director ValerieRozycki GraphicsDesigner ParisLevin CopyEditor Samuel Chang Production Associates GregHochmuth John Poon Elizabeth Vrolyk COMMUNICATIONS BOARD Event Coordinator Zach Katagiri Web Editors GregHochmuth Patrick Wong Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal (SURJ) Volume II: Spring2003. [http://surj.stanford.edu](http://surj.stanford.edu) ©2003 SURJ All Rights Reserved. EDITORIAL BOARD Humanities Section Editor Alexander Smyth Associate Editors Amelia Kotte Sung Lee Robert McConnell Daniel R

FAQs

What new section was introduced in the Spring 2003 volume of SURJ?

A new section called “Special Features” was created to provide an outlet for highly interdisciplinary work spanning multiple sections.

How does SURJ aim to support undergraduate research at Stanford?

SURJ highlights student innovation through recognition and discussion, while encouraging whole-hearted support for undergraduate research, including expanding summer research programs, increasing funding, and ensuring fair compensation or course credit.

How is this issue distributed and made accessible?

The editorial notes 2500 print copies distributed to the Stanford community and selected institutions, along with access through the SURJ website.

Aug 26, 2026

Uploaded by Dozel