The First-Year Research Award (FYRA) Program

Apply &

Dream

Work in-depth with a faculty mentor!

The First-Year Research Award (FYRA) Program is an exciting opportunity that pairs outstanding students with D&E’s excellent, award-winning faculty. The FYRA program allows you to work in-depth with a faculty mentor from your first day on campus. These research projects can lead to publication opportunities and conference presentations, and they are excellent preparation for your life after college.

FYRA recipients will devote between 4 to 6 hours per week across their first year to the FYRA program and their research-related project. They will also create, with their research supervisor, a FYRA Learning Contract. Recipients will be expected to participate in regular meetings of FYRA recipients, present their results in an appropriate forum, and submit a copy of their presentation to the appropriate university office. FYRA recipients will also participate in an assessment of the FYRA program. (The FYRA Scholarship is not part of a student’s work study award.)

The First Year Research Awards are for $2,000 ($1,000 per semester) for the student’s first year only. This is a non-renewable award. Students can only receive one First Year Research Award. First Year Research Awards can be combined with other Special Interest Awards.

Deadline: April 15

Students must be admitted to D&E prior to submitting a First Year Research Award application.

The D&E Public Digital Humanities Project

Mysterious mansions, haunted houses, and hilltop history! We are forming a team of highly motivated students who will join an emerging public digital humanities project featuring the unique history of Davis & Elkins College.

Our public digital humanities approach seeks to bridge scholarship and community, not simply researching the unique history of D&E but also drawing that work into conversation with the local community. Students are invited to join a team of elite first-year researchers led by Dr. Colten Biro, who has years of experience in new media writing and directing large-scale public digital humanities projects.

During the inaugural year of the project, we will be working with two of the national landmarks on campus, Halliehurst & Graceland mansions. Our goal is to create a digitally curated experience of these historic homes, drawing the history and archival resources into an online experience for both Davis & Elkins College and the surrounding community. Dr. Biro is particularly interested in allowing the students’ research interests to guide the project and developing students’ existing strengths into professional expertise. In addition to cultivating the traditional humanities skills of archival scholarship, writing, and research interviews, the team will also develop twenty-first century skills such as project management, short-form video production, podcasting, social media promotion, and web design.

For questions, please contact Professor Colten Biro < Colten Biro – Davis & Elkins College>.

To apply for this program: FYRA Program Application – Fill out form

Baker Street in Elkins

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular fictional characters in the world (battling it out with Dracula on an annual basis). If you read his adventures, memoirs, or casebook, and want to talk about them, this project might be for you. The First Year Research Award recipient will assist Dr. Andrew Jones, Associate Professor of Communication, in his ongoing project to bring a Scion Society of the Baker Street Irregulars to Elkins. The FYRA Scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to be involved in many aspects of Dr. Jones’s project, including close reading of Sherlock Holmes stories, interviewing scholars, planning events, inviting guest speakers, creating promotional materials, and researching, planning, implementing, and evaluating public relations campaigns. Depending on the recipient’s interest and level of involvement, there may also be the potential for co-authorship of manuscripts to be submitted for presentation at professional conferences. Recipients should be fans of Sherlock Holmes, eager to share their thoughts and ideas in public, and able to plan and manage events.

For questions, please contact Professor Andrew Jones< Andrew Jones – Davis & Elkins College>.

To apply for this program: FYRA Program Application – Fill out form

First Year Research Scholar in Chemistry 1

The Davis & Elkins Department of Chemistry will offer a First Year Research Award (FYRA) for the 2026-2027 academic year to an incoming student to work with Professor Emma Johnson. This student will have a demonstrated academic ability and/or research interest in chemistry or a related science field like Biology or Environmental Science.

Undergraduate research exposes students to laboratory techniques, applying concepts from class to real world problems, exposure to the scientific literature, and assists in identifying a future career path. For FYRA scholars thinking about graduate school, the undergraduate research experience provides a realistic expectation of graduate work. For FYRA scholars thinking about going into the medical field, the undergraduate research experience will help deepen an understanding of scientific principles and enhance competitiveness for medical school admissions. In addition to finding their vocational purpose, FYRA scholars will strengthen their process skills: critical thinking, problem solving, and oral and written communication.

FYRA scholars will be expected to read the scientific literature, develop and execute an experimental, and collect and analyze their data with support from the scientific literature. Current projects in Professor Emma Johnson’s research ranges from topics involved with pedagogy (studying how students learn) to analytical techniques to quantum mechanics. The FRYA scholar may choose one of the seven current projects. Professor Emma Johnson, however, will help develop a new research project if the FRYA scholar’s interests do not align with the current available projects.

Potential projects:

Improve students’ technical writing skills using structured activities. Our working hypothesis is that a guided inquiry approach will enable students to make significant gains in improving their writing skills in conjunction with a laboratory course. FYRA scholars will develop guided inquiry activities based on a learning paradigm, test the activity in a classroom, and analyze pre- and post-student assessments.
Classifying the hydrogen bonding nature of liquid ionic salts. Our working hypothesis is that the nitrile stretch of SCN- is sensitive to its environment, and the energy of the stretch will scale with the strength of the hydrogen bonding network of the ionic salt it is dissolved in. FYRA scholars will synthesize various liquid ionic salts, obtain vibrational spectra, and analyze the vibrational spectra using quantum mechanics principles.
Determining the effectiveness of fluoride toothpaste on cavities. Our working hypothesis is that fluoride toothpaste will assist in diminishing cavities in teeth. FYRA scholars will soak animal teeth in a sugar solution and then a fluoride toothpaste solution. The teeth will be examined under a microscope before and after exposure to fluoride to quantify any changes to the cavities.
Quantifying the effectiveness of ion-selective electrodes for on-site use. Our working hypothesis is that ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) can be used as an early detector for contaminants in a city’s water supply. FYRA scholars will use an ISE to develop a calibration curve for a specific containment, develop an equation between potential and concentration, and determine the concentration of that containment in water collected from various locations, such as tap water and rivers.
Using stars to assist students in learning about blackbody emitters. Our working hypothesis is that students will make gains in their understanding of Quantum Mechanics through analyzing and collecting data on stars. FYRA scholars will submit jobs to the Greenbank Observatory telescopes, analyze the data using knowledge of blackbody emitters, and begin to develop an inquiry-based laboratory for an upper-level chemistry course.
Quantifying the hydrophobic nature of water-proof mascara. Our working hypothesis is that the water contact angle on a surface coated with mascara will help us classify its water-proof nature. FYRA scholars will use Droplet Lab’s Contact Angle and Surface Tension instrument to collect water angle images of various store-bought mascaras and derive an expression of the water angle to the hydrophobic properties of mascara.
Probing the emission lifetime of quantum dots with different sizes. Our working hypothesis is that the excited state lifetime of quantum dots decreases with dot size due to stronger quantum confinement and a larger energy gap between electronic states. FYRA scholars will synthesize quantum dots of various sizes, obtain millisecond emission profiles using flash photolysis, and apply quantum mechanics principles to understand the nature of the quantum dots.

For questions, please contact Professor Emma Johnson< Emma Johnson – Davis & Elkins College >.

To apply for this program: FYRA Program Application – Fill out form

First Year Research Scholar in Chemistry 2

The Davis & Elkins Department of Chemistry will offer a First Year Research Award (FYRA) for the 2026-2027 academic year to an incoming student to work with Professor Roshani Asuraman. This student will have a demonstrated academic ability and/or research interest in chemistry or a related science field like Biology or Environmental Science.

FYRA scholars will be expected to read the scientific literature, develop and execute an experimental, and collect and analyze their data with support from the scientific literature. The FRYA scholar may choose one of the two possible projects. Professor Asuraman, however, will help develop a new research project if the FRYA scholar’s interests do not align with the current available projects.

Project 1: Determination of antioxidant activity of selected fruits, plants, and other natural sources

Antioxidants are substances that neutralize harmful molecules known as free radicals, which can damage DNA, cell membranes, and other cellular components. Free radicals are highly reactive because they lack a full set of electrons, causing them to steal electrons from other molecules and, in turn, damage those molecules. This process contributes to early aging and increases the risk of diseases such as heart disorders, cataracts, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. Antioxidants cancel these effects by donating electrons to stabilize free radicals.

Natural antioxidants, particularly those found in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods, play a vital role in maintaining health and preventing disease. The DPPH assay is a common method used to evaluate antioxidant capacity. DPPH is a chemical compound that appears blue in the absence of antioxidants and turns yellow when antioxidants are present. In this experiment, the recipient selects the natural sources for analysis and uses UV-Vis spectrophotometer to measure the antioxidant content of the samples.

To perform this procedure effectively, the student must demonstrate an understanding of scientific principles, maintain accuracy and precision in measurements, pay careful attention to observations, show patience and consistency during data collection, and practice proper laboratory safety.

Project 2: Extraction, Characterization, and Bioactivity Analysis of Essential Oils

Essential oils, composed of mixtures of volatile compounds, represent an important part of the commercial and industrial market. They are widely used in food and beverages as flavorings and preservatives, in personal care and cosmetic products, and in household cleaning agents due to their fragrance and antimicrobial properties. Certain oils, such as eucalyptus and peppermint, are also applied in pharmaceutical contexts. In this research project, essential oils will be extracted from selected plants found in Myles Forest, which belongs to D & E.

The extraction will be carried out using steam distillation, while basic characterization will be performed using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the oils will also be assessed.

To successfully conduct this project, the student should possess scientific curiosity, precision in measurement, proper handling of equipment, strictly follow the procedures, laboratory safety awareness, patience, and the ability to analyze data critically.

For questions, please contact Professor Roshani Asuramana < l Roshani Asuramana Pedi Durayalage – Davis & Elkins College >.

To apply for this program: FYRA Program Application – Fill out form

Apply Today