Summer Academic Programs

Sunday, July 16 - Friday, August 4, 2017

Dear CSSI Students and Families,

It is a real pleasure to welcome you to the Carleton Summer Science Institute (CSSI). From the early conceptual stages to the final assembly of faculty, courses, and research experiences, this program has given us the opportunity to think hard about what we do in our disciplines and why. That is, we asked ourselves the question: what are the most important ideas our particular discipline offers society?  The courses will introduce you to a few key concepts in our fields. Due to the overwhelming interest in the CSSI program we are excited to offer two sessions again this year. Though the scientific topics will differ between the two sessions, the opportunity for you to receive a rewarding educational experience will be the same.

Our hope is that you will find the science our faculty study to be as exhilarating as we do and become better acquainted with how science works. We strongly believe the best way to learn science is by doing it. To help you along with doing science, you will work with Carleton undergraduate research assistants and a faculty member pursuing a guided research question. Thankfully, we have excellent research facilities and instrumentation that will allow you to ask a wide range of questions and collect your own data. By the end of the program, you will have the opportunity to present your results to your peers, parents, and Carleton community at the Carleton Summer Science Symposium. This will be a great opportunity to recognize your hard work, but also a time of celebration in a collegial atmosphere.

Please join us for the eighth Carleton Summer Science Institute. We have put together an exciting, fun, and hopefully rewarding three weeks of course work and research meant to challenge your assumptions in a rich, supportive intellectual environment.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Wolff, Associate Professor of Biology

Director of the Carleton Summer Science Institute