Summer Research, Internships on Full Display at Pomona College Poster Symposium

The annual fall event culminated the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) and the Pomona College Internship Program: Summer (PCIP).

Both programs provide funding that allows students to focus their full attention on experiential learning during the summer break. Students who conducted other College-sponsored research or internships also participated in the symposium.

Julia Kearney ’27, a public policy analysis major, knows how important the Pomona programs are to a productive experience.

Two summers ago, she worked in the office of a San Francisco district board supervisor but only for a few hours a week because she was working a paying job at an ice cream shop. This summer, she again worked for a San Francisco district board supervisor, but in a much more regular capacity, thanks to PCIP.

“The funding was super-influential,” she says.

Among those perusing students’ posters was President G. Gabrielle Starr.

“Next to graduation, this is my favorite day on this campus because everybody brings their passions out and wears them on their sleeves,” she says. “All of the work is so focused and engaging—it’s a real showcase of what makes Pomona great.”

Stephen Marks, Elden Smith Professor of Economics and associate dean of the College whose responsibilities include student and faculty research, agrees.

“The poster conference is a wonderful opportunity for Pomona students to reflect on and communicate to others about their summer research, creative or internship experiences,” he says. “They can share how they grew in their capabilities.”

This summer, 241 Pomona students took on SURP projects that ranged in length from four to 10 weeks. Their weekly stipend was $720.

The nearly 100 PCIP students, meanwhile, earned a stipend between $4,000-$5,000 for a minimum of 240 hours in unpaid or low-paid internships.

The generosity of hundreds of alumni, families, foundations and friends of the College provides the majority of student stipend funding each year. Donors contributed more than $1 million to SURP and $350,000 to PCIP opportunities in 2024-25.

These gifts help ensure that immersive and experiential learning opportunities are within reach for all Pomona students, strengthening the College’s commitment to equity and access and preparing students for success after graduation. Many alumni donors say they support these programs in recognition of the impact they've had on their own careers.

“My professors were invested in being real mentors. That has shaped how I teach today,” says Dr. Richard Lee ’90, a physician and educator at the University of Miami. “Giving back to the College to support student research is a way to continue the legacy.”