Research Areas
Summer 2027 Proposed Research Opportunities
Explore the proposed research tracks for the upcoming Summer 2027 cohort. Each selected Anson L. Clark Scholar works closely with an experienced Texas Tech University faculty mentor on an intensive, hands-on research project.
How to Explore & Use This List
This summary is provided to give prospective applicants a clear snapshot of the research topics available for Summer 2027, grouped across five primary research areas. As you read through the broad research areas and keywords below, don't worry if you haven't encountered every technical term in your high school classes yet!
Instead, ask yourself: Which of these questions or themes sparks my curiosity? Where do I want to stretch my thinking? In your application, you will select your top areas of interest and share what excites you about exploring those fields—not present a pre-written research proposal.
Important Application Policy: Do Not Contact Faculty
To ensure a fair and efficient admissions process for all applicants—and to respect the active research and teaching commitments of our university faculty—applicants, parents, counselors, and representatives must not contact Texas Tech faculty members to inquire about Clark Scholars projects, lab availability, or application review.
Individual professors cannot provide additional project details or grant preferential consideration. Reaching out directly to faculty members will not assist an application and may negatively impact your candidacy. All program inquiries must be directed exclusively to the Clark Scholars Program Administration.
Proposed Summer 2027 Research Areas & Keywords
- Biology: Bioinformatics, host-microbe interactions, metagenomics, membrane repair, autoimmunity, cell culture, pore-forming toxins, disease ecology, vector-borne diseases, population dynamics, network theory.
- Chemistry: Inorganic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, metal-organic frameworks, self-assembled reversed bilayers, organic synthesis, sustainable catalysis, ligand design for selective lanthanide separations.
- Computer Science: USACO competition experience, data-intensive computing, high-performance computing, parallel and distributed computing, data center and AI infrastructure, data visualization, visual analytics, human-computer interactions, human AI, data science and machine learning (deep learning), large language models (NLP), imaging processing, medical informatics.
- Engineering: Microwave and millimeter-wave, wireless sensors, radar, tumor-mimicking phantoms, NIR-II bioimaging, nanoparticles, drug delivery.
- Economics: Market microstructure, information economics, machine learning, asset pricing, international trade, transportation, environmental economics, multinational enterprises.
Note on Research Mentor Availability: The research areas above represent the expected faculty mentorship opportunities for Summer 2027. Final scholar selections are determined by the program selection committee and participating faculty based on scholar interests, preparation, and laboratory availability. Specific project scopes are tailored once a scholar is admitted and matched with their mentor.
Clark Scholars Program
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Email
clark.scholars@ttu.edu