Chancellor King Highlights Undergraduate Summer Research Programs for Educational Opportunity Program Students During Research Symposium
August 5, 2026
Symposium Brought Together Students to Present Research Conducted with Faculty and Staff During Summer Programs
Two Summer Research Programs Serve EOP Students Interested in Exploring Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, or the Humanities and Social Sciences
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today highlighted undergraduate summer research programs for students in SUNY's Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) during a research symposium. The two programs, the STEM Summer Research Program and the EOP Liberal Arts Summer Research Program, are tailored to EOP students interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), or the humanities and social sciences. During the symposium, held at the SUNY System Administration Building in Albany, students presented the research they conducted with faculty and research staff during the summer programs.
"SUNY is committed to expanding access to internships that empower our students to explore career paths that interest them," said SUNY Chancellor King. "The Educational Opportunity Program has made higher education more accessible for thousands of New Yorkers, and we are proud to continue to open the doors to upward mobility and success through initiatives like our undergraduate summer research programs. These programs provide our EOP students with vital opportunities to work with SUNY's outstanding faculty to advance our research excellence while also preparing them for their future careers."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "The Educational Opportunity Program has enabled students throughout New York State to pursue their dreams. Thanks to the support of Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, SUNY can invest in programs that provide our EOP students with vital opportunities to participate in hands-on learning opportunities and gain real-world career skills."
The SUNY Undergraduate EOP Summer Research Program started last summer with 30 students at five SUNY campuses. This year, SUNY has doubled the program participants to 62 students and 10 campus host sites.
The STEM Summer Research Program targets students pursuing or exploring careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. This year's program involved 42 students, up from 19 students last summer, 17 faculty, and eight different SUNY campuses including the State University of New York at Albany, the State University of New York at Binghamton, SUNY Brockport, the State University of New York at Buffalo, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
The program consists of three different areas, including a six-week STEM research program in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and psychology a nine-week STEM research program in computer science, information technology, and imaging, and a 10-week STEM research program for students interested in pre-med. Students enrolled in the STEM research programs participated in daily lab or field work with faculty and research staff, as well as community building and professional development activities.
The EOP Liberal Arts Summer Research Program is designed for students interested in the humanities and social sciences and took place at Erie Community College and Hudson Valley Community College. The research program focused on reading, writing, and library research, and featured writing intensive courses, professional development activities, and provided 20 EOP students, up from 11 students last summer, with the opportunity to work with and be mentored by faculty members.
During the research symposium, over 60 students who participated in the two summer research programs presented their research to attendees.
SUNY’s goal is that every undergraduate student will complete a paid internship or other experiential learning opportunity before they earn their degree. Nationally, students from low-income backgrounds and first-generation college students are less likely to participate in paid internships than their peers. Nearly 66 percent of EOP students who graduated in 2024-2025 participated in a credit-bearing internship or other high impact applied learning experience, and SUNY has committed to increasing that percentage to 100 percent beginning with the Fall 2025 cohort. To date, SUNY has funded 860 internships for EOP students at State agencies, non-profits, and other organizations.
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, "The EOP Summer Research Program has proven the impact on students when they are given the chance to do serious work alongside faculty who believe in them. EOP students from our SUNY institutions throughout the state are spending this summer in labs, in the field, and in the library producing real research. Doubling this program from 30 students to 62 in a single year is a meaningful investment in New York's future scientists, scholars, and educators. This program inspires students to stay in New York and contribute to cutting-edge research and development in growing industries. I thank Chancellor King and the Board of Regents for their continued commitment to EOP and to the students it serves."
State Senator Robert Jackson said, "Knowledge is one of democracy’s greatest equalizers. Every breakthrough in science and every new understanding of the human experience reminds us that education is not merely about preparing students for careers—it is about preparing society for progress. The Educational Opportunity Program affirms what history has always shown: talent flourishes in every community when opportunity is placed within reach. When government invests in human potential, it does more than expand opportunity. It strengthens the democratic promise that every New Yorker can help shape our shared future."
State Senator Lea Webb said, "As a former EOP student at SUNY schools studying neuroscience, I understand firsthand how important research opportunities are. Accessible, affordable higher education opens up a new world of possibilities for students who may have otherwise been unable to attend college. I am pleased that SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. is highlighting these talented student presentations and the program they belong to."
State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, "SUNY’s Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program continues to serve our students with its STEM and Liberal Arts Summer Research Programs. These programs are career builders, and the fact that host campus participation has doubled and student participation has more than doubled, speaks to the importance of this work."
State Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, said, "The growth of each SUNY EOP Summer Research Program proves that when given the opportunity to succeed, students will rise to the challenge. When the summer comes to a close, these young scholars will gain practical skills that have enriched them and prepared them for their future careers. New York State's investment in SUNY EOP yields dividends for years to come."
State Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest said, "I am so proud of the 62 amazing students from 10 campus host sites who participated in this wonderful summer research program. I am also grateful to SUNY for creating these hands-on opportunities for their students to expand their knowledge in a variety of fields. We look forward to the program being expanded in the future, and for participating students to continue their hard work by using this experience to reach greater heights."
State Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos, MSW, said, "Programs such as SUNY’s Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program Summer Research initiative are vital because they expand access to opportunities that too often remain out of reach. This program equips students with the mentorship, experience, and support necessary to translate their potential into discovery and meaningful career pathways. The exceptional research presented across STEM, the humanities, and the social sciences underscores what can be achieved when we invest in students and remove barriers to success. I commend Chancellor King, the participating faculty, and staff, and especially the 62 EOP students whose dedication and innovation are helping to shape New York’s future."
State Assemblymember Latrice Walker said, "The State University of New York offers so many tremendous opportunities for students who participate in the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program. The STEM Summer Research Program and the EOP Liberal Arts Summer Research Program are certainly among them. It is critical for students from underserved communities to have the chance to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. These are doors that for too long have been closed to people who come from low-income communities. I’m excited that the summer programs – including those related to the humanities and social services -- are growing. I am confident that the participating students will be well equipped to compete for promising careers."
The FY2026-27 Enacted State Budget includes a historic $10.7 million increase in State funding for EOP. Recently, SUNY announced the expansion of the EOP Scholars Program, which provides comprehensive academic, financial, and mentoring support to ensure student success, to support students in fields including computer science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI). The EOP Scholars Program was also expanded in February to support students in nursing and teaching degree programs focused on shortage areas, as well as in 2024 to include mental health fields and engineering. In 2021, SUNY launched the pre-medical Educational Opportunity Program to provide EOP students with additional support and mentoring towards their path to medical school.
To further support EOP students, SUNY launched a partnership with Kaplan to offer EOP students free access to comprehensive test preparation resources over the next three years, including practice tests, for graduate-level admissions exams and professional licensure exams. In February 2025, Chancellor King announced an EOP Career Development Internship Program in partnership with state agencies to provide students with real-world professional experience and skill development within a field that aligns both with their academic pursuit and personal interests.
Since its inception in 1967, SUNY's Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from low-income backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. In its 59-year history, EOP has graduated nearly 90,000 students and evolved into one of the country's most successful college access programs. EOP eligibility is based on income and academic readiness. More information about SUNY's EOP can be found here.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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