Hundreds of MIT students attend first-ever UROP Mixer in the Stratton Student Center
Various lab mentors and attendees commend the event
Jada Ogueh–The Tech
On Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the first-ever MIT UROP Mixer took place on the second and third floors of the Stratton Student Center. The UROP Mixer was co-hosted by the UROP office and the Provost’s and Chancellor’s Offices. The event aimed to connect undergraduate students with UROP mentors for IAP, Spring, and Summer 2026.
According to a list of lab mentors and projects, an estimated 158 potential UROP mentors were in attendance. Their research areas included Life Sciences, Biotechnology & Health, Physics & Math, AI & Machine Learning, and Climate, Energy, & Environment.
Hundreds of MIT students trickled in and out of the rooms, grabbing free treats including apple cider donuts, boba, tote bags, stickers, and candy along the way.
Yin Min Goh, a graduate student part of the Research Laboratory of Electronics in Course 6 (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), ran a booth at the UROP Mixer. Goh hoped to hire undergraduate students to leverage "intrinsic benefits of analog hardware” to reap benefits that digital computing cannot. Goh was excited to see young students exploring their interests through the UROP program, which reminded her of exploring research topics as an undergraduate. “I think it’s a nice way to connect with students,” she noted. Goh was able to talk to many interested, highly qualified students at the UROP Mixer, and thought it was a great event.
Arjun Chandar MS ’14 is a final-year graduate student for the MIT HAUS Research Group, which aims to create “sustainable and affordable housing out of recycled plastics.” He co-ran a table at the UROP Mixer. Chandar believes the UROP program is valuable, commenting on how UROP students supported a lot of the HAUS group’s research in its early days. According to Chandar, the UROP program is like a “farm system in baseball” in how it nurtures future researchers. Chandar also noted how the UROP Mixer was a great opportunity to connect with a large number of people, as it’s difficult for his group to separately reach out to potential researchers.
Sabrina Su ’25, a current MEng student, represented her lab, UrbanRISK, which helps communities prepare for more climate extremes. Su thinks the UROP program is very important, and “one of the more unique things about MIT.” As an undergraduate, exploring different labs and expanding her interests was very important to her. Su noted how she got to meet a lot more undergraduates than she normally would have at the UROP Mixer. Su also ran a first-year-friendly table, seeking excited students with a drive to learn and ability to contribute their own ideas. She hopes MIT holds an event like this again.
Cameryn Burnette is a second-year PhD student in Course 1 (Civil and Environmental Engineering). Her research focuses on biopolymers for sustainable agriculture. The mixer was Burnette’s first experience with the UROP program. Burnette explained that there are a “million different directions” she wants to take her project, but she is just one person. By attending the UROP Mixer, she could look for other passionate people who can gain something by working on her project. Burnette thought the mixer was a really great way to meet not only undergraduate students, but also post-docs and fellow graduate students. The event also helped her to practice her research pitch for someone who does not have a lot of experience in her field. She would “definitely come back in the future.”
Nancy Wang ’19 is a fifth-year PhD student in economics studying how algorithms shape what we see, believe, and think. She attended MIT as an undergraduate and double-majored in Course 10 (Chemical Engineering) and Course 14-2 (Mathematical Economics). Wang has hosted several UROP students. “A lot of MIT undergraduates are very innovative and entrepreneurial,” she noted. Wang believes these skills are highly needed in research. According to Wang, UROPs can be more difficult to find in economics, so she hosted a table to showcase research in economics and reach out to undergraduates. Wang’s table was first-year-friendly, looking for UROPs of any year who can put in effort and speak up when things are confusing.
Michael Bergren is the Associate Dean and Director of the UROP office and one of the organizers of the UROP Mixer. “We wanted to try something that was more ambitious than what we’ve done in the past,” Bergren said. The UROP Mixer was the first of its kind, spanning all disciplines, he explained. Bergren enjoyed the energy of the event. He noted positive feedback from students and mentors’ excitement to meet students, describing the event as a “win-win.”
Bergren also commented on the first-year friendly label that some tables sported. He thinks it's important for first-year students to understand there are opportunities to get involved in research. Bergen wants first year students to “feel welcome [and] be part of the whole journey.” He hopes they can organize something like the UROP Mixer again.
Flavia Benevides is an administrative assistant for the UROP office. According to Benevides, when the UROP office first heard about the UROP Mixer, they were really excited. “At the UROP office, we always try to help students find an opportunity to participate in UROPs, whether through sessions or workshops,” she explained. From the “energy in the room” and student feedback, the UROP Mixer was great — exactly what the UROP office was looking for.