About The Program
Empowering Tomorrow’s Business Innovators
The College of Business Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) provides students with the opportunity to collaborate directly with faculty mentors on impactful research that addresses real-world business challenges. From sustainability and entrepreneurship to data analytics and finance, students gain hands-on experience that prepares them to lead with purpose in an ever-changing economy that embodies Cal Poly's Learn by Doing approach to education.
SURP offers motivated business students the opportunity to:
- Work one-on-one with faculty mentors on applied research projects
- Develop critical thinking, analytical skills, research methods and practices
- Present their findings at Cal Poly’s Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
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Explore how business research drives innovation, sustainability and social impact
SURP is a paid opportunity for student employment over 8-10 weeks during the summer term.
Research Themes
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Sustainable Business Practices
- Data Analytics & AI in Business
- Finance & Economic Policy
- Marketing & Consumer Behavior
- Organizational Leadership & Management
- And more
Turning Ideas Into Action
The Orfalea College of Business SURP supports students in conducting timely, relevant research. Through faculty-mentored projects, students produce tangible outcomes, like data sets, prototypes, code, analytical tools and intellectual property. Students who participate in SURP gain portfolio-ready experience that directly informs career decisions, graduate study opportunities and leadership development.
Support the Program
Help shape the future of business leadership.
SURP welcomes support from individuals, corporations and foundations through private philanthropy.
Your investment in the Orfalea College SURP expands high-impact opportunities for student researchers and faculty mentors while bringing real-world business activity directly into the learning experience. Philanthropic partners promote thought leadership, advance university-industry collaboration and help students effectively transition from the classroom to the workplace. Faculty-mentored research projects prepare learners with essential competencies needed to lead in a rapidly evolving business landscape.
A $3,500 investment supports one student’s immersive summer research experience through SURP. As we strive to sponsor approximately 60 students each summer, our long-term goal is to secure $3 million in endowed support to sustain the program in perpetuity and advance Cal Poly’s leadership in applied undergraduate research.
Donations directly fund:
- Student research stipends that make participation accessible and inclusive
- Faculty mentorship that elevates project rigor and impact
- Program growth, interdisciplinary collaboration and the annual SURP Research Symposium
Contact:
Kelly Dye
Assistant Dean of Development, Orfalea College of Business, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
Office: 805-459-8349 • Email: kedye@calpoly.edu