Timothy Usher, a professor of physics and director of the Center for Advanced Functional Materials, and some of his students talk about the research they do. Usher said some 70 students are involved in paid research programs on campus.

“What I enjoy most about the students who do research with me is that they’re all different from each other,” he said. “They’re wonderfully independent, and they succeed.”

Many of the CSUSB students intern at prestigious and high-profile research programs, such as NASA.

“I love all the opportunities,” said Maressah Ynfante-Corral, 2017 CSUSB alumna in chemistry. “There’s an opportunity around every corner if you just go and look for it.”