This story appeared in the magazine Letters & Science in the spring of 2022.
Jose Madera has no problem accepting the “runway” metaphor.
Jose Madera (photo: Paulius Musteikis)
Madera, assistant dean at the Center for Academic Excellence at the Faculty of Literature and Science (CAE), talks about the college’s new STEM Runway program, a new research network — and career-based opportunities designed to encourage first- and second-year students in traditionally underrepresented groups to they deal with science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“I think about it as if students start in one place and then go somewhere else,” says Madera. “It’s like being in one of those historic airport lounges with an exciting wall of flights to distant places. We try to let the students decide which gate they want to go through. But we are here to make it easier. “
This facilitation means introducing some new programming, as well as ensuring that current and future students know about the support and programs that already exist, in order to stimulate and encourage interest in STEM.
One example of new programming: Last year, three sophomore L&S students spent their summers participating in campus and remote research opportunities in oncology, astronomy and psychology, with the support of Letters & Science alumni David Hammond (BA, History / Politics). , ’93) and Jennifer Hammond (BA, Journalism, ’93) through Dean Wilcots’ new Fund for Diversity, Capital and Inclusion. Sherry Wong, Nasja Miller and Pamela Elubiaozor are paid to work 25-30 hours a week on summer research projects with the faculty, researching issues such as research ethics and how to use the research database properly.
“Stimulating the interests of these talented students at the earliest possible moment is one of the best ways to address diversity in the field of STEM,” says Dean Eric Wilcott. “And that’s one of our top priorities.”
The Summer Research Program (officially known as the Letters & Science Summer of Excellence in Research, or LASER) builds on the framework established by the Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) program, which connects freshmen at L&S with colleges and research projects for more than two decades.
Sherry Wong (photo: Paulius Musteikis)
URS Director Hana Bailey was instrumental in finding and organizing summer opportunities for beginning LASER fellows, each of whom has already participated in URS. The new summer opportunity, says Madera, raised them to a higher level.
“For us, LASER is the right model because students basically apply what they have already learned in the classroom and through the experience of the URS,” explains Madera. “It is important for students to have these very early experiences in which they can see themselves in charge of something they can create or discover and push their own boundaries.
That was the case with Wong, a computer science specialist from New York, who was paired with Ellen Zweibel, a professor of astronomy and physics. Wong used her coding skills and interest in astrophysics to make computerized simulations of galaxies that revealed what happens when magnetic fields collide and release gas bubbles. Wong plans to present his discoveries at the American Astronomical Society in California later this year - a rare and exciting opportunity for students.
“Success in college really depends on that mentorship,” says Wong. “Mentoring has helped me cope with my long-term academic plans. The advice you get from mentoring like this is something I rarely see in class. ”
While Wong studied the stars, Miller, an L&S student from Milwaukee, was housed in an oncology lab, testing prostate cancer cell therapies and learning medical research procedures and protocols.
Nasja Miller (photo: Paulius Musteikis)
“I was really challenged as a free thinker to make my own decisions in different situations, and solving problems was very important,” says Miller, who found parallels between her lab experience and the chemistry and math classes she attended. “I didn’t have those skills before LASER.”
Continuing to deal with the airport metaphor, Madera talks about the wheels that already exist in L&S to carry students down the STEM runway. In addition to the URS program, there is the Summer Collegiate Experience, which prepares new freshmen from underrepresented groups for life at the faculty, including introducing them to careers in STEM-related fields. There’s SuccessWorks, a state-of-the-art career center at L&S that focuses on identifying interests, networking with alumni, and exploring different areas. There is the McNair Scholars Program, which helps promising L&S seniors from underrepresented groups prepare for graduate school.
“Letters and science are all about educating and researching the liberal arts,” says Madera. “It’s about testing your limits and experiencing the possibilities. And then you go back and say, ‘Oh, this is where I want to go.’ The STEM Runway basically connects students and moves through opportunities from the moment they set foot here on campus. ”