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• REAL-DEAL summer mentorship program

No experience necessary: REAL-DEAL summer mentorship program offers undergraduate students valuable STEM research opportunity

By:   Elizabeth Ellis

Monday, August 05, 2024

In a world where often research internship opportunities require a certain level of experience, the 10 students from around the country who recently completed the six-week Research Experience in Asthma and Lung Disease for Emerging Adaptive Leaders (REAL-DEAL) as part of the Silveyra Lab came into the program with little or no experience with this subject—and left knowledgeable and empowered.

“My whole goal for this summer was to gain any research experience that I could; I was emailing everyone at IU, but it was hard to find labs that wanted someone who had no experience,” shares Maddie Coggan, a sophomore at IU Bloomington majoring in epidemiology and Spanish. “I am so grateful I got to be a part of this program.”

REAL-DEAL developed from a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded project entitled “Promoting Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) in Lung Disease Research Through a Mentored Training Experience.” Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) Chair Patricia Silveyra, Ph.D. was awarded $396,210 over the course of one year to help students from minority groups develop their interest in STEM research and careers, with the help of co-investigators EOH Assistant Professor Sarah Commodore, Ph.D. and Assistant Professor Vanessa Martinez Kercher, Ph.D. from the Department of Health & Wellness Design.

Dr. Kercher led sessions over Zoom earlier this year, touching on relevant career and leadership topics such as imposter syndrome and time management, and the students worked in the Silveyra Lab throughout the month of June into the early part of July. At the conclusion of REAL-DEAL, all students successfully submitted novel data that will be presented at the Society of Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) 2024 NDiSTEM Conference in Phoenix, Arizona this November.

“The students were engaged, motivated, and passionate! I loved watching them form connections, help each other, be inspired by the speakers’ talks, and experience the discovery process by working with new and complex techniques,” shares Dr. Silveyra. “New knowledge about how sex hormones interact with the lung epithelium respond to environmental asthma triggers will be presented for the first time.”

Sarasi Gunasekara, an undergraduate at the University of Maryland pursuing biochemistry and molecular biology who also volunteers as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and firefighter, says she was drawn to the program to expand her knowledge about respiratory diseases.

“I handle a lot of patients who have trouble breathing and it is hard to tell if it is asthma, panic attack, or cardiac arrest,” says Gunasekara. “I didn’t really understand asthma as much as I do now, and I thought it was important to recognize the signs as soon as possible to determine proper treatment plans.”

Gunasekara was also pleased to have the opportunity to get a tour of the Bloomington Fire Department and do a ride-along with the crew while she was in town.

EOH Assistant Professor Michelle Del Rio, Ph.D. also lent her expertise during the six weeks the students lived and worked on campus. Dr. Del Rio discussed her examination of environmental impacts on health, particularly her research into lead exposure in homes and household dust .

“Most of us are graduating and taking similar career paths and Dr. Del Rio shared with us how her career path wasn’t a linear process,” says Daniella Gonzalez Rivera, an undergraduate at the University of Puerto Rico. “It is comforting to know that it doesn’t have to be a perfect process, and there are different ways to get to your goal.”

Dr. Del Rio says her career path was inspired by a desire to understand the connection between chronic health problems and environmental factors, having grown up in a low-income community of El Paso, Texas that was near a lead smelting site that operated for more than a century.

“As a little girl I would see all of this and hear my neighbors or family members complain about their chronic diseases such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes and kidney issues, and I always thought there was a connection between the environment and these diseases,” says Dr. Del Rio. “I wanted to find out whether there was a connection—and if so, do something to resolve it.”

Dr. Del Rio shared with the students that she initially pursued a pre-med track, but during her training realized that she liked the idea of prevention more than treatment. She also emphasized the importance of finding mentors who help students navigate their career path successfully. She championed the REAL-DEAL participants for seeking out research opportunities to gain skill and life experience and discover what they are passionate about.

“I found Dr. Del Rio’s presentation on her studies in lead exposure super interesting,” says Coggan. “It has been awesome to have more reassurance and exposure of things I could possibly go into.”

Rivera says the experience of collaborating in REAL-DEAL was a refreshing change from her often-independent research work in Puerto Rico, and she expressed appreciation for the supportive, non-competitive environment that was fostered. She has become close friends with Karen Fecht, a sophomore at IU Bloomington studying human biology, and they are making plans to reconnect in Puerto Rico.

Dr. Silveyra says it was gratifying to see the students adapt to new environments and mentor each other; celebrating each other’s successes. She says many students “shared with me that the program allowed them to grow their confidence and get motivation to pursue graduate education in the future.”

“It is an awesome feeling to be around people who want you to succeed—it’s not a competition,” shares Fecht. “We all want to see each other do well and it is a really relieving feeling.”

For more stories about SPH-B students, faculty and staff making an impact locally and worldwide, visit  go.iu.edu/48bx .

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School of Public Health-Bloomington 1025 E. Seventh Street, Suite 111 Bloomington, IN 47405-7109

Phone: 812-855-1561 Fax: 812-855-4983

Global Research Summer Analyst Program - 2025

Job Description & Program Overview

Our award-winning Global Research organization supports the institutional sales and trading teams and their clients. Our expertise is at the core of the value delivered to investor clients. Our research analysts provide insightful, objective, and decisive research designed to enable their clients to make informed investment decisions in six primary disciplines.

Research Analyst Interns are responsible for modeling/analysis, conducting primary research, and writing franchise pieces. Some responsibilities are conducted regularly (daily, weekly, etc.) while others are longer-term, ad hoc projects. Sample responsibilities and projects include:

• Assembling historical financial models using SEC filings, company conference calls, and press releases
• Conducting financial, statistical and industry analysis on companies and the industry to support the team’s investment thesis
• Learning fundamentals of industry and companies covered by the team, and researching sector trends that may impact company/sector recommendations
• Writing short notes and lengthy reports (Primers) on economies, markets and/or industries; writing sections of daily, weekly, or monthly reports

Research Analyst Interns are placed in a specific industry sector team for the duration of the internship. Interns will participate in group projects and presentations, offering the opportunity to learn not only from one’s own program assignment, but also benefit from the other summer intern experiences. Placement will be determined based on candidate preference, skill set and business needs.

Qualifications

• Students must be pursuing a Bachelors degree or a Bachelors direct to Masters degree from an accredited college or university with a graduation timeframe between December 2025 and June 2026
• 3.5 minimum GPA preferred
• Candidates must demonstrate a combination of academic aptitude, creative thinking and distinguished written and verbal communications skills. Accounting and Quantitative skills a plus
• Well organized, strong attention to detail, and exercise strong quality control over own work
• Client service oriented; drive to over-deliver to internal client
• Strong team and partnering skills
• A passion and interest in the US capital markets, and ability to learn and use a wide range of market data sources
• Ability to create and maintain financial models (Credit Research specifically)
• A passion and curiosity for research
• Highly motivated with a drive to succeed
• Outgoing with strong personal presence
• Good judgment and business sense

Bank of America does not complete third party forms from colleges, universities, or other parties.

Bank of America and its affiliates consider for employment and hire qualified candidates without regard to race, religious creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, protected veteran or disability status or any factor prohibited by law, and as such affirms in policy and practice to support and promote the concept of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, provincial and municipal laws. The company also prohibits discrimination on other bases such as medical condition, marital status or any other factor that is irrelevant to the performance of our teammates

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Summer Research Opportunities Program Mentee Athena Thai Wins First Place

Athena Thai won first place at the Illinois Summer Research Symposium for her Undergraduate Research Talk, "Challenges to Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices: Serving Students of Color in School-Based Settings."

The Illinois Summer Research Symposium   is the culminating program that features cutting-edge research, achievement, and creativity by summer scholars. Nearly 140 scholars presented research developed through the mentorship and training of faculty members from various disciplines.

Athena participated in the Summer Research Opportunities Program, working under faculty mentor Dr. Lynda Gibson to examine the efficacy and barriers of implementing trauma-informed practices in a school serving under-resourced youth of color.

She is currently working on her bachelor's degree in psychology at Rutgers University.

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• Sylvia E Honored With The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Sylvia E was honored with the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, a prestigious award established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater's legacy. Nationally, only 438 students were chosen from the 1,353 nominees to receive this esteemed award. The University of Illinois is proud to be... Read full story

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Summer program in washington caps year of princeton collaboration with howard university.

Summer institute participants visit the collection of Ehtiopian manuscripts at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Wendy Laura Belcher)

The Howard University Center for African Studies hosted a summer institute for 6 th through 12 th grade teachers on using the Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary (PEMM) project in their classes.

Led by Wendy Laura Belcher, a professor of comparative literature and African American studies at Princeton,  the PEMM project has compiled a collection of more than 1,000 stories on the Virgin Mary from the African continent. A digital humanities project, the site also has 2,500 Ethiopian paintings depicting stories about her and 1,000 parchment manuscripts in which the stories appear.

Belcher and Krista Johnson, director of the  Center for African Studies at Howard, are co-principal investigators in a Princeton-Howard research collaboration on Presenting East African Manuscript Cultures. The collaboration is funded by the  Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation (PACRI).

Belcher reached out to Johnson due to the award-winning CAS outreach team, headed by Brenda Randolph. This team, which includes Vanessa Oyugi, create curriculum and host teaching workshops for K-12 instructors eager to learn more about how to teach African intellectual history in effective and accurate ways.

As a culminating event for their first year together, Howard hosted the summer institute July 23-26. Each day, between 15 and 25 people attended in person and another 20 to 50 people participated online. Among the presenters on medieval African manuscript traditions were Belcher and PEMM team members Dawit Muluneh, Jeremy R. Brown, and Jenica Brown. Professor Helen Bond, of Howard’s Department of Education, and Lesina Martin presented on classroom applications for the PEMM research.

Others worked to give participants hands on experience in medieval African painting, calligraphy, and manuscript production, including the Ethiopian artist Aleme Tadesse, the language instructor Tafessework Gebeyehu, and Karen Brown.

Belcher said the summer session was a success. “We will spend next year developing curriculum out of the workshop, so that those who couldn’t attend will still have resources on working with African manuscripts, paintings, and stories,” she said. Further details on the summer program are featured  on the PEMM website .

PACRI pairs Princeton researchers with peers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Besides Howard, Jackson State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore participate in PACRI. UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is also a partner.

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Blackwell Summer Scholars share their insightful research projects

The 4th Annual Blackwell Summers Scholars Program concluded on August 1st with a research symposium at the Illini Union. The forum marks another successful year of research and collaboration for the scholars in the program named in honor of the esteemed mathematician and Illinois alum Dr. David H. Blackwell.

The Blackwell Program is designed to provide undergraduate students with a robust research experience, encouraging them to delve into topics of interest with the guidance and mentorship of Illinois faculty members. Dr. Blackwell, a proponent of finding joy in learning and research, inspired the program's mission to ignite creativity and passion in its scholars. Over an intensive eight-week period, students work with their assigned mentors to develop research presentations to deliver at the program's culmination. In addition to working on projects, the participants attend micro-courses on statistical mathematics and data science while participating in weekly seminars that expand their academic and professional horizons.

This year, the program welcomed a diverse and remarkable group of scholars who presented various talks during the symposium. For instance, Sophia Bustos, a junior in Psychology, and Leah Decatus-Haddad, a junior in Statistics, explored the impact of different class formats on attendance in their project, 'Class Modality Choices in Statistics Courses.' This project, mentored by professor emeritus Stephen Portnoy and professor Kelly Findley, surveyed students in STAT 207 to determine the factors influencing a student's decision to attend class or watch lecture recordings. This project is just one example of the diverse and intriguing research topics our scholars delved into this year, showcasing the breadth of their intellectual curiosity and the potential for groundbreaking discoveries in a wide range of fields.

Louisa Zhang, a junior in Computer Science, and Swetha Yegappan, a junior in Computer Science & Economics, under the guidance of professor Lelys Bravo, investigated 'Climate-related Illness in a Warming Climate: Impacts of an Aging Population.' Their project aimed to analyze the inter-annual variability of climate-related illnesses among different age groups, with a focus on those 65 and older. The goal was to identify predictors and response variables associated with heat-related illnesses and to develop a predictive model for future impacts in the United States. This research, with its potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the health implications of climate change, inspires hope for a healthier future.

Nicholas Wong, a senior in Statistics, and Valentina Flores, a senior in Economics, tackled "Zillow Housing Cost Prediction," mentored by Professor Hyoeun Lee. Applying machine learning techniques to data available through the Zillow Home Value Index, the scholars analyzed housing costs throughout local communities in Central Illinois to evaluate factors such as region, number of bedrooms, and time of year to see how these aspects affect Zillow housing costs.

Gabriel Trustan Price, a junior in Statistics, focused on "Enhancing Dementia Diagnosis with ML," under the guidance of Professor Hyoeun Lee. This project investigated how machine learning algorithms can enhance the early detection and diagnosis of dementia by focusing on the influence of socioeconomic status, education level, and gender on its incidence to improve patient outcomes.

Friends and family gathered to support the scholars as they delivered their presentations to the symposium audience. Venetria K. Patton, the Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences was in attendance to support and meet with the scholars during the symposium. Alejandro Lleras, Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, offered the opening remarks as the symposium's special guest. Lleras' statements focused on the joy of finding your passions and not being afraid to take the time to find what is right for you, which coincides with Blackwell's philosophies on education and research.

The Department of Statistics revamped the program this year to emphasize mathematical statistics and data science concepts, providing scholars with a unique and enriching learning experience. Statistics PhD students Georgios Avdis and Zhexu Jin led micro-courses held each Monday and Wednesday, covering essential topics in these areas. Additionally, weekly seminars provided further enrichment, featuring discussions with diverse speakers. Professor Emeritus shared insights on research, Statistics Career Advisor Aaron Surratt discussed career opportunities, and Statistics MS Program Director Darren Glosemeyer provided guidance on graduate school preparation. Researchers from Sandia National Labs delivered technical talks, offering the scholars practical knowledge to assist with their research endeavors. These unique learning opportunities, at the heart of the Blackwell Summer Scholars Program, will surely excite and inspire future participants.

Looking ahead, the Blackwell Summer Scholars Program is set to return next summer, offering another cohort of students the opportunity to work alongside leading faculty in areas of statistics and mathematics-based research. Further details about the program's structure, application process, and key dates will be announced in due course, inviting interested participants to engage in this transformative educational experience.

As the program grows, it remains dedicated to nurturing the next generation of researchers and scholars, embodying the spirit of Dr. David H. Blackwell's legacy. This academic initiative not only showcases the remarkable capabilities of our students but also reinforces the importance of research and scholarly curiosity in shaping the future. The Blackwell Summer Scholars Program is a testament to the power of mentorship, collaboration, and the pursuit of knowledge, and we look forward to welcoming a new cohort of scholars next summer.

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Note: The department would like to offer a special thank you to the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Access and Achievement Program for their continued support and generous contributions to this program. Their continued partnership and efforts to help recruit scholars is greatly appreciated.

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FRAC Report Highlights Critical Need to Enhance Access to Summer Nutrition Programs to Address Childhood Hunger

Media Contact:

Jordan Baker [email protected] 202-640-1118

WASHINGTON, August 6, 2024  — A new report released today by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) reveals a drop in children participating in the Summer Nutrition Programs following the loss of pandemic-era waivers.

FRAC’s  Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report  finds that 170,926 fewer children benefited from meals served through the Summer Nutrition Programs in 2023 compared to the previous year. Only 15.3 children received summer lunch for every 100 who received a free or reduced-price school lunch during the previous school year.

“The summer should be about play, adventure, and friends, not rumbling stomachs,” said Crystal FitzSimons, interim president at FRAC. “Summer meals help keep hunger at bay, so that children can enjoy their break and return to school in the fall healthy and ready to learn.”

When the school year ends, millions of children from households with low incomes lose access to the school meals they rely on. The Summer Nutrition Programs, also called summer meals, were designed to replace school meals lost during summer vacation.

These meal programs play an important role in reducing childhood hunger during the summer, and often provide important educational and enrichment programming that combined keep children and teens well-nourished and engaged.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, waivers allowed meal sites to operate in all communities, and sites could offer meals that families could pick up and take home off-site consumption. These waivers were unavailable in summer 2023. Most sites reverted to pre-pandemic operations, and fewer children benefitted from the Summer Nutrition Programs.

Without the waivers, summer meal sites must be located in areas where at least half of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals or at least half of the children served by the site must be eligible, which eliminates access to summer meals in many communities with significant numbers of children who rely on school meals during the school year to keep hunger at bay. The only flexibility that remains is that sites in underserved rural areas can offer meals to families for off-site consumption.

Key findings from the FRAC report:

• Just over 2.8 million children participated in the Summer Nutrition Programs on an average day in July 2023.
• Participation in summer lunch decreased by 5.7 percent in July 2023 compared to July 2022.
• In July 2023, 15.3 children received a summer lunch for every 100 who received a free or reduced-price school lunch during the 2022–2023 school year.
• Participation in lunch in July 2023 was slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels: 30,533 additional children participated in July 2023 when compared to July 2019 (the last summer before the pandemic).
• Participation in breakfast in July 2023 was slightly lower than July 2022, with 287,096 fewer children participating in 2023.

To complement summer meals, the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Program, a  new permanent program,  launched this summer.

Thirty-seven states, the District of Columbia, all five U.S. territories, and two Tribes, are participating in the new nationwide Summer EBT Program,  according  to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Eligible families will receive $120 in federally funded grocery benefits on an EBT card for each school-age child who is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. By implementing the program, these states, territories, and Tribes, are helping to reduce childhood hunger during the summer.

“Maximizing the opportunities available this summer and beyond will be critical to ensuring that children have the nutrition, and the education and enrichment programming, they need to learn and thrive,” said FitzSimons. “Now is the time to recommit to ending summer hunger, and more must be done.”

FRAC calls on Congress to make summer meals more accessible, including by making more communities eligible to provide summer meals, allowing all sites to serve three meals (instead of two), streamlining operations so summer sites can operate after school and on weekends during the school year, and providing more funding for summer programs, so that more children have access to the meals and the educational and enrichment activities they need during the summer to return to school well-nourished and ready to learn.

Read the full  report .

The  Food Research & Action Center  improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit  FRAC.org  and follow us on  X (formerly Twitter),   Facebook,  and  Instagram .

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WASHINGTON, August 6, 2024 — A new report released today by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) reveals a drop in the number of children receiving nutrition over the summer following the loss of pandemic-era waivers. 

WASHINGTON, August 1, 2024 — In an incredible blow to millions of families, the Senate failed to advance the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act this afternoon. This decision leaves families around the nation without vital support to purchase food and to help make ends meet.

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2024 — A significant number of anti-hunger organizations across the U.S. that were surveyed about partnering with health care providers to connect patients to federal nutrition programs emphasized the need for additional investments to reach more patients with health-promoting programs. This is according to a new report, Food as Medicine Survey Findings: How Anti-Hunger Organizations Partner With Health Care Providers to Address Food Insecurity, released today by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). 

From particle physics to beekeeping: Nashville students showcase STEM prowess through Vanderbilt programs

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Aug 6, 2024, 2:06 PM

By Jenna Somers

Metro Nashville Public School students enrolled in programs offered by the Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development experienced a summer of learning that sowed the seeds of budding scientists. The CSEO enhances STEM literacy through establishing unique partnerships between university scientists, K-12 educators and students, and the local and global science community. Students’ summer experiences were supported, in part, by a new three-year, $750,000 grant from Regeneron as part of the company’s five-year, $5 million investment to bolster Nashville’s STEM ecosystem.

“The Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach at Peabody College has a rich history of connecting the Vanderbilt research community with MNPS students who share a passion for STEM education,” said Camilla Benbow , Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development. “I am grateful to the CSEO team and Regeneron, for their commitment to giving young aspiring scientists, engineers, and mathematicians immersive learning opportunities in STEM fields.”

MNPS students collaborated on STEM research projects, worked side-by-side with researchers in Vanderbilt labs, and presented their scholarship at prestigious STEM fairs and in front of Nashville leaders. From the end of spring semester through summer, students in the CSEO’s School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt , Interdisciplinary Science and Research , and Day of Discovery programs embraced Vanderbilt’s “dare to grow” ethos.

“Our team’s mission is to connect Vanderbilt’s cutting-edge scholarly community with local students to create greater access to the world of science and engineering research,” said Angela Eeds, executive director of the CSEO. “Comprised of staff and postdoctoral fellows with diverse STEM backgrounds, our team shares their expertise with students through innovative curricula and hands-on learning opportunities.”

The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt

In 2034 scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory will turn on the new Electron-Ion Collider , a particle accelerator that could lead to novel discoveries about the fundamental structure of matter. But who might these future pathbreaking scientists be? It is possible they could be MNPS students who attended a particle physics workshop at the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt in June.

SSMV is a joint venture between Vanderbilt and MNPS to offer high school students a four-year, interdisciplinary, research-centered learning experience at Vanderbilt where they collaborate with faculty and undergraduate and graduate student mentors.

Raghav Kunnawalkam Elayavalli , assistant professor of physics, has led the hands-on particle physics workshop at SSMV for the past two years.

“We are building this new collider to run new experiments, but we need the scientific workforce to maximize the collider’s discoveries. So we need to be training that workforce right now. My goal with these workshops is for every high school student to know that this is a career path. I ask them, ‘What do you plan to do in 2034? Well, you’ll hopefully be working with me on the Electron-Ion Collider.’ Now, of course, not all of them are going to become physicists, but just learning the computational skills in this workshop will serve them well,” Professor Raghav said.

Professor Raghav has made the workshop curriculum publicly available so that any institution can implement it with local high school students. They also train students in their lab to act as peer mentors in the workshop.

Lucas Mefferd, a senior at Nashville School of the Arts, has been an SSMV student since the beginning of high school. This summer he served as a mentor in the particle physics workshop and ran computer simulations in Professor Raghav’s lab to predict proton and electron collisions in the EIC that could reveal new insights on the structure of matter.

“Over the course of my four years in SSMV, I’ve learned a lot of useful skills about how to do research, approach a problem, and how to navigate resources and relationships with my peers and teachers. It’s greatly strengthened my scientific skills. I’m able to learn new concepts a lot more quickly and understand interdisciplinary connections between scientific fields. In ninth grade, I started with a small project, expanded to bigger projects each year, and now I’m working in a lab and mentoring younger peers. This has been an invaluable experience in preparing me for college and pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering,” Mefferd said.

Eventually, Professor Raghav plans to build capacity to host undergraduate STEM mentors from other institutions. They are particularly interested in diversifying the EIC scientific workforce. To that end, in addition to the diversity of the SSMV cohorts, last year’s workshop included undergraduate mentors from HBCUs. Professor Raghav hopes to secure funding to continue inviting HBCU students as well as undergraduate students from across the country to join the workshop at Vanderbilt and implement it at their home institutions.

In addition to the workshop, SSMV students engaged in events that further showcased and celebrated their talents. In July they presented posters at the 2024 Summer Research Symposium at Vanderbilt. During the spring semester, they attended a fashion and design workshop at the Wond’ry. In May Metro Councilperson At-Large Zulfat Suara spoke at the SSMV Class of 2024 Commencement. She was joined at the ceremony by MNPS School Board Chair Rachael Anne Elrod and school board members Berthena Nabaa-McKinney and TK Fayne.

Interdisciplinary Science and Research

The Interdisciplinary Science and Research program brings together scientists and MNPS teachers to co-teach STEM courses at Stratford STEM Magnet High School, Hillsboro High School, and John Overton High School.

Eight ISR students participated in the Research Experience for High School Students program, a six-week summer research internship at Vanderbilt for rising high school seniors interested in STEM careers. They joined SSMV students at the Summer Research Symposium to present their findings.

“Being a part of ISR and the REHSS program and working in a professional lab at Vanderbilt University has been an amazing experience. I’ve had the opportunity to understand what real research looks like and that simple experiments like mine can impact real-world problems such as dilated cardiomyopathy and congenital heart diseases,” said Darilyn Finch, a senior at Hillsboro High School who conducted research on muscle cells and proteins in the human heart in the lab of Dylan Burnette , associate professor of cell and developmental biology. Finch aspires to become a medical doctor.

ISR also collaborated with the Ayin Project and the Nashville POWER Youth Summer Employment Initiative to launch the inaugural Summer High School Internships in Research Experiences program, which gives rising juniors and rising seniors the opportunity to participate in paid internships with Vanderbilt scientists. SHIRE students attended the research symposium to learn how to present research projects, as some of them will present capstone projects in their senior year.

In May Stratford STEM Magnet High School’s ISR students and teachers celebrated the Bee Grand Opening. Honeybee Tennessee provided a grant to support two beehives and beekeeping equipment at the school. The ISR program also received funding from the Centennial Park Conservancy’s Earth Day Nashville for beekeeping infrastructure and a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority for thermal cameras to help monitor the hives.

“The purpose of the hives is manifold and benefits both our educational and neighborhood communities,” said Jesi Seifert, lead ISR teacher at Stratford. “The hives will allow students to observe a cooperative colony of organisms over time, understand the activities and processes that allow the colonies to survive, collect scientific data that will be utilized in class and individual research projects, and learn skills that would allow them to pursue a valuable and lucrative hobby or career. Our ISR students, in turn, will teach what they learn to the elementary and middle school students from our feeder schools, both on our campus and theirs, not only advancing their environmental education but increasing community support for honeybees and beekeeping. Additionally, the hives will provide local pollination services to the community surrounding Stratford STEM Magnet’s campus, utilize Stratford’s extensive pollinator gardens, and will (hopefully one day soon) provide honey and other hive materials for use in educational and economic initiatives.”

ISR students also presented at the Middle Tennessee Science and Engineering Fair in the spring. Alex Zambrano, an ISR student at John Overton High School, was the grand prize winner at the fair and won first place in environmental sciences. In May they attended the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles. Nine other ISR students placed first through third in various categories at the MTSEF.

Day of Discovery at the Zoo

The Day of Discovery program provides MNPS middle school students immersive research-based STEM learning experiences one school day per week at educational sites across Nashville.

As a culmination to their school year, 31 Day of Discovery students from William Henry Oliver Middle School, McMurray Middle School, and Croft Design Center Middle School presented scientific research projects during Day of Discovery at the Nashville Zoo . The projects contributed to the zoo’s mission of conservation and animal well-being. Students also explored ways to make the zoo more accessible to people with visual impairments by creating tactile images of animals. They used AI to create audio recordings of scientific facts about animals and detailed descriptions of the tactile images. They also created audio QR codes to link to animal information and image descriptions. School board member Freda Player attended the event.

Beyond the Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach

As CSEO students return to MNPS classrooms this fall, their summer experiences of hands-on research, mentorship, and community engagement have equipped them with invaluable skills to continue their STEM journeys long after high school. In ten years, they might work on the EIC and reshape humanity’s knowledge of the physical world. They might cure heart disease, become a beekeeper, or make significant advancements in animal conservation. No matter what path they lead, the ripple effects of their educational experiences with the CSEO will extend far beyond the classrooms and labs of Vanderbilt.

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• Education and Psychology
• Angela Eeds
• Arts and Science
• Camilla Benbow
• Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach
• College of Arts and Science
• Metro Nashville Public Schools
• Peabody College
• Peabody College of Education and Human Development
• peabody-home
• Raghav Kunnawalkam Elayavalli