Eleven students about to enter their second year at BSU spent the summer engaged in research on a variety of topics as part of a special program funded by a $1 million National Science Foundation grant.
Students Engaging in Scientific and Mathematical Interdisciplinary Collaborations, or SEISMIC for short, is a program geared toward providing support for academically talented students. The 11 students in the program recently showcased their research at an event held in the DMF Math and Science Center. They are Alec Milord, Raina Malmberg, Tyler Martel, Davriana Fontes, Filmawit Belay, Bryan Martinez, Evelise Moreno, Irene Yankey, Irena Yankey, Daniel Smith and Jordan Thompson.
Dr. Thomas Kling, directs the program along with Drs. Colby King and Stephen Waratuke, with assistance from the Center for Advancement of STEM Education Director Jennifer Aizenman.
The SEISMIC scholars were admitted to the cohort-style program last fall. During the summer, these students were engaged in research with faculty teams on the project topics Wavelet Transformations, Detecting Environmental Contaminants, Making Flow Cells, and Identifying PCR Primers.
These interdisciplinary projects were mentored by Dr. Jennifer Mendell, Dr. Cielito "Tammy" King, Dr. Vignon Oussa and Dr Thaya Paramanathan.
The students in the three-year SEISMIC program will continue to engage in research and other activities here at BSU. This fall, their journey continues in the philosophy course, “Science, Values, and Society” taught by Dr. Catherine Womack, where they will learn about the intersection of science and society from a humanistic perspective. Meanwhile, a third-year course on “STEM Motivation” will feature service learning opportunities in local schools. (Story by John Winters, G '11, University News & Media)