Undergraduate students from universities in Texas, Louisiana and the Virgin Islands participated in the Summer Research Mentoring Program and were honored at a research symposium held last week at the Children’s Cancer Research Institute.
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After 10 weeks of dedicated research, 11 selected undergraduate students from universities in Texas, Louisiana and the Virgin Islands showcased their final research projects that they developed during a summer mentorship program, sponsored by the Health Science Center and The University of Texas at San Antonio. A research symposium was held last week at the Children’s Cancer Research Institute to honor the participants and encourage them to seek admission to doctoral programs in science and engineering disciplines in San Antonio.

This program was enabled by a grant from the office of the vice chancellor for health affairs. “The purpose of this collaborative program at UTSA and the UTHSCSA was to provide an intense and highly-interactive research experience that prepared the participants for entry into graduate school in a contemporary area of science or engineering,” said Merle Olson, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Health Science Center. Dr. Olson said “by bringing the students to our labs and classrooms at the Health Science Center and UTSA, we were able to promote our graduate programs and the special qualities of our research faculty by attracting some of the brightest undergraduates from regional colleges and universities.”

Dean of the Graduate School at UTSA, Dorothy Flannagan, Ph.D., described the program’s significance. “We think this program will in many ways help promising students be competitive when they seek to enroll in graduate programs during their senior year of college.”

John Byrne, a senior at Baylor University who is interested in cancer research, describes his research project that he completed during the Summer Research Mentoring Program. (Left) Robin Leach, Ph.D., professor of cellular and structural biology, mentored Byrne.

Students were able to work in research laboratory settings and conduct research projects of their own, while faculty members served as mentors to the students, assisting them with their areas of interest. Each student received a stipend, on-campus housing at UTSA, and six hours of academic credit for independent research and a course in professional development and ethics.

“I think this program was a fantastic opportunity for all of us,” said John Byrne, a senior at Baylor University who is interested in cancer research. Byrne was mentored by Robin Leach, Ph.D., professor of cellular and structural biology, and Teresa Johnson-Pais, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics. “This was my first experience with research oncology and I can’t thank my mentors enough for opening their labs to me and standing by my side each day.”

The Summer Research Mentoring Program was under the direction of Sophia Piña, Ph.D., assistant dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Health Science Center, and Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at UTSA. Drs. Barea-Rodriguez and Piña coordinated activities that included a weekly seminar series, exposing students to ongoing research projects in the health sciences and engineering fields from both institutions.

In addition, the students participated in a series of workshops that helped each individual determine their strengths in order to find the connection between talents and achievements in academics, and all aspects of life. Other activities included field trips to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, the Research Imaging Center, DPT Pharmaceuticals, Incell Corporation and Southwest Institute’s Space and Engineering program.

“You are our future generation,” Dr. Piña told the students. “By accepting the challenge to begin a career in research, you will illuminate a path for future generations to want to learn about the technological and conceptual bases of contemporary experimental science.”

Dr. Piña recognized several individuals at the symposium who helped make this summer’s program a success. They included Gail Taylor, Ph.D., assistant director of the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program at UTSA and coordinator for the Summer Program Professional Development and Ethics course; Dawn Roberson, Ph.D., adjunct assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at the Health Science Center and assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UTSA; and all the faculty mentors from both institutions who provided guidance and inspiration.

“Clearly, the highlight of this program will come when we achieve the desired outcome as many of the summer scholars enroll in our graduate programs for their doctoral studies,” Dr. Olson said.