No abstract

This retrospective study, from 2004 to 2015, explored the career trajectories of undergraduates and recent post-baccalaureates who participated in an undergraduate research experience (URE) that combined both laboratory experience and mentoring younger students. Forty former interns completed an online survey focusing on their path from internship to career. Interns were queried about the skills they perceived as being critical in their subsequent STEM-related endeavors. They also wrote narratives that indicated their attitudes about STEM education, outreach and mentoring. The responses showed all but one of the 40 participants were engaged in either STEM-related careers or education. The participants provided examples of what aspects of the internship had long-term impact on their persistence in the sciences. As the majority of the respondents were from populations traditionally underrepresented in STEM careers, this study adds to the literature on the positive effect of internships on individual STEM persistence. The results indicated that this internship helped create a cadre of professionals who not only persisted in STEM but also retained an active commitment to helping younger students gain an appreciation for science. It was concluded that undergraduate persistence in the sciences is strengthened when interns are given training in and the responsibility for mentoring.

No abstract

No abstract

The potential for personalized cancer management has long intrigued experienced researchers as well as the naïve student intern. Personalized cancer treatments based on a tumor's genetic profile are now feasible and can reveal both the cells' susceptibility and resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. In a weeklong laboratory investigation that mirrors current cancer research, undergraduate and advanced high school students determine the efficacy of common pharmacological agents through in vitro testing. Using mouse mammary tumor cell cultures treated with ''unknown'' drugs historically recommended for breast cancer treatment, students are introduced to common molecular biology techniques from in vitro cell culture to fluorescence microscopy. Student understanding is assessed through laboratory reports and the successful identification of the unknown drug. The sequence of doing the experiment, applying logic, and constructing a hypothesis gives the students time to discover the rationale behind the cellular drug resistance assay. The breast cancer experiment has been field tested during the past 5 yr with more than 200 precollege/undergraduate interns through the Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science program hosted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.