Michael Danquah<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe students were selected for the Appalachian STEM program after completing an application process that included essays and letters of recommendation. The program will culminate with a final group presentation where students will showcase their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe experience has been absolutely tremendous,\u201d Cromer said. \u201cYou get to see the campus, the rooms, the buildings, and you get to see the labs. That\u2019s my favorite part. You get to work in the labs with some really awesome people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Foundational Learning Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n During the first week of the session, the students were working on biosensors. They were split into two groups, with one using an electrochemical method and the other an optical method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is very interesting because I\u2019ve never done anything like this before,\u201d said Michael Louis, a 13-year-old from Huntsville, Alabama. \u201cI\u2019ve never taken biology before. It is very fun because of all the mixing and the applications that you have to do. I might pursue this as a career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jackie Liu and Dawson Myers, rising UT senior biomedical engineering majors, have been assisting the groups during their research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s fun seeing them enjoy STEM and want to learn more about what we do and what UTK has to offer as well,\u201d Liu said. \u201cIt\u2019s cool getting to influence the younger generations to be interested in STEM and engineering. They\u2019re really smart. We haven\u2019t had to help them much because they just know it, and they\u2019re always willing to learn and ask questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Myers gained some perspective about his own educational path by interacting with the younger generation of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA lot of time when you\u2019re working with all these graduate students and postdocs, you see the big gulf in your knowledge. So having these kids come in, who some of them haven\u2019t even experienced any biology, it lets you see how far you\u2019ve come yourself,\u201d Myers said. \u201cIt\u2019s encouraging to see how focused everyone is and how in tune they are with what we are doing every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Developing Future Scientists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Shokoufeh Soleimani, a PhD student in biomedical engineering, appreciated the young group\u2019s diversity of backgrounds. Leading them through real-world experiments and teaching them scientific techniques gave her a greater appreciation for the value of giving back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe presence of these young scientists in our lab has been a source of immense joy and motivation for me. Their enthusiasm and fresh perspectives have invigorated our work environment and reminded us of the importance of fostering the next generation of researchers,\u201d Soleimani said. \u201cWatching their eyes light up as they make new discoveries and understand complex concepts has been incredibly rewarding. Hosting these high school students has reinforced my belief in the importance of mentorship and education in shaping the future of science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the time she spent at UT, Comer was inspired by all she had experienced and grateful for the opportunity to expand her horizons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI highly suggest this opportunity to anyone looking to go to college, looking for a future job in STEM, or looking for the relationships and the passion to carry with you throughout your life,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a highly prestigious program that can help you achieve all of those major goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, rpotkey@utk.edu<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UT hosts Appalachian STEM Academy at Oak Ridge, a program providing STEM learning experiences for students and teachers located in the Appalachian region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[110],"class_list":["post-586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-appalachian-stem-academy"],"yoast_head":"\n
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