The Young Scientist: A Career Guide for Underrepresented Science Graduates

Volume 4 · 2009

Spectrum Joins the Fight to End Health DisparitiesSpectrum Healthcare Diversity & Informat-ics, publisher of The Young Scientist, was recently awarded a contract through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to develop a centralized computer database. This database will enhance our efforts to encourage students to enter and serve in the challenging fields of science, bioscience, and other research areas that allow them to fight and eliminate health disparities.

We encourage all those involved in research through NIH to share their experiences with us. For more information, please visit www.spectrumunlimited.com.

contentsgetting your own lab coat!.....................2

study hard—study science......................4

discover something cool about yourself—with science!...........................5

the young scientist profile— laty cahoon............................................10

2009 gilliam fellows introduction......12

thinking of becoming a scientist? consider community college.................13

what’s it like to be an...ecologist.........17

what’s it like to be a...biophysicist......20

what’s it like to be a...virologist.........22

marc program helps students achieve their dreams.............................27

alternative careers...............................29

abrcms 2009!...........................................30

resources for the young scientist.......32

ad index...................................................32

The. Young. Scientist. is. published. annually. by.Spectrum. Healthcare. Diversity. &. Informatics..Subscription. rates:. $10. per. year.. Copyright.2009. Spectrum. Healthcare. Diversity. &. Infor-matics..No.part.of. this.publication.may.be.re-produced.without.the.consent.of.the.publisher..The.opinions.expressed.in.this.publication.are.those. of. the. authors. and. do. not. necessarily.reflect. the.view.of. the.magazine.managers.or.owners..The.appearance.of. advertisements. in.the. publication. does. not. constitute. endorse-ment.of.the.product.or.company.

SPECTRUM UNLIMITED1194-A Buckhead Crossing

Woodstock, GA 30189(770) 852-2671

fax: (770) 924-4327JMMSmag@aol.com

www.minoritymedicalstudents.com

publisherBill Bowers

editor-in-chiefLaura L. Scholes

laura@laurascholes.com

senior account executivesVanessa BowersFabiana Allegro

art directorLacey Rainwater

copy editorRobert Blue

marketing directorErica Perkins

publisher’s advisorMichelle Perkins, MD

publisher’s assistantHope Alvarez

spectrum publishing is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arm of spectrum unlimited

2 the young scientist

Are. you. curious?. Do. you. like. num-bers?.Do.you.like.adventures?.If.so,.maybe.you.should.become.a.scien-tist..A.good.scientist. is.curious.and.asks. lots. of. questions,. such. as…How does something work? What is inside? Why does that happen?

Scientists.seek.answers.to.these.and.other.ques-tions.. The. answers. help. solve. problems. in. our.world.. If. you. like. numbers,. science. can. be. for.

you. too,.since.scientists.make.many.measurements..Things.such.as. length,.weight,. time,.and.volume.are.measured.frequently..Numbers.are.recorded.in.a.book.called.a.“log.book”.or.“record.book,”.and.usually.are.stored.and.analyzed.with.the.help.of.a.computer..So.it’s.good.to.like.working.with.a.computer.too!

Movie. heroes. like. Indiana. Jones. live. lives. of. high.adventure.. Scientists. experience. adventure. too,. es-pecially. when. new. information. is. discovered. which.might. explain. how. something. works,. or. even. help.cure.people.of.a.killing.disease..Consider.some.of.the.discoveries.of.science:.X-rays;.vaccines.for.dangerous.diseases;. antibiotics;. rocket. engines;. the. transistor;.and.more.recently,.a.gene.which.is.responsible.for.breast.cancer.in.humans,.discovered.by.scien-tists. at. National. Institute. of. Environmental.Health. Sciences. (NIEHS).. The. scientists.and. their. teams. who. made. these. dis-coveries.sense.excitement,.adventure,.and.satisfaction.because.they.are.un-derstanding. how. something. works.for. the.first. time,.and.maybe.solv-ing. a. serious. problem. too.. These.discoveries.can.also.be.fun!

Some.scientists.specialize.in.study-ing.living.things..We.call.them.biolo-gists..Some. try. to. learn.more.about.the. ground. and. the. earth.. They’re.called.geologists..Physicists.are.sci-entists.who.study.physical.phenom-ena.such.as.light.or.electricity..At.the.(NIEHS).in.the.Research.Triangle.Park.in.North.Carolina,.dozens.of.dedicat-ed. toxicologists. study. the.effects.of.

different.chemicals.on.living.things..A.toxicologist.is.a.specialized.type.of.biologist.who.investigates.chemi-cals. to.see. if. they.act.as. toxins. (poisons)..These.are.just. a. few. examples. of. the.many. kinds. of. scientists.that.make.discoveries.every.day.which.make.life.bet-ter. for. all. of. us..We.become.healthier,.with. a. better.understanding.of.our.world.and.the.other.animals.and.plants.that.live.here.with.us.

Finally,. a. good. scientist. needs. to. communicate.with. other. scientists. through. speech. and. in. writ-ing..That.means.solid.skills.in.English.are.necessary..Though.not.easy.for.many.of.us,.these.skills. come.with. time. and.prac-tice..They’ll.come.to.you.too,.and.you’ll.find.lots.of.help.from.your.teachers,.ad-visors,.and.even.oth-er.scientists.

Our. world. needs.dedicated. science.p ro f e s s i ona l s ..Maybe.you.will.be-come.one.of.them!

getting your own lab coat!by dick sloane, national institute of environmental health sciences

photo courtesy of nhlbi

Today.we.face.more.complex.challenges.than.we.have. ever. faced. before:. a. medical. system. that.holds. the. promise. of. unlocking. new. cures. and.

treatments—attached. to. a. health. care. system. that.holds.the.potential.for.bankruptcy.to.families.and.busi-nesses;.a.system.of.energy.that.powers.our.economy,.but.simultaneously.endangers.our.planet.

At. such. a. difficult. moment,. there. are. those. who.say.we.cannot.afford. to. invest. in.science,. that.sup-port. for. research. is. somehow. a. luxury. at.moments.defined. by. necessities.. I. fundamentally. disagree..Science.is.more.essential.for.our.prosperity,.our.se-curity,.our.health,.our.environment,.and.our.quality.of.life.than.it.has.ever.been.before..

We. know. that. the. progress. and. prosperity. of. fu-ture.generations.will.depend.on.what.we.do.now.to.educate.the.next.generation,.and.that’s.why.I’ve.an-nounced.that.states.making.strong.commitments.and.progress.in.math.and.science.education.will.be.eligi-ble.to.compete.later.this.fall.for.additional.funds.un-der.the.Secretary.of.Education’s.$5.billion.Race to the Top. program..My.administration.has. set. a.goal. that.will. greatly. enhance. our. ability. to. compete. for. the.

high-wage,.high-tech. jobs.of.the.future—and.to.fos-

ter. the. next. gen-eration. of. sci-

entists. and.engineers..

In.the.next.decade—by.2020—Amer-ica.will.once.again.have.the.highest.proportion. of. college. graduates. in.the.world..That.is.a.goal.that.we.are.going.to.set..And.we’ve.provided.tax.credits.and.grants.to.make.a.college.education.more.affordable.

That’s. because. you’ll. need. the.knowledge.and.problem-solving.skills.

you.learn.in.science.and.math.to.cure.diseases.like.can-cer.and.AIDS,.and.to.develop.new.energy.technologies.and.protect. our. environment.. You’ll. need. the. insights.and. critical-thinking. skills. you. gain. in. history. and. so-cial. studies. to.fight.poverty. and.homelessness,. crime.and.discrimination,.and.make.our.nation.more.fair.and.more.free..You’ll.need.the.creativity.and.ingenuity.you.develop.in.all.your.classes.to.build.new.companies.that.will.create.new.jobs.and.boost.our.economy.

We.need.every.single.one.of.you.to.develop.your.tal-ents,.skills,.and.intellect.so.you.can.help.solve.our.most.difficult.problems..

The.story.of.America.isn’t.about.people.who.quit.when.things.got.tough..It’s.about.people.who.kept.going,.who.tried. harder,. who. loved. their. country. too.much. to. do.anything. less.than.their.best.. It’s.the.story.of.students.250.years.ago.who.sat.where.you.sit,. and.went.on. to.wage.a.revolution.and.found.this.nation;.students.who.sat.where.you.sit.75.years.ago.who.overcame.a.Depres-sion.and.won.a.world.war;.who.fought.for.civil.rights.and.put.a.man.on.the.moon..And,.it’s.the.story.of.students.20.years.ago.who.sat.where.you.sit.and.who. founded.Google,.Twitter.and.Facebook.and.changed.the.way.we.communicate.with.each.other.

So.today,. I.want. to.ask.you,.what’s.your.contribution.going.to.be?.What.problems. are. you. going. to. solve?.What.discoveries.will.you.make?

So.today,.I.want.to.ask.you,.what’s.your.contribution.going. to. be?.What. problems. are. you. going. to. solve?.What.discoveries.will.you.make?.

I.expect.you.to.put.your.best.effort.into.everything.you.do..I.expect.great.things.from.each.of.you..Don’t.let.us.down..Don’t. let.your.family.or.your.country.or.yourself.down..Make.us.all.proud..I.know.you.can.do.it..

Editor’s Note: Comments from President Obama culled from recent speeches and statements about science and education.

study hard—study scienceby president barack obama

5the young scientist

When.someone.mentions.the.word.scientist,.it.might.make.you. think.of.a.nerdy.white.guy.who.looks.like.he’s.been.holed.up.in.a.dark.

lab.for.too.long..But.really,.there.are.LOTS.of.different.kinds. of. people. doing. LOTS. of. different. kinds. of. sci-ence..Some.people.do.work.in.labs,.but.there.are.lots.of.other.places.to.do.science:.in.a.rainforest,.in.a.classroom,.on.a.mountaintop..

What’s.more,.almost.everything.you.see.or.use.during. the. course.of. your.day.was. in-fluenced.by.a.scientist..Physicists.did.the.research.that.eventually.resulted.in.cell-phone.and.other.wireless.technologies..Chemists. did. the. research. that. even-tually.resulted.in.the.creation.of.your.prescription.medications.. Geologists.use. computer. models. and. field. re-search.to.find.the.oil.that.heats.your.home. each. winter.. Meteorologists.make. the. weather. predictions. that.help. leaders.decide.whether.to.take.actions. like.evacuating.citizens. from.areas.about.to.be.hit.by.storms.

discover something cool about yourself—with science!

types of scientistsWith. few.exceptions,. scientists.who.work. in.the.private. sector. are. involved.with. applied.research.and.development..While.their.work.deals. with. the. same. concepts. as. scientists.employed. at. universities,. private-sector. sci-entists. generally. cope. with. a. tighter. time.frame,. and. are. more. attuned. to. the. bottom.line.. Scientists. are. in. business. to. turn. their.ideas.and.hypotheses. into.products. their. com-panies.can.sell.Engineers. also. apply. scientific. principles. to. cre-

ate.products..But.unlike.engineers,.applied.scientists.usually.work.on.more.fundamental.research.and.are.re-moved.from.the.production.lines..If.you.want.to.think.of.it.in.terms.of.a.continuum,.research.scientists.at.univer-sities.deal.with.abstract.principles.of.science..Applied.scientists. use. the. same. principles,. but. shape. them.into. more. specific. ideas,. materials,. and. equipment..Engineers.then.use.such.equipment.to.make.products.within.a.budget,.on.a.timetable.

1) To be one of the few people in the world to know a lot about a par-ticular thing.

2) To be able to put all the things I see around me into one picture.

3) Because I just cannot stop asking questions. (My mom says I started doing this at age 2)

4) There is no better way to play as an adult.

5) EVERYTHING is more inter-esting because you know more about it.

6) I get to spend a lot of time on boats.

7) I get to go on field trips where you collect information from nature.

8) To build an understanding of the world I live in.

9) Being able to find out exciting new things throughout one’s life.

10) To serve as a custodian of understanding [knowledge] of the world, and especially to help society preserve it.

11) We study a lot of the major problems in the world today—global warming, ozone hole—and try to help work out solu-tions.

12) For the opportunity to study important phenom-ena that may influence life on earth, and make important contributions to society.

13) To add to the human knowl-edge base.

14) You learn something new every day.

15) I like to live near the water and work with animals in the water, and the scenery is great.

16) To expand our understand-ing of how nature “works.”

Top 38 reasons to be a scientistA.group.of.graduate.students.in.the.University.of.Washing-ton.School.of.Oceanography.were. recently. asked. why.they. like. being. a. scientist..You. might. be. surprised. by.some.of.their.answers.

photo courtesy of the nhlbi

17) I get paid to think about fun puzzles every day.

18) I get to go out on a lot of boats.

19) Doing science is like doing a puzzle.

20) I like to try to figure out ways to solve some of the problems in the world (like problems related to ocean pollution).

21) I like to use to my mind.

22) It is like being an explorer.

23) You get to learn from the mistakes you make.

24) I learn something new every day and do fun things in the lab.

25) You get to study the way things work in nature.

26) Being allowed to be curious about whatever you want.

27) You never know where your research (ex-plorations) will lead you.

28) I love to explore the under-water world!

29) You never get bored.

30) You get to learn the answer to questions about things that happen in nature; even ques-tions that your teachers or par-ents sometimes can’t answer.

31) I like trying to find out some-thing new all the time rather than doing a routine job.

32) Even Bill Gates will still have to call me doctor.

33) Wanting to find connections and patterns between separate natural events.

34) Wanting to learn the details that make the world work.

35) I believe it is ultimately one of the most purely creative endeavors that one can under-take, and I have the hope that my work might make a contribution toward a body of knowledge.

36) Getting to do interesting and challenging work in order to answer questions others don’t know the answer to.

37) It always [satisfies] me to build a career out of imagina-tion.

38) It can lead to a career that focuses on discov-ery, excitement, and working outside, with the added bonus of continu-ous intellectual chal-lenges.

what you’ll doScientists. who. aren’t. working. in. academic. research.typically. apply. their. skills. to. develop. and/or. under-stand.materials,.products,.equipment,.and.production.methods.in.a.variety.of.ways..Physicists,.for.instance,.might. be. hired. by. biotechnology. firms. to. design. the.equipment. needed. to. work. on. materials. at. the. mo-lecular. level;. by. semiconductor.manufacturers. to. ap-ply.their.knowledge.of.solid-state.quantum.mechanics.(the.study.of.crystalline.solids.such.as.silicon).to.create.computer. chips. that.will. run. faster.at. lower. tempera-tures;.or.by.computer.software.firms.to.write.and.de-velop.computer.programs.used.to.model.complex.pro-cesses,. such.as. the.blood.flowing. through.a.heart.or.money.through.a.stock.exchange.

Chemists.work.at.companies.like.petroleum.refining.plants,. pharmaceutical. companies,. paint.manufactur-ers,.and.food-processing.plants.

Many. biological. scientists. work. in. the. biomedical.field. and. are. known. as. medical. scientists.. They. re-search. infectious.diseases.(such.as. the.common.cold.

and.AIDS).and.develop.vaccines,.new.drugs,.and.treat-ments.. They.may. be. employed. by. government. agen-cies,.such.as.the.U.S..Centers.for.Disease.Control.and.Prevention,.or.work.for.large.drug.companies.such.as.Merck.or.Pfizer.

who does wellScientists.need.to.be.analytical.thinkers.and.comfort-able.with.math..There’s.a.reason.why.scientists.are.of-ten.portrayed.as.people.who.speak.in.technical.jargon.impenetrable.to.the.common.ear:.all.fields.of.science.require.mastery.of. a.host.of. precise. terminology.and.complicated.theories.that.have.been.piling.up.since.the.dawn.of.the.Enlightenment.

Of. course,. that’s. not. to. downplay. the. role. of. solid.communication.skills..In.today’s.business.climate,.sci-entists.typically.work.in.teams.and.need.to.be.able.to.communicate.efficiently.what. they’ve.been.doing.and.why. it’s. important,. especially. if. they’re. looking. for. a.bigger.budget.

beyond scienceGetting.a.well-rounded.education.is.important.because,.whether. right. after. school. or. after. getting. experience.in.a.hardcore.science.setting,.you.may.want.to.change.careers. to. something. outside. the. laboratory.. For. in-stance,. if. you.study.biochemistry,. you.may.eventually.decide.to.go.to.work.for.a.financial.services.institution.as.a.biotech.stock.analyst..Increasingly,.employers.are.realizing. that. the.analytical. skills.and.computer.expe-rience.picked.up.learning.science.can.be.put.to.use.in.

a.host.of.other.professions,.such.as.sales,.marketing,.and.business.consulting..If.you.have.good.social.skills.and.interests.outside.of.science,.you.may.find.that.you.have.a.better.chance.making.such.a.career.change..In.addition,.scientists.can.always.teach.high.school.or.go.back.to.academia.to.research.or.try.to.land.a.job.as.a.professor..As.one. industry. insider.puts. it,.“People.are.beginning. to. realize. that.someone.who.has.mastered.

quantum.physics.usually.treats.something.like.analyzing.the.stock.market.or.

a.complex.business.problem.as. an. enjoyable. break..

Your.options.are.really.wide.open.”

If.you’re.looking.for.a.science-related.career,.at.a.min-imum.you’ll.need.a.bachelor’s.degree.from.a.four-year.university,.which.shouldn’t.be.a.problem.. If.you’re. in-terested.in.a.career.in.science,.you.should.naturally.be.drawn.to.its.study..In.fact,.for.most.research.positions,.the.industry.requires.a.master’s.degree,.and.many.em-ployers—particularly.large.labs.run.by.corporations.or.the.government—require.a.PhD.before.they’ll.consider.hiring.you.into.a.research.division.

Without.an.advanced.degree,.you.might.find.yourself.pushed.into.a.new.line.of.work.such.as.sales,.marketing,.or.an.engineering.role..If.you.want.to.stay.near.the.test.tubes,.the.jobs.can.resemble.those.done.by.lab.techni-cians,.where.you’ll.find.yourself.doing.things.like.labeling.hundreds.of.petri.dishes.and.cleaning.the.centrifuge.

Along.with.a.degree.from.an.accredited.school,. lab.experience. can. help. you. find.work.. Internships. are. a.great.place.to.start,.as.much.because.they.allow.you.to.network.in.your.field.as.because.they.give.you.practi-cal.experience..“I.think.one.of.the.biggest.differences.between. the. hard-science. programs. and. engineering.programs. is. that. the. engineering. programs. usually.have.the.channels.set.up.to.give.their.students.real-life.experience,”.says.one.industry.insider..“So.students.[in.the.sciences].who.want.to.work.in.industry.after.school.need.to.make.sure.to.establish.contacts.in.the.business.world.while.still.in.school.”

job outlookThe.U.S.. Bureau. of. Labor. Statistics. projects. the. jobs.outlook.in.various.fields.of.science.as.follows:

•. Opportunities.for.hydrologists.will.grow.much.faster.than.jobs.overall.between.2004.and.2014.

•. Opportunities. for. environmental. scientists,. agricul-tural. and. food. scientists,. biologists,. atmospheric.scientists,.will.grow.at.about.the.same.rate.as. jobs.overall.between.2004.and.2014.

•.Opportunities. for. chemists,. physicists,. astrono-mers,. and. geoscientists. will. grow. more. slowly.

than. jobs. overall. between. 2004. and. 2014..However,.there.will.be.plenty.of.opportu-

nities. for. chemists. within. the. growing.pharmaceutical.and.biotech.arenas.

Someone.who. has.mastered. quan-tum. physics. usually. treats. some-thing.like.analyzing.the.stock.market.or. a. complex. business. problem. as.an.enjoyable.break.

career tracksWhile. some. people. who. study. biology. in.school. may. end. up. doing. the. work. of. a.chemist,.for.the.most.part,.where.you.work.will. depend. to. a. large. extent. on.what. you.studied.in.school.

physicistsHistorically,.physicists.who.didn’t.teach.at.uni-versities. worked. at. large. government-funded.laboratories,. unlocking. the. physical. secrets. of.nature,. or. at. defense. corporations,. developing.stronger.explosives.or.faster.aircraft..But.as.a.result.of.the.fall.of.communism.and.the.advent.of.federal.belt.tightening,.only.about.20.percent.of.all.physicists.in.the.United. States. now. work. in. government. labs,. though.that.may.change.with.the.ongoing.war.on.terrorism.

Physicists. usually. pick. a. specific. subfield. while. in.school,. such.as.astronomy,.elementary.particle.phys-ics,. optics,. acoustics,. plasma. physics,. or. solid-state.physics..That.doesn’t.mean.physicists.get.pigeonholed:.Each.subfield.is.related.to.understanding.the.elemen-tary.nature.of.matter.and.energy,.so.career.crossovers.are. common.. Someone. with. in-depth. knowledge. of.atomic.and.molecular.physics,.for.example,.might.work.alongside. a. solid-state. physicist. at. a. semiconductor.manufacturer.

Most. physics-related. research. positions. require. a.PhD;.those.who.get.only.their.bachelor’s.degrees.usu-ally.work.in.more.traditional.engineering.positions..The.analytical-thinking. skills. and. mathematical. expertise.gained.studying.the.intricacies.of.matter,.outer.space,.and. Einstein’s. theories. of. relativity. are. readily. put. to.use.in.the.aerospace.and.defense,.computer.hardware,.and.heavy.manufacturing.industries.

chemistsChemists.working.in.applied.research.laboratories.use.their.knowledge.of.the.basic.building.blocks.of.all.ma-terials. (i.e.,. chemicals). to. keep. America. filled. to. the.brim. with. low-priced,. high-quality. consumer. goods..Chemists.take.credit.for.creating.such.products.as.ny-lon,.plastic,.and.Viagra.

As. with. physics,. the. field. of. chemistry. is. split. into.subfields..Organic.chemists,.for.instance,.study.carbon-based. chemicals. found. in. living. things,.while. physical.chemists.study.the.fundamentals.of.chemical.reactions.

Chemists.have.been.finding.fewer.university.and.ba-sic-research.openings,.but.more.opportunities. in. cor-porate.applied-research.departments,.although.there’s.an. increasing. trend. for. large.companies. to.outsource.research.and.development.to.smaller.consulting.firms..

Some.of.the.strongest.job.growth.will.continue.to.take.place.at.pharmaceutical.companies.and.biotechnology.firms.eager.to.create.new.drugs.to.treat.America’s.ag-ing.population..The.consumer.products.and.semicon-ductor. industries. also. have. abundant. opportunities.for. chemists,.and.many.chemists.move. from.applied-research. labs. to. quality-assurance. roles. traditionally.filled.by.chemical.engineers.

biological scientistsIf.you’re.not.sure.whether.you’d.rather.work.in.a.high-tech. lab. somewhere. in. New. York. or. camp. out. in. the.middle.of.an.Amazon.rain.forest,.take.the.safe.bet.and.study.biology.or.related.fields.such.as.biochemistry.

Many.biological.scientists—such.as.zoologists,.bot-anists,. and. ecologists—work. in. the. field,. conducting.research.on.animals.and.plants.to.see.how.they.inter-relate,.and.measuring.the.effects.of.human.civilization.on.the.environment.

Within. city. limits,. biologists. generally. work. in. re-search. and. development. labs,. and. use. their. knowl-edge.of.living.organisms.to.create.solutions.and.prod-ucts. related. to. the. health. fields,. including. vaccines.and.new.drugs.

Throughout. the. past. couple. of. decades,. rapid. ad-vances.in.understanding.the.structure.of.DNA.led.bio-technology. firms. to. employ. an. increasing. number. of.biological.scientists..Their.work.includes.research.into.how.altering.genetic.material.of.plants.and.animals.can.lead. to.new.and.better. consumer.products.and.phar-maceuticals,. such. as. the. discovery. of. human. growth.hormone.and.human.insulin.

agricultural scientistsThe.federal.government.employs.a.third.of.agricultural.scientists;. many. of. them. are. involved. in. researching.new.ways.to.increase.the.nation’s.agricultural.output..Those.employed.by.private.companies.work.in.pure.or.applied.research,.though.some.work.in.more.traditional.engineering.roles.and.oversee.production.of.farm-relat-ed.equipment.and.supplies,.such.as.pesticides.

Agricultural. scientists. must. have. a. strong. back-ground. in. biology..While.many.universities. have. spe-cific. programs. for. agricultural. science,. many. biology.graduates.end.up.working. in.agricultural.science..For.example,.one.of.the.faster-growing.areas.of.research.is.the.study.of.how.to.alter.a.crop’s.genetic.composition.(DNA).to.improve.net.yields.

For.the.most.part,.agriculture.scientists.stay.close.to. the. farm. and. work. with. crops,. the. soil,. or. ani-mals.. But. large. food-processing. corporations. such.as. Kraft,. or. government. agencies. such. as. the. U.S..Food. and.Drug.Administration,. employ. agricultural.

scientists.to.develop.and.test.methods.of.consumer-food.production.

compensationThe. following. figures. show. typical. salary. ranges. for.scientists:•. Physicist:.$50,000.to.$130,000•. Astronomer:.$40,000.to.$140,000•. Geoscientist:.$35,000.to.$130,000•. Chemist:.$30,000.to.$100,000•. Conservation scientist:.$30,000.to.$55,000•. Environmental scientist:.$30,000.to.$90,000•. Hydrologist:.$35,000.to.$95,000•. Atmospheric scientist:.$30,000.to.$110,000•. Biochemist or biophysicist:.$40,000.to.$110,000•. Microbiologist:.$30,000.to.$105,000•. Zoologist or wildlife biologist:.$30,000.to.$85,000•. Food scientist:.$25,000.to.$95,000•. Soil or plant scientist:.$30,000.to.$90,000

THE YouNG ScIENTIST PRofIlE

laty cahoon, PhD student, Northwestern universityLaty.Cahoon.grew.up.in.the.San.Fernando.Valley,.Cali-fornia.and.is.now.a.graduate.student.in.microbiology.at.Northwestern.University.in.Chicago..Cahoon,.whose.career.goal.is.to.become.a.professor,.hopes.her.work.will. inspire. other. minority. students. to. become. in-volved.with.the.sciences..She.currently.is.a.member.of.SACNAS,.a.society.of.scientists.dedicated.to.fostering.the.success.of.Hispanic/Chicano.and.Native.American.scientists,.as.well.as.Northwestern.University’s.AGEP.program.to.increase.the.number.of.underrepresented.minorities.in.science.

What made you decide you wanted to be a scientist?Laty.Cahoon:.Ever.since.I.was.a.child,.I’ve.loved.nature.and.I’ve.always.wondered.how.things.worked..When.I.was.in.high.school,.I.had.a.biology.class,.and.discov-ered.I.really.liked.the.molecular.part.of.that.class,.the.molecular. biology.. So. in. college. at. UCLA,. I. pursued.a.degree.in.microbiology.where.I.was.exposed.to.re-search.in.the.lab.setting,.and.I.realized.I.could.pursue.a.career.as.a.scientist..Before.that,.I.didn’t.even.know.there. was. a. thing. called. graduate. school.. After. fin-ishing.my.degree,.I.applied.to.grad.school.and.really.

liked.Northwestern.and.came.here.knowing.I.wanted.to.study.either.bacteria.or.viruses.

What do you love about science?LC:.I.like.problem-solving..I.like.asking.some.sort.of.bio-logical.question,.and.then.just.systematically.figuring.out.ways.to.answer.that.question..It’s.kind.of.like.put-ting.a.puzzle.together..That’s.one.of.the.main.reasons.I.love.coming.to.the.lab..Well,.that,.and.I.also.get.to.play..For.me,.research.is.like.playing,.but.it’s.actually.doing.the.experiments.and.the.work.[laughs].

When you’re doing research, things often don’t work out like you hope or expect they will. How do you handle that?LC:. I. think. that’s. really. the. most.frustrating. thing. about. it.. You.invest.a.lot.of.time.and.energy.on. an. experiment. and. then.it. either. doesn’t. work,. or.gives. you. an. answer. you.didn’t. expect,. or. you. can’t.understand.the.answer.it’s.giving.you..But.I.think.even.though. that’s. frustrating,.it’s. even. more. satisfying.when. you. do. figure. it. out,.because.you.worked.so.hard.to.get.the.answer..

What does a typical day or week look like for you in the program that you’re in right now?LC:. I. really. like. graduate. school. because. it. gives. you.a. lot.of. freedom.to.set.your.own.schedule.. I. typically.wake.up,.go.to.the.labs,.set.up.a.few.experiments..I.get.to.eat.lunch.with.friends.and.then.I.keep.doing.experi-ments.the.rest.of.the.day..The.people.I.work.with.in.my.lab.make.this.a.great.work.environment..I.have.a.really.good.relationship.with.everyone,.and.I.think.that’s.the.reason.why.we.all.succeed,.because.we.respect.each.other.and.we.care.about.each.other.

What did you do to prepare yourself to apply to grad school?LC:.Since.I.didn’t.know.anything.at.all,.I.was.lucky.to.be.in.the.UCLA.LEADS.Program.(Leadership.in.Excellence.through.Advanced.Degrees)..This.program.helped.me.learn.exactly.what.I.would.need.to.be.in.a.graduate.pro-gram,.presenting.papers,.reading.journals,.presenting.my. own. undergraduate. research. through. posters.and.conferences..That.really.helped.me.understand.what.it.meant.to.be.a.graduate.student.

You mentioned that you took a year off to do the applications and so forth. Were you doing any fel-lowships or working anywhere during that year? LC:. I. worked. at. Pomona. College. with. Dr.. Laura.Hoopes.. That.was. a. great. experience. because. she.

gave.me.a.lot.of.freedom.to.do.experiments.indepen-dently.. I. think. it. also. helped.me. in. graduate. school,.because.I.was.already.able.to.think.independently.and.figure.things.out.by.myself.

Is being in gradate school hard?LC:.In.the.beginning.when.I.wasn’t.used.to.it,.I.thought.it.was.hard..It’s.like.you’re.bombarded.with.classes.and.labs,.and.you’re.like,.“Oh,.my.god,.this.is.going.to.be.my.future.”.But.once.I.got.into.it.and.found.a.lab.I.liked.and.what. I.wanted.to.research,. it.got.a. lot.easier.. It’s.great.when.you.love.what.you’re.doing.

What would your ideal career look like?LC:.I.definitely.would.like.to.become.a.professor.and.have.a. lab.at.some. top. research. institution.. I.know.times. are. tough. now,. but. that’s. really.what. I’d. like.to.do.

What advice would you give a college student who’s reading this?LC:. First. get. involved. in. undergraduate. research. or.volunteer.in.a.lab,.because.I.think.the.most.important.thing.is.to.figure.out.if.you.like.being.in.a.lab.and.if.you.like.doing.experiments..You.have.to.want.to.work.with.your.hands.and.problem-solve.

2009 gilliam fellowsSpurred.by.the.impressive.quality.of.this.year’s.ap-

plicants,. the.Howard.Hughes.Medical. Institute. is.expanding.a.program.to.further.the.graduate.sci-

ence.education.of.talented.students.who.have.worked.in. the. labs.of. top.HHMI.scientists.and.awarding.nine.Gilliam.fellowships.this.year—up.from.five.in.previous.years—to.fund.these.exceptional.students.from.groups.traditionally.underrepresented.in.the.sciences.or.from.disadvantaged.backgrounds..

The.Gilliam.fellows.program,.which.is.now.in.its.fifth.year,.aims. to.enrich.science. research.and. increase. the.diversity.of. college.and.university. faculty.members.by.

supporting.the.education.of.top.student.scientists.who.will. themselves. either. become. professors. or. are. com-mitted.to.creating.a.more.diverse.academic.community..Each.Gilliam.fellow.receives.$44,000.in.support.annually.for.up.to.five.years.to.help.move.them.toward.a.career.in.science.research.and.teaching.

The Young Scientist.is.proud.to.pro-file.several.of.these.outstanding.scholars. in.the.coming.pag-es. of. the. magazine.. For.more. information. on.the. program,. go. to.www.hhmi.org.

2009 GIllIaM fElloW

Kelly M. cadenasphoto: mark harmel

Kelly.M..Cadenas.decided.to.make.the.most.of.her.educational.opportunities.when.she.moved.with.her.mother.and.her.siblings.to.the.United.States.

from. Nicaragua.. Cadenas. was. just. beginning. high.school,.yet.she.had.already.seen.students.fall. through. the. cracks. or. discover.that.they.could.do.very.little.with.their. college.degree. in.Nicara-gua.. Indeed,. those. experi-ences.made.her.even.more.determined.to.become.an.academic. scientist. and.mentor,. especially. to.students. from. minor-ity. backgrounds.. “It. is.much.more.unfortunate.to.see.students.not.ac-tualize. their. full. poten-tial. in. a. country. full. of.resources. and.opportuni-ties”.like.the.United.States,.says.Cadenas,.now.22.and.a.graduate.student.at.the.Univer-sity.of.California,.Los.Angeles.

Growing.up,.Cadenas.was.more.in-terested. in. the.arts. than. in. science,.and.briefly.considered.becoming.a.graphic.designer..Very.few.members.of.her.family.went.to.college,.and.those.who. did. pursued. careers. in. law,. business,. or.medi-cine,.which,.for.her,.didn’t.seem.quite.right..“Medicine.didn’t.seem.to.fit.my.personality.and.the.way.I.thought.about. things,”.says.Cadenas,.who.was.valedictorian.of.her.Naples,.Florida,.high.school.class..“But.I.had.no.idea.what.type.of.career.would.suit.me.better.”

In.the.summer.before.her.senior.year.in.high.school,.Cadenas.participated.in.the.Young.Scholars.Program.at.Florida.State.University.and.joined.a.microbiology.lab,.where. she.did.experiments.with.Escherichia. coli.bac-teria..“I.really.enjoyed.my.experience.there,”.Cadenas.says.. “After. that,. research. was. a. possibility—some-thing.I.might.want.to.do.”

As. an. undergraduate. at. Harvard. University,. she.had.the.good.fortune.to.join.a.program.run.by.HHMI.Professor. Richard. M.. Losick. that. allows. six. to. 10.students.a.year.to.work.on.long-term.research.proj-ects..When.Losick. learned. that.Cadenas.was. inter-ested. in. microbiology,. he. offered. her. a. job. in. his.own.lab,.and.she.began.studying.bacterial.biofilms,.thin.layers.of.bacteria.that.aggregate.on.the.surface.of.water.or.solids.

Despite. her. success. in. the. lab,. Cadenas. felt. that.her.high.school.education.had.not.prepared.her.as.well.as.some.of.her.peers.for.the.rigorous.coursework.at.Harvard..“It.was.often.a.challenge.to.take.classes.where.a.solid.educational.background.was.automat-ically. assumed,”. she. says.. But. Cadenas,. who. took.outside. classes. to. improve. specific. skills,. such. as.writing,.said.Losick’s.advice.and.support.over.three.years.in.his.lab.helped.her.overcome.that.self-doubt..

“I.encountered.countless.obstacles.along.the.way,.but.my. three-year. commit-

ment. to. my. research. project. al-lowed. me. to. grow. both. as. a.

researcher.and.a.student.of.science,”.she.says.

At. Losick’s. sugges-tion,. Cadenas. spent. the.summer. of. 2006. work-ing. in. the. lab. of. HHMI.President-elect. Robert.Tjian. at. the. University.of. California,. Berke-ley,. as. part. of. HHMI’s.Exceptional. Research.

Opportunities. Program.(EXROP).. Under. Tjian’s.

guidance,.she.studied.a.pro-tein. that. helps. maintain. the.

self-renewal. capacity. of. embry-onic.stem.cells.

Buoyed.by.her.successes.in.Losick’s.and.Tjian’s.labs,.she.decided.to.apply.to.graduate.school..“When.I.made.the.decision.to.go.to.graduate.school,.I.had.three.years’.worth.of.hands-on.experience.and.valuable.lessons,.both.personal.and.scientific,.to.sup-port.my.decision,”.she.says.

After.earning.her.doctorate.in.neuroscience,.Cadenas.intends. to.become.a.professor.and.participate. in. the.type.of.educational.programs.that.helped.her.become.a.scientist..“I.have.often.found.it.inspiring.to.talk.to.pro-fessors.with.a.similar.background..Such.talks.gave.me.the.sense.that.I.could.succeed.too,.despite.my.disad-vantages,”.she.says..“I.hope.that.when.I.join.academia.I,.too,.will.be.a.mentor.for.these.students.”

. .. .

I. encountered. countless. obstacles.along. the. way,. but. my. three-year.commitment.to.my.research.project.allowed. me. to. grow. both. as. a. re-searcher.and.a.student.of.science.

Although.they.were.once.known.primarily.for.their.vocational. programs. and. associate. degrees,.community. colleges. have. expanded. their. pro-

grams.to.serve.a.wider.audience..And.while.community.colleges. still. do. an. outstanding. job. of. fulfilling. their.original.roles,.community.colleges.have.now.become.a.center.for.scientific.learning..

In. fact,. in. recent. years,. according. to. the. Nation-al. Science. Foundation. (NSF),. more. students. have.turned. to. community. colleges. to. prepare. them. for.a. career. in. science.. Research. from. the. NSF. study.reveals. interesting.reasons.students.begin.their.ca-reers.at.community.college..

Community. colleges. are,. without. a. doubt,. great.schools..They.offer.many.different. types.of.programs.for.a.wide.range.of.academic.interests..Truthfully,.it.is.no.longer.fair.or.even.accurate.(if.it.ever.was).to.think.of.them.as.an.“easy”.two-year.school.for.those.looking.to.earn.an.associate’s.degree..

Today,.according.to.the.NSF,.less.than.30%.of.com-munity.college.students.are.looking.to.simply.earn.an.associate’s.degree..This.means.that.over.70%.of.the. students. attending. community. colleges.are.looking.for.more.than.just.a.two-year.program.. These. statistics. reveal. that.many.people.view.community.colleg-es. as. a. viable. option.when. begin-ning.their.educational.careers..

In. fact,. according. to. the. NSF,.44%.of.students.who.earn.bach-elor’s. and. master’s. degrees. in.the.physical.sciences,.computer.and.mathematical.sciences,.and.engineering.started.their.educa-tion.at.a.community.college..

equalizing the science field for all studentsRace. is,. without. a. doubt,. a. topic. of. much. discus-sion. in. colleges. and. universities. across. our. nation..America.is,.after.all,.the.land.of.the.free,.and.we.pride.ourselves.as.a.country.that.offers.opportunity.to.all..However,.as.a.nation,.we.haven’t.always. lived.up.to.the.standards.we.set.for.ourselves..At.community.col-leges,.though,. .“color.barriers”.are.being.shattered,.especially.when.it.comes.to.students.looking.for.a.ca-reer.in.a.scientific.field.

On. average,. community. colleges. do. an. excellent.job.recruiting.and.preparing.minority.science.students.for. success. in. the.post-collegiate.world.. In. fact,. 50%.of. surveyed.Hispanic. science. and. engineering. gradu-ates.attended.community.college.before.receiving.their.bachelor’s.or.master’s.degree..

While. that.number. is. impressive. (and.one. in.which.community.colleges.should.take.pride),.it.does.not.stop.with.Hispanic.students..When.asked,.45%.of.American.Indian/Alaskan.Native.graduates.reported.attending.a.community. college.first,.and. for.African.Americans,. it.is. 44%..Whites. comprised.43%,. and.Asian/Pacific. Is-lander.students.made.up.40%..

There.are.other. reasons.community.colleges.are.an.excellent. choice. for. science. students..Many. have. low.tuition.costs,.are.closer.to.home,.and.offer.open.enroll-

ment.. Clearly,. these. are. all. attrac-tive.qualities,.and.community.

colleges.appeal. to.many.students.—.not.just.

scientists.

thinking of becoming a scientist? consider community collegeby grace chen

Community.colleges.offer.many.dif-ferent.types.of.programs.for.a.wide.range.of.academic.interests.

2009 GIllIaM fElloW

Scott S. chiltonphoto: kathleen dooher

When.he.was.applying.to.college,.Scott.S..Chil-ton.was.interested.in.so.many.subjects.that.he.had.a.difficult.time.deciding.which.one.to.

declare.as.his.possible.major..When.his. favorite.high.school.teacher.advised.him.to.“choose.the.subject.that.is.the.most.fun,”.Chilton.immediately.thought.of.biology.

Now,.Chilton,.22,.is.choosing.biology. again. as. he. begins.pursing. a. PhD. in. molecu-lar.and.cellular.biology.at.Harvard. University.. But.he. says. his. broad. in-terests. in. communica-tion,. outreach,. athlet-ics,. and. the. arts. have.combined.to.make.him.a. better. scientist.. “My.interests. have. all. meld-ed. together,”. Chilton.says.. For. example,. sports.and.science.are.very.similar..“You. end. up. working. a. long.time. on. something. and. it. takes.years.to.see.the.fruits.of.your.labor..You.are.always.looking.for.new.solutions.and.making.new.goals.”

Growing. up. in.Northern. California,. Chilton. enjoyed.the.challenge.of.taking.things.apart.and.putting.them.back.together,.like.the.baseball.gloves.he.would.repair.with.his.dad..His.middle.school.and.high.school.teach-ers. recognized. his. curiosity. and. channeled. Chilton’s.energy.into.studying.science—in.the.classroom,.at.sci-ence.fairs,.and.in.a.university.laboratory..Indeed,.after.spending.a.summer.doing.experiments.in.plant.genet-ics.at.the.University.of.California,.Davis,.Chilton.tried.to.continue.his.research.as.a.high.school.senior.in.Tracy,.California..“I.was.able.to.grow.the.plants.I.needed.for.the.research,.but.for.the.most.part.I.wasn’t.really.able.to. complete. the. project,”. says. Chilton,. remembering.his.struggle.to.modify.his.experiments.to.fit.within.re-strictions.on.using.certain.chemicals.at.his.school.

Chilton.decided. to.major. in.biology.at. the.Massa-chusetts. Institute. of. Technology.. He. joined. the. var-sity. crew. and. the.mock. trial. teams,.mentored. other.students,.and.sought.out.a.research.experience.right.away..He.worked.in.the.lab.of.Sallie.Chisholm,.whose.research. team. studies. Prochlorococcus,. one. of. the.most.abundant.photosynthetic.marine.bacteria.in.the.Earth’s.oceans.

During.his.junior.year,.Chilton.was.seriously.injured.during. crew. team. practice,. and. needed. nine.months.to. recover..He.was.disappointed. to.give.up.crew,.but.he.capitalized.on.the.situation..“It.opened.up.time.for.other.things,”.says.Chilton,.who.had.been.training.12.to.18.hours.a.week.for.almost.three.years..After.the.acci-dent,.Chilton.took.on.more.responsibility.in.the.lab..He.worked.on.a.project.that.involved.developing.a.method.to. exchange. snippets. of. DNA. inside. Prochlorococcus.

to.help.identify.the.function.of.each.stretch.of. DNA.. The. research. ran. into. some.

bumps.that.caused.it.to.take.much.longer. than. planned.. Looking.

back,.Chilton.says,. “If. it.was.easy,. someone. else. would.have.done.it.already.”

Chilton’s. commit-ment. impressed. Chish-olm. and. his. other. MIT.professors,. and. they.recommended. him. for.the. HHMI. Exceptional.Research. Opportuni-ties. Program. (EXROP),.

which. connected. him.with. HHMI. investigator.

Joanne. Chory. at. the. Salk.Institute. for. Biological. Stud-

ies. in. La. Jolla,. California.. There,.Chilton.helped.to.develop.new.tools.

that.would.help.scientists.determine.the.varying.concentrations.of.important.enzymes.within.a.plant.cell..Apart.from.learning.more.about.how.sci-ence.is.done,.he.learned.about.lab.life.as.a.member.of. Chory’s. group.. The. EXROP. experience.made. him.feel.part.of.a.scientific.community..“Now.I.have.peo-ple. I. can. talk. to.who.may. be.my. colleagues. in. the.future,”.he.says.

My.goal.as.a.scientist.is.to.always.be.a. pioneer,. pushing. the. frontiers. of.knowledge.and.possibility.

Today. Chilton,. who. is. in. his. first. year. of. graduate.studies. at. Harvard,. is. interested. in. biochemistry. and.structural.biology..No.matter.which.field.he.ultimately.chooses.to.specialize.in,.he.expects.to.become.a.biol-ogy.professor.who.will.have.an.impact.on.science.edu-cation..“My.goal.as.a.scientist.is.to.always.be.a.pioneer,.pushing. the. frontiers. of. knowledge. and. possibility,”.says. Chilton.. “There. are. not.many. people. like.me. in.the.field.of.biology..I.want.to.lead.by.example—like.any.good.scientist.or.pioneer.”

2009 GIllIaM fElloW.

Marty a. fernandezphoto: daron dean

Growing.up,.Marty.A.. Fernandez.was. fascinated.by.watching.her.father,.a.pediatric.neurologist,.as. he. went. on. rounds. and. visited. patients. in.

their.homes..“His.work.had.a.profound.impact.on.me,”.she.says..“Many.of.the.diseases.he.treats.are. rare,. and. when. we. talked. about.his. cases,. I. could. see. how. diag-nosing. them. was. like. putting.together.a.puzzle.”

But. Fernandez. decided.early.on.she.wanted.to.be.a. biomedical. scientist.rather. than. a. doctor..That. decision. was. so-lidified.in.college.when.she.started.working.on.the.human.immunode-ficiency. virus. (HIV). in.Ben. M.. Dunn’s. lab. at.the. University. of. Florida.in. Gainesville.. Fernandez.studied.HIV-1. subtype. C,. a.virus. strain. commonly. found.in.Africa.and.Asia.. “I. started. to.see.that.research.could.help.me.un-derstand. not. just. the. diseases.my. dad.was.treating,.but.many.others.as.well,”.she.says.

Dunn. trains. his. students. to. work. independently,.and. Fernandez. soon. found. herself. working. with.graduate.students. to.study.an.HIV.protein. involved.in.drug. resistance..Dunn.was. so. impressed. that.he.asked.Fernandez.to.take.over.the.responsibilities.of.a.departing.graduate.student..“Marty.did.what.was.needed. to. carry. that. project. forward. in. a. very. ad-vanced.way,”.Dunn.says..“Her.work.was.spectacular..She.was.operating.on.at.least.the.level.of.a.third-year.graduate.student.”

Fernandez. helped. identify. the. structure. of. an. HIV.protein.using.the.tools.of.x-ray.crystallography,.which.allows.researchers.to.deduce.a.protein’s.structure.from.the.diffraction.patterns.created.when.a.crystal.is.bom-barded.by.x-rays..Fernandez.was.one.of.the.co-authors.when.the.research.article.was.published.last.year.in.the.journal.Biochemistry.

Fernandez.says.she.became.fascinated.by.the.ways.science.could.be.applied.to.improve.the.lives.of.peo-

ple.who.are.infected.with.HIV..When.she.was.nominat-ed.to.participate.in.HHMI’s.Exceptional.Research.Op-portunities. Program. (EXROP),. she. sought. out. HHMI.investigator.Stephen.C..Harrison.at.Harvard.Medical.School.because.she.wanted.to.learn.about.designing.vaccines. to. attack. the. virus. from. a. different. angle..Fernandez.put.her.x-ray.crystallography.skills.to.work.in.Harrison’s.lab.to.examine.a.protein.that.helps.HIV.enter.cells.

Fernandez.would.like.to.earn.a.PhD.by.studying. structural. biology,.but. she.

says.she.is.keeping.an.open.mind.about. what. specific. problems.

she. will. tackle.. “I’m. still.drawn.to.infectious.diseas-es. like. HIV,.malaria,. and.hepatitis.B,.but. I’m.also.getting.more.interested.in.Alzheimer’s.disease,.which. brings. me. back.to. my. dad’s. work. in.neurology,”. she. says..“There’s. also. a.person-al. component. to. this,.

because.my.grandmother.developed. dementia. just.

before.she.passed.away.”Although. she’s. aware. that.

she’ll.be.putting. in. long.hours. in.the. lab,. Fernandez. knows. she. also.

wants.to.make.time.to.teach.and.mentor.younger.students..She.wants.them.to.understand.that.stereotypes.don’t.have.to.dictate.their.goals.in.life..“I.hope.that.as.a.minority.researcher.I.can.help.advance.minority.students’.careers.in.science,.not.just.passive-ly.by.serving.as.an.example,.but.also.actively.through.teaching,.advising,.and.interaction,”.she.says..“I.don’t.want.to.simply.be.a.statistic,.a.check.in.the.Hispanic.box,. for. the.scientific.fields. in.this.country.. I.want.to.take.an.active.role.in.advancing.minority.students’.ca-reers.in.science.”.

I.hope.that.as.a.minority.researcher.I.can.help.advance.minority.students’.careers.in.science,.not.just.passively.by. serving. as. an. example. but. also.actively. through. teaching,.advising,.and.interaction.

Ecology.is.a.branch.of.biology.that.deals.with.living.organisms.and.their.relationships.with.their.envi-ronments..It.is.a.discipline.science.which.requires.

knowledge.of.various.focuses.of.biology,.in.addition.to.chemistry,. physics,. geology,. hydrology,. geography,.and.genetics,.among.others.

where do ecologists work?Ecologists. work. for. universities,. federal,. state.and. local. governments,. environmental. consult-ing. firms,. non-governmental. conservation. or-ganizations. (like. the. Nature. Conservancy),. and.numerous. other. entities.. Ecologists,. especially.those. working. for. universities,. conduct. research.outdoors. in. populated. and. remote. areas. all. over.the.world.. In. addition. to. field.work,. ecologists. also.work. in.the.lab,.analyzing.samples.collected.on.site..However,.not.all.ecologists.are. in. the. research.field..Many.are. involved. in.biological.monitoring,. environ-mental. consulting,.habitat. restoration,.and.a.myriad.of.other.types.of.work..Others.are.focused.more.with.the. policy. aspects. of. ecology,. working. with. govern-ment.agencies.to.protect.and.improve.habitat,.as.well.as.managing.natural.resources.

what does an ecologist do?Though. there. are. many. ecology-based. jobs. open. to.those.with.a.bachelor’s.degree,.having.a.PhD.drastical-ly.increases.the.number.and.variety.of.positions.open.to.an.ecologist..Having.a.PhD.will.also.increase.the.sal-ary.of.an.ecologist.in.many.positions..Internships.and.experience.in.the.field.and.lab.are.also.invaluable.when.finding.a.job.as.an.ecologist.

job securityThe. demand. for. ecologists. today. is. ever-growing..With. increasing. public. awareness. of. environmental.issues,. funding. for. ecological. research.programs. is.increasing.at. an.encouraging. rate.. Considering. this.increasing. demand. for. ecologists,. job. security. for.ecologists.is.quite.high.

What’s it like to be an...

EcoloGIST

salaryAccording.to.the.Bureau.of.Labor.Statistics,.the.average.salary.for.ecologists.working.for.the.federal.government.is. $66,000.. Those. working. in. management,. scientific,.and.technical.consulting.services,.local.and.state.govern-ments,.and.architectural,.engineering,.and.related.servic-es.earn.on.average.about.$45,000..Generally,.positions.for. those.with.higher. level. degrees. are.more. lucrative..Entrepreneurs,.such.as.those.who.found.their.own.envi-ronmental.consulting.firm.can.earn.significantly.more.

lifestyleLifestyles.for.ecologists.vary.a.great.deal..Since.there.are.so.many.different.directions.a.background.in.ecology.can.take.a.person,.ecologists.are.able.to.create.their.careers.around.their.desired.lifestyles..It.is.common.for.ecologists.to.travel.a.great.deal,.especially.those.who.conduct.field.research,.but.professors,.lecturers.and.government.offi-cials.may.not.need.to.travel.as.much..In.some.positions,.namely.on.the.research.side,.hours.can.be.long.and.work.may.be.physically.and.mentally.demanding..However,.it.is.quite.possible.to.work.normal.eight-hour.days.or.less.

2009 GIllIaM fElloW

Ryan T. Dosumu-Johnsonphoto: mark harmel

Ryan. T.. Dosumu-Johnson. liked. learning—but. not.school. or. homework—and. chose. a. job. at. Ra-dioShack. instead. of. college. when. he.

graduated.from.high.school..Yet,.it.was.the. manager. of. that. store. in. San.Diego.who.set.him.on. the.path.to. becoming. a. scientist. and.Gilliam.fellow..The.manager.thought. Dosumu-Johnson.was. so. talented. that. he.should.apply.to.manage.a. new. store. in. South.America—confidence.that. prompted. the.young. man. to. think.deeply.about.his.future..“I.thought,.‘Is.this.really.something. I. want. to. do.for.the.rest.of.my.life?. It’s.easy. and. it’s. safe,. but. it’s.not. intellectually. challeng-ing,’”.recalled.Dosumu-Johnson,.now.23.

So. Dosumu-Johnson. changed. direc-tion..He.began.taking.classes.at.a.community.college. in. Orange. County,. California.. He. had. always.been.interested.in.science—Dosumu-Johnson.was.one.of. those.kids.who.disassembled. the. family’s.TVs.and.toasters—but.he.also.was.a.good.communicator,.so.he.planned.to.major.in.marketing.and.sales..That.plan.was.derailed.by.a.course.in.molecular.biology.that.opened.his.eyes. to.science.and.human.biology.. “I. fell. in. love.with.science..My.younger.sisters.are.more.into.the.arts,.but. I.don’t.understand.how. they.could.want. to.study.anything. [but. biology],”. he. said. of. his. four. sisters..“How.could.you.not.want.to.understand.how.humans.and.the.world.around.us.work?”

Dosumu-Johnson.took.several.more.biology.cours-es.at.Orange.Coast.College,.which.honed.his.interest.in.genetics..But.his.first.real.step.into.research.came.when.he.was.accepted.into.the.Bridges.to.Baccalau-reate.Program.at.the.University.of.California,.Irvine..Through.the.Bridges.program,.which. is.designed.to.help. community. college. students. interested. in.pur-suing.a.biomedical.research.career,.Dosumu-Johnson.discovered.his. interest. in.neuroscience..He.spent.a.summer.doing.research.to.identify.the.differences.in.the.spinal.cord.structures.of.domesticated.chickens.

and.pheasants,.and.when.those.changes.occur.dur-ing.development.

In.2006,.Dosumu-Johnson. transferred.with.honors.to. the.University. of. California,. Los. Angeles,. to. com-plete.his.undergraduate.work..Despite.his.comfort.in.the. lab,.Dosumu-Johnson. initially. felt. isolated. in.his.biology. classes.at.UCLA.. “I.would.often.be.one.of. a.

few.minorities. and.often. the.only. black. stu-dent.in.my.classes,”.he.said,.and.he.be-

came.disheartened.and.considered.another.career..Luckily,.he.could.

turn. to. his. older. sister,. Tara,.who.is. in.a.PhD.program.in.medical. anthropology. at.the. University. of. Michi-gan. and. had. a. similar.experience. as. the. only.minority. student. in. her.department.. “I. have.since.been.inspired.and.committed.to.become.a.role.model. for.other.mi-nority.students.in.the.sci-

ences,”.he.said.In. the. summer. of. 2008,.

Dosumu-Johnson. got. to. ex-pand. his. research. experiences.

as. well,. through. HHMI’s. Excep-tional. Research. Opportunities. Program.

(EXROP)..Working.with.HHMI.investigator.Cor-nelia.Bargmann.at.the.Rockefeller.University,.he.used.engineering.techniques.to.study.the.smell.response.in.the.roundworm.Caenorhabditis.elegans.

I. really.want.to.do.research,.but.at.the. end. of. the. day. I’d. like. my. re-search.to.be.directed.at.alleviating.human.suffering.

That.work.showed.Dosumu-Johnson,.now.in.his.fi-nal.year.at.UCLA,.that.he.was.ready.to.pursue.an.MD/PhD.“I. really.want. to.do. research,.but.at. the.end.of.the.day.I’d.like.my.research.to.be.directed.at.alleviat-ing.human.suffering,”.he.said..Dosumu-Johnson.said.that. the. variety. of. fields. he. has. studied,. from.ecol-ogy.to.neuroscience.to.engineering,.will.be.an.asset.when. he. tackles. problems. as. a. physician-scientist..“The.more.you.know.about.other.subjects.in.science,.the.better.able.you.are.to.approach.any.problem.you.want,”.he.said.

If.you.are.curious.about.biological.processes,.and.en-joy. puzzle-solving,. designing. experiments,. or.work-ing. with. numbers. and. computers,. there. are. many.

exciting.opportunities.for.you.in.biophysics.Biophysicists.use.the.methods.of.mathematics,.phys-

ics,.chemistry,.and.biology.to.study.how.living.organ-isms.work..They. investigate.how. the.brain.processes.and.stores. information,. the.heart.pumps.blood,.mus-cles.contract,.plants.use.light.in.photosynthesis,.genes.are. switched. on. and. off,. and. many. other. questions..Other.kinds.of.scientists,. including.physiologists,. cell.and.molecular.biologists,.geneticists.and.biochemists,.also.work. on. these.problems;. however,. biophysicists.are. especially. interested. in. the. physics. and. physical.chemistry.of.biological.processes.and.make.far.greater.use. of. quantitative.measurements. and. analysis.. Bio-physicists.work. in.universities,. industry,.medical. cen-ters,.research.institutes,.and.government..Women.and.minorities.are.actively.being.recruited..

Biophysicists. ask.questions.at.many. levels..At. the.highest. level. of. organization,. they. study. how.organ-isms. develop,. see,. hear,. taste,. feel,. and. think.. They.also. study. how. we. breathe,. how. materials. travel.through.our.bodies,. how.our. immune. systems.work,.how. muscles. contract,. and. how. our. bones. support.us.. Other. biophysicists. look. at. biological. processes.on. the. scale. of. the. single. cell.. They. investigate. how.cells.move,.divide,.and.detect.and.respond.to.sig-nals.from.the.environment,.and.how.materials.travel.into.and.through.cells..Biophysicists.study. the.structure.and.behavior.of. the.biomolecules.that.make.up.cells..Very.large. molecules. such. as. DNA. and.proteins. are. of. particular. interest..The.ability.of. these.molecules. to.perform.complex.biological.tasks.depends. on. their. three-dimen-sional. shapes. and. also. their.dynamic. properties;. therefore.the.relationship.of.structure.to.function.is.a.central.question..

where do biophysicists work? .A.wide.range.of.careers.are.open.to.biophysicists.be-cause. of. the. breadth. of. their. training.. Depending. on.your.interests.and.abilities,.you.might.work.primarily.in.the.laboratory,.with.computers,.teach,.or.become.a.sci-ence.writer..Many.biophysicists.become.faculty.or.staff.members. at. colleges,. universities,.medical,. or. dental.schools..There.will.be.many.openings.for.young.faculty.members.in.the.next.two.decades..Faculty.members.at.liberal. arts. colleges. work. primarily. with. undergradu-ate. students. and. direct. research. programs. that. both.generate. new. knowledge. and. provide. experience. for.undergraduates.. Faculty.members. at. universities. and.medical.and.dental.schools.train.graduate.students.and.postdoctoral.fellows.to.do.research;.they.also.teach.un-dergraduates.or.medical.or.dental.students..Their.labo-ratories.are.generally.supported.by.grants.from.federal.agencies.and.private.foundations..Biophysicists.whose.primary.interest.is.research.often.work.in.government,.private. research. institutes. or. industry.. For. example,.biophysicists. at. the. National. Institutes. of. Health. in.Bethesda,.Maryland,.study.the.molecular.and.cellular.basis.of.disease..Others.work.at.national.laboratories.in. Brookhaven,. New. York;. Argonne,. Illinois;. Los. Ala-mos,.New.Mexico;.or.Oak.Ridge,.Tennessee;.Naval.Re-

search.Laboratories;.U.S..Departments. of.

Agriculture.

What’s it like to be a...

BIoPHYSIcIST

or. Defense;. the. National. Aeronautics. and. Space. Ad-ministration;. or. in. private. research. institutes.. Many.new.positions.have.been.created.in.industry.as.a.result.of. recent. developments. in. molecular. biophysics. and.molecular.biology..Regardless.of.the.setting,.biophysi-cists.generally.work.in.groups.with.people.with.differ-ent.backgrounds,.interests,.and.abilities.who.collabo-rate. to.solve.common.problems..Everyone.shares. the.adventure.of.embarking.on.a. journey.into.unexplored.territory.and.the.thrill.of.discovery..

how to prepare for your careerVery. few. colleges. or. uni-versities. offer. an. un-dergraduate. major.in.biophysics..Most.students. prepare.by. completing. a.major. in. phys-ics,. chemistry,.or. mathemat-ics. with. sup-p l e m e n t a r y.courses. in. bi-ology.. It. is. also.possible.to.major.in. biology,. bio-chemistry.or.molec-ular. biology. and. take.supplementary. courses.in. chemistry,. physics. and.mathematics;. however,. most.students.find. that.majoring. in.a.physical.science.or.mathematics.is.the.best.prepara-tion. for. advanced.work.. The. ideal. program.would. include:. biology—introductory. biol-ogy,. cell. biology,. molecular. biology,. genet-ics;.physics—mechanics,.electricity.and.mag-netism,. optics,. atomic. and. molecular. physics;.chemistry—general.chemistry,.organic.chemistry,.physical.chemistry;.mathematics—calculus,.differen-tial.equations,. linear.algebra,.numerical.analysis.and.statistics,.computer.programming..For.a.well-rounded.education,. it. is. important. to. take. courses. in. the. hu-manities. and. social. sciences,. and. to. participate. in.extracurricular.activities..Because.science.transcends.national.boundaries,.courses.in.foreign.languages.of-ten.prove.useful.and.are.sometimes.required.by.gradu-ate.schools..Hands-on.research.experience.is.essential.to.begin.to.learn.how.scientists.tackle.real.problems..

Science.courses.often.have.accompanying.laboratory.sessions;.however,.many. students.get. their.first. real.taste.of. research. from.a. summer. job. in.a. laboratory.You.can.find.out.about.these.opportunities.by.contact-ing. the. chairperson. or. faculty. members. at. your. col-lege,.the.National.Science.Foundation,.or.the.Howard.Hughes.Medical.Institute..By.your.junior.year,.you.will.want. to. consider.whether. to.proceed. immediately. to.advanced.training.. If.you.want.to.become.involved.in.research,.but.do.not.want.to.continue.on.to.graduate.or.medical. school,. you.will.probably.want. to.explore.openings. for. technicians.. Other. possibilities. include.teaching.at.the.elementary.or.secondary.school.level,.

or.working.for.the.government.or.media.

salarySalaries.vary.according.to.education,.location,. and. job.. The. median. an-nual. income. of. biophysicists. was.$87,450. in. 2004.. The. average.annual. salary. for. biophysicists.employed.by.the.federal.govern-ment.was.$104,917.in.2005..Bio-physicists. at. colleges. and. uni-versities.can.usually.supplement.their. salaries. by. doing. research.and. consulting. work.. Benefits.

generally.include.paid.holidays.and.vacations,.health.insurance,.and.

pension.plans.

lifestyleMost.biophysicists.work.in. well-lit. laboratories.and. classrooms,. and.generally. work. at. least.forty. hours. per. week,.

though. overtime. is. of-ten. necessary. for. special.

projects.. Most. biophysicists.employed. as. college. teachers.

spend.six.to.eight.hours.a.week.in.the.classroom.and.the.remainder.of.the.workweek.prepar-ing. lesson. materials,. advising. students,. conducting.research,. and. writing.. Biophysicists. engaged. in. re-search.frequently.work.irregular.hours.while.conduct-ing.experiments.

Biophysicists. must. be. patient. and. hardworking.and.able.to.work.both.independently.and.as.part.of.a.team..

Viruses.have.been.plaguing.humans.since.the.be-ginning.of.history..Some,.more. lethal. than.oth-ers,. such. as. chickenpox,. Ebola,. HIV,. hepatitis,.

and.influenza.(the.flu).are.viruses.with.which.both.hu-mans.and.virologists.have.been.struggling..Virologists.study. viral. microscopic. organisms. that. cause. these.diseases..They.attempt.to.create.new.vaccines.that.will.provide. immunity. to. humans. and. medicines.that.will.help.cure.these.diseases.

Virologists. study. how. viruses.have.the.capacity.for.replication.in.animal,.plant,.and.bacterial.cells.. To. replicate,. viruses.appropriate. functions. of.the. host. cells. on. which.they.are.parasites..The.viral. parasite. causes.changes. in. the. cell,.directing. the. host.cell’s. metabolism. to.the.production.of.new.virus. particles.. Virus-es. come. in. two. basic.types,. those. that. have.a. genome. of. DNA. or.RNA..Accordingly,.viruses.infect. all. major. groups. of.organisms. including. verte-brates,. invertebrates,. plants,.fungi,.and.bacteria.

Many.people.misunderstand.the.na-ture. of. viruses. and. mistakenly. believe. that.drugs.such.as.antibiotics.help.combat.them..For. in-stance,. if. you.contract. the. flu,. the.best.medicine. is.rest.and.drinking. lots.of. fluids..Nevertheless,. there.are. many. preventative. vaccinations. available. to.humans,. such. as. the. hepatitis. B. vaccine. or. typhus.shots.. These. vaccines. are. designed. to. immunize.people. against. contracting. viral. infections. instead.of.dealing.with. them.after. the. fact,.which. for.many.viruses.is.impossible.to.do..For.those.traveling.to.for-

eign.regions.at.risk.for.various.viral.epidemics,.they.are. advised. to. get. inoculated. with. region-specific.vaccines.to.prevent.catching.a.lethal.virus.

The.most. common. types.of. viruses.are. the. “cold”.viruses,.of.which.there.are.about.130.different.types..Usually.these.infections.are.not.very.serious.and.may.just.cause.a. runny.nose.and.malaise. for.a.couple.of.

days..Viruses.are.spread.by.contact.with.in-fected.individuals..The.usual.method.

of.transmission.is.person-to-per-son. contact. through. mucus.

or. blood. secretions.. Some.types. of. viruses. can. be.transmitted. through.the. air.. Also,. drug.users. who. share.needles. can. easily.become. infected. if.the. needle. is. con-taminated.with.HIV.or.hepatitis.

Virologists. who.work.on. researching.dangerous. organ-

isms,.such.as.Ebola.or.HIV. must. take. special.

safety. precautions,. such.as. wearing. protective. suits.

and. working. in. biohazard. ar-eas,.restricted.only.to.these.scien-

tists..They.usually.work.in.teams.with.other.microbiologists,.such.as.parasitologists,.

immunologists,. and. bacteriologists,. performing. inter-disciplinary. research.studies..Some.may.also.work.as.medical.doctors,.treating.patients.with.viral.infections.

A. virologist’s. work. seems. to. be. never-ending,. as.new. viruses. continually. emerge.. The. career. can. be.very.rewarding.as.virologists.make.discoveries.to.help.cure.our.deadliest.scourges..There.is.a.great.deal.of.re-search.being.conducted.on.new.treatments,.improved.diagnostics,.and.vaccines.

What’s it like to be a...

VIRoloGIST

interests and skills Virologists.must.possess.an.innate.in-terest. in. natural. phenomena. and. the.causes.and.effects.of.viruses..They.en-joy.performing.scientific.research,.and.usually. have. an. inquiring.mind..They.should.have.good.manual.dexterity.for.transferring.microorganisms. from. one.culture.medium.to.another.without.con-taminating. samples,. and. the. ability. to.pay.close.attention.to.details..Most.have.a.strong.aptitude.and.background.in.microbi-ology,.biochemistry,.and.genetics..Virologists.are.usually.well.organized,.enjoy.working.in.the.laboratory.with. equipment,. and.performing. tasks.that.require.precision.

what a virologist typically does •. Conduct. research. into. the.structure,. function,.ecol-

ogy,.biotechnology,.and.genetics.of.viruses.and. re-lated.microorganisms.

•. Conduct.experiments.to.isolate.and.make.cultures.of.specific.viruses.under.controlled.conditions.

•. Research.how.viruses.form.and.their.consequences.on.human,.animal,.and.plant.health.

•. Analyze.nucleic.acids,.proteins,.and.other.substanc-es.produced.by.viruses.

•. Perform.tests.on.water,.food,.and.the.environment.to.detect.harmful.viral.infections.and.control.sources.of.contamination.

•. Conduct. molecular. studies. and. experiments. into.genetic.expression,.gene.manipulation,.and.recom-binant.DNA.technology.

•. Observe,.identify,.and.classify.all.viral.microorganisms.•. Isolate. microorganisms. involved. in. breaking. down.

pollutants.•. Develop.new.vaccines.to.cure.viral. infections.and.

immunize.people,.plants,.and.animals.from.future.infection.

•. May. supervise. biological. technologists. and. techni-cians.and.other.scientists.

Virologists.work.indoors.in.laboratories.and.some-times.on. computers..The.high.pressure.of.

having. to. meet. project. deadlines. can.be.stressful.and.will.often.result.in.

long.hours..Generally,.virologists.put. in. long. workweeks.. For.those. working. with. toxic. or.harmful. chemicals,. follow-ing. safety. rules.and.wear-ing.protective,.sometimes.biohazard.equipment.will.help.avoid.chemical.injury.or.exposure. to. infection..Preventive. inoculations.will. also. help. to. protect.medical. virologists. from.the.risk.of.disease.

where virologists work Virologists.work.for.governments,.hospitals,.colleges.and. universities,. industrial. laboratories,. compa-nies. in. the. agricultural. industry,. pharmaceutical.companies,. food. and. beverage. companies,. di-agnostic.laboratories,.biotechnology.firms,.and.bioremediation. companies.. Contract. work. is.becoming.more. common. in. this. occupation,.focusing. on. individual. research. projects. to.formulate.vaccines.

job outlookLong-term.advancement.for.virologists.will.un-doubtedly.depend.on.the.education.level.of.the.

virologist..Those.with.master’s.degrees.may.work.as.professionals.in.laboratory.settings,.performing.

experiments.. Virologists. with. PhDs. may. conduct.and.lead.individual.and.group.research.projects,.and.

teach. in. universities,.manage. hospital. (clinical). diag-nostic.virology.laboratories,.or.advance.to.senior.scien-tific.appointments.in.government.or.industry.

Other. advancement. opportunities. for. virologists.may. also. depend.on. the. size. and. nature. of. the.

employing. organization,. and. the. qualifica-tions.of. the.employee..They.can.move. into.

related.biology.fields.such.as.biochemis-try,. genetics,. ecology,. parasitology,. or.biochemical.engineering..They.can.also.become. clinical. technicians. in. health.care.facilities,.quality-control.officers.in. the. food,. cosmetic,. and. pharma-ceutical.industries,.or.bioremediation.specialists.

how to get thereThe.minimum.educational.requirement.

for. becoming. a. virologist. is. a. four-year.bachelor.of.science.(BS).degree.in.micro-

biology.or.immunology,.as.most.universities.do.not.offer.an.undergraduate.degree.in.virolo-

gy..Those.who.have.a.bachelor’s.degree.are.quali-fied.to.work.as.laboratory.assistants.or.technicians..A.

master’s.degree.or.PhD.is.always.required.for.senior.re-search.positions..Those.who.have.PhDs.may.continue.their.training.as.post-doctoral.fellows.and.teach.at.the.university. level..Medical.virologists.preparing.to.work.in.hospitals.or.treat.patients.must.get.a.medical.degree.and.then.specialize.in.virology.

2009 GIllIaM fElloW

angelica M. Riestraphoto: mark harmel

For. Angelica. M.. Riestra,. community. and. science.have. gone. hand-in-hand. since. she. designed. her.first.science.project.in.eighth.grade.to.see.wheth-

er. homes. in. her. largely. Latino. neighborhood. in. San.Diego.had.high. levels. of. lead.. She. found.two. houses. contaminated.with. lead,.and. discovered. that. most. of. the.residents.living.in.those.homes.were. not. fully. aware. of. the.health.risks.

Now.24.and.a.first-year.graduate. student. at. the.University. of. California,.Los. Angeles. (UCLA),.Riestra. remains. com-mitted.to.changing.how.people. in. the. Latino.community. and. beyond.view. science.. “A. lot. of.people. in. our. community.think.that.science. is.about.becoming. a. doctor,. but.there’s. also. a. whole. world. of.academic.research..I.want.to.help.expose. students. to. this. and. to. pro-vide.them.with.the.tools.and.confidence.to.be.able.to.gain.access.to.this.field,”.she.said.

Riestra’s.parents.neither.speak.nor.read.English.flu-ently..Even.though.they.could.not.help.her.with.home-work,. she. says. their.work. ethic. has. been. one. of. the.most. important. lessons. in.her. life..“As.a.young.girl,. I.learned.to.be.independent.and.seek.out.the.resources.I.needed.to.accomplish.my.dreams,”.she.says..“My.par-ents.knew.that.I.had.big.dreams,.and.they.have.always.been.my.personal.cheerleaders,.which.allowed.me.to.venture. into.new. territories,. like.being.a.first-genera-tion.college.student,.the.first.in.my.family.to.major.in.the.sciences,.and.the.first.to.pursue.a.PhD.”

I. had. confirmed. that. the. students.at.my. school. had. so.much. poten-tial,.but.that.most.of.it.was.not.be-ing.tapped.

As.a.high.school.student,.Riestra.realized.that.science.could.be.part.of.those.dreams..For.two.summers.in.Mark.Lawson’s.research.lab.at.the.University.of.California,.San.Diego.(UCSD),.she.studied.how.lead.and.pesticides.af-

fect. the.production.of. a.pituitary.hormone..There,. she.found.a.project.that.brought.science.to.bear.on.an.issue.of.personal.interest,.recalling.her.father’s.stories.of.be-ing.sprayed.with.pesticide.while.picking.crops.

The.experience—and.the.fact.that.Lawson.came.from.a.similar.background—changed.Riestra’s.perspective.on.the. future..Among.other. things,. it. fueled.Riestra’s. com-mitment. to. involving.more. Latino.and.African.American.students.in.science.activities.and.classes.at.her.own.high.

school.. She. developed. an. ambitious. plan.to. recruit. students. to. design. science.

fair. projects,. and. she.helped. them.prepare.for.the.science.fair.com-

petition.. Most. of. the. 25. stu-dent. she.helped. recruit. that.year—a. record. number—were.selected. to. compete.in. the. citywide. science.fair.. Although. excited. by.the. accomplishments. of.her. fellow. students,. she.was.also.saddened.by.the.experience.. “I. had. con-firmed. that. the. students.

at.my.school.had.so.much.potential,.but.that.most.of.it.

was.not.being.tapped.”Riestra. was. nominated. to.

participate. in. HHMI’s. Exceptional.Research. Opportunities. Program.

(EXROP),.working.for.a.summer.with.HHMI.investigator.William. Jacobs. Jr.,. at. Albert. Einstein. Col-lege.of.Medicine.in.New.York..Riestra’s.project.was.to.help.determine.the.target.of.pyrazinamide,.a.drug.used.to. treat. tuberculosis,. in. hopes.of. understanding.how.the.drug.works.and.what.makes.some.TB.bacteria.re-sistant.to.it..Riestra.remembers,.“My.EXROP.experience.came.at.the.most.critical.time.in.my.life..At.that.point,.I.was.questioning.whether. I.could.do.it..But. I.worked.really.hard.and,.with.Jacobs.and.my.postdoc.mentor’s.belief.in.my.potential,.I.realized,.‘Wow,.I.really.can.do.this.’.If.I.hadn’t.had.that.boost.in.my.confidence,.I.don’t.know.if.I.would.have.continued.”

Riestra. hasn’t. yet. selected. which. lab. she. wants.to.join.for.her.graduate.studies.at.UCLA,.but.she.al-ready. has. a. plan. for. how. she. will. run. her. own. lab.when. she. is. a. professor.. Her. plan. includes. an. out-reach.program.like.the.one.that.made.such.a.differ-ence. for. her.. “I. am.extremely. grateful. for. all. of. the.mentors.who.helped.me.to.arrive.at.this.point.in.my.life..As. a.product.of. outreach,. I.want. to. emphasize.how.mentorship.can.change.the.course.of.a.student’s.life.and.dreams.”.For.Riestra,.the.Gilliam.fellowship.allows.her. to. combine.her. two.passions—scientific.research.and.bringing.science.to.the.community..“It’s.my.passport.to.do.both.”

2009 GIllIaM fElloW

Krystal R. St. Julienphoto: barbara ries

Krystal.R..St..Julien’s.own.hemoglobin.got.her.hooked.on. biochemistry.. Born.with. sickle. cell. anemia—a.painful.genetic.disorder.that.causes.red.blood.cells.

to.become.rigid.and.clump.together.when.they.don’t.get.enough.oxygen—she.spent.many.hours.as.a.child.in.the.hospital.and.decided,.early.on,.to.stand.up.to.the.disease.

Indeed,.the.22-year-old.bio-chemistry. graduate. student.at. Stanford. University. an-nounced. that. determi-nation. at. age. four.. “I’m.tired. of. being. sick.. I’m.going. to. make. new.shots,”. she. told. her.mother.. “I. was. really.adamant.about.making.things.better.”

As. a. teenager,. St.. Ju-lien.read.research.articles.to.keep.up.with.new.treat-ments.for.sickle.cell.disease,.which.can.result.in.stroke.or.or-gan. failure..With. encouragement.from.a.“really.great”.biology.teacher.at.Oak.Harbor.Middle.School. in.Oak.Har-bor,.Washington,.St..Julien.also.learned.about.the.spe-cific.hemoglobin.mutation.that.led.to.her.own.disease..The.experience.solidified.her. interest. in.molecular.re-search,.and.her.broad.curiosity.in.that.and.other.scien-tific.subjects.helped.St..Julien.cope.with.the.sometimes.harrowing.treatments.for.her.painful.disease.

St.. Julien’s. doctors. urged. the. curious. teenager. to.consider.medical.school,.but.she.saw.a.different.path.for.herself..“I.could.not.conceive.of.myself.walking.the.halls.of.a.hospital.every.day..I.knew,.even.from.very.ear-ly.on,.that.I.was.meant.to.be.a.researcher,”.she.says.

St.. Julien.entered. the.University.of.Washington.as.a.biochemistry.major,. and. she.was. often. the. only. black.person—and.almost. always. the.only.black. female—in.most. of. her. science. classes.. Concluding. that.minority.students.might.be.inspired.to.study.the.sciences.if.they.had.more. role.models. their. age,. St.. Julien. decided. to.take.a.more.active.and.visible.role.on.campus.and.within.the.biology.and.chemistry.honor.societies..She.was.oc-casionally. invited. to. speak. on. campus,. usually. about.minority.issues.in.the.sciences..In.one.case,.she.spoke.to.the.board.of.the.University.of.Washington’s.Safeco.In-surance.Minority.Scholarship.to.encourage.them.to.con-tinue.funding..“After.hearing.my.speech.highlighting.my.

hopes.for.the.future.generation.of.minority.scientists,.the.board.members.thanked.me.and.a.few.told.me.they.were.proud.to.have.contributed.to.my.accomplishments.”

Throughout. her. undergraduate. years,. St.. Julien’s.sickle. cell. disease. continued. to. plague. her,. but. that.didn’t.stop.her.from.pursuing.her.dream.of.becoming.a.researcher..As.a.senior,.she.worked.in.the.laboratory.of.developmental.biologist.David.Kimelman,.who.studies.the.signaling.pathways.that.control.embryonic.develop-

ment.in.zebrafish.In.Kimelman’s.lab,.St..Julien.studied.a.tumor.suppressor.that.also.helps.

to. control. cell. shape. and. cell.movement. in. vertebrate. em-bryos..The.work.was. some-times. frustrating.. “If. you.make. one. slip,. you. have.to. start. all. over. again,”.she. says.. “I. could. eas-ily.waste. a.month.”. But.in. the. end,. her. tenacity.paid.off:.she.was.the.co-first.author.on.a.research.article. published. in. the.

journal. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Com-

munications.. Kimelman. says.St.. Julien. stood. out. from. other.

undergraduates.because.she.didn’t.just.do.as.she.was.told.in.the.lab..“She.

really. thought. about. her. project,. contrib-uted.her.own.ideas,.acted.like.a.real.scientist,”.he.says..“She’s.a.delightful.person,.the.kind.of.person.one.would.like. to. see. teaching. classes. and. raising. another. gen-eration.of.scientists.”.In.June.2008,.St..Julien.graduated.from.the.University.of.Washington.and.spent. the.sum-mer.at.Harvard.University.doing. research. in. the. lab.of.HHMI.investigator.Catherine.Dulac.as.part.of.HHMI’s.Ex-ceptional.Research.Opportunities.Program.(EXROP).. In.Dulac’s.lab,.St..Julien.helped.develop.a.method.to.physi-cally. tease.apart. individual.neurons.from.the.brains.of.mice..Dulac’s. team. is.now.using. the.new.technique. to.study.genetic.imprinting—the.process.by.which.a.copy.of.a.gene.is.silenced.depending.on.whether.it.was.inher-ited.from.the.mother.or.the.father—and.its.role.in.brain.development.and.behavior.

After.finishing.up.her.work.at.Harvard,.St..Julien.returned.to.the.West.Coast.to.begin.a.PhD.program.in.biochemistry.at.Stanford.University..Although.learning.about.sickle.cell.drugs.originally. inspired.St.. Julien’s. interest. in.biochem-istry,.she.doesn’t.expect.her.dissertation.research.to.ad-dress.that.condition.specifically..“I.always.kind.of.knew.I.wanted. to.be.able. to.help.people.with.diseases,”.she.says,.but.she.is.still.deciding.on.the.details..“I.just.want.to.find.something.I.love.researching.”.

nih’s minority access to research careers (marc) program makes science dreams a reality

MARC,.from.the.National.Institutes.of.Health.(NIH).is.the.nation’s.premier.program.dedi-cated.to.helping.students. from.groups.un-

derrepresented. in. biomedical. research. pursue. ca-reers.in.science..

q. how can i get marc to help pay for my undergraduate education?A.. To. be. eligible. for. support. through. a.MARC.Under-graduate. Student. Training. in. Academic. Research. (U-STAR).Award,.you.must.be.an.honors.student.with.at.least. junior. status. at. a. college. or. university. that. has.a.U-STAR.grant.or.a.grant.from.U-STAR’s.predecessor,.the. Honors. Undergraduate. Research. Training. Award..MARC.program.directors.at.institutions.with.MARC.un-dergraduate. grants. are. responsible. for. selecting. the.students.to.be.supported..

q. how can i get a marc fellowship to help pay for graduate school?A..NIGMS. funds.predoctoral. fellowships. to.enable. in-dividuals. who. are. members. of. minority. groups. that.are.underrepresented.in.biomedical.research.to.obtain.graduate. research. training.. Awards. are. conditional.upon.acceptance.into.an.approved.PhD,.combined.MD-PhD,.or.other.combined.professional-PhD.degree.pro-gram.in.the.biomedical.sciences.

q. i just want to go to medical school. am i eligible for an nigms fellowship?A..No..NIGMS.predoctoral.fellowships.support.medical.

training.only.as.part.of.the.combined.MD-PhD.de-gree,.which.prepares.students.for.careers.

in.biomedical.research.

q. does marc support graduate work in all academic fields?A..MARC.awards.support.training.in.fields.of.study.that.directly.prepare.students.for.careers.in.biomedical.research..Such.fields.of.study.include.biology,.chemistry,.cell.and.molecular.biology,.genetics,.biophysics,.math-ematics,.pharmacology,.biorelated.chemistry,.biochem-istry,.some.parts.of.psychology.and.sociology,.and.bio-engineering.(but.not.other.fields.of.engineering).

q. what is mbrs (minority biomed-ical research support)?A..MBRS.is.another.NIGMS.initiative.designed.to.help.in-crease.the.number.of.minority.biomedical.scientists..This.program.awards.grants.to.minority.institutions.to.support.research.by.faculty.members,.strengthen.the.institutions’.biomedical.research.capabilities,.and.provide.opportuni-ties.for.students.to.work.as.part.of.a.research.team.

q. how can i apply for a marc grant?A..There.is.no.application.form.for.undergraduate.stu-dents. interested. in. the.MARC.Undergraduate.Student.Training. in. Academic.Research.Award,. the.Bridges. to.the.Baccalaureate.Degree.initiative,.the.Bridges.to.the.Doctorate.Program.initiative,.or.the.Initiative.for.Maxi-mizing.Student.Development..Since. these.are. institu-tional.awards,.students.are.selected.by.the.institutions.that.receive.these.grants..Contact.your.research.advi-sor.to.see.how.you.can.become.involved.with.MARC.on.your.campus.

For.more. information.on.Minority.Access. to.Research.Careers.(MARC).programs,.go.to:.www.nigms.nih.gov/minority/marc/marcdescription.htm.

lee aggison was a mbrs participant and is now an associate professor of molecular and cell biol-ogy and associate dean of the graduate school at the university of con-necticut.

lola eniola-adefeso received sup-port from marc and now she’s an assistant professor of chemi-cal engineering at the univer-sity of michigan-ann arbor, where she studies methods to improve heart disease drugs.

photo by scott galvin

2009 GIllIaM fElloW

Steven Tuyishimephoto: paul fetters

Steven. Tuyishime’s. life. changed. the. day. that. the.violence.of.his.Rwandan.homeland.arrived.at.the.front. door. of. his. family’s. home. in. Kenya,. where.

his.father.was.posted.as.a.diplomat..It.was.1996.and,.fearing.that.they.were.no.longer.safe,.Tuy-ishime’s.father.made.the.difficult.deci-sion.to.move.to.the.United.States.

They.started.with.little.except.determination.. His. father.took.a.job.as.a.laborer.and.studied.to.become.a.social.worker,. and. his. mother.studied. to. be. a. nurse..“The.transition.from.life.in.Africa.to.America.was.a. tough. one.. I. forced.myself. to.work. through.feelings.of.isolation.and.concentrated. on. school-work,”. recalls. Tuyishime,.who. credits. his. parents’.efforts. to.provide.better.op-portunities.for.their.children.as.the. inspiration. that. compels. him.to.succeed,.even.today..“When.I.see.what.they.went.through,.I.can’t.give.myself.the.excuse.to.be.lazy.”

In.high.school.in.Raleigh,.North.Carolina,.Tuyishime.found.solace.and.inspiration.in.science.books.and.nur-tured.growing.ambitions.to.become.a.doctor..He.quick-ly.mastered.English.and.excelled.at.academics,.winning.a.coveted.spot.as.a.Meyerhoff.Scholar.at.the.University.of.Maryland,.Baltimore.County.(UMBC)..The.Meyerhoff.program.seeks.to.prepare.high-achieving.students.who.have.an.interest.in.the.sciences.or.engineering.for.grad-uate.study.and.careers.in.academia.

“When. I. first. told. adults. around.my. neighborhood.that. I. had. received. a. scholarship. to. college,. the. first.question.they.asked.was,.‘For.what.sport?’”.Tuyishime.explains..“Even.now,.when.I.tell.my.neighbors.about.my.plans.to.earn.a.PhD,.they.don’t.know.what.it.means.”.At.UMBC,.Tuyishime.majored.in.biology,.and.soon.became.fascinated.by.infectious.diseases,.specifically.malaria..As.a.freshman,.he.worked.with.Janice.Zengel,.a.UMBC.senior. research.scientist.who.studies.antibiotic. resis-tance.in.the.bacteria.Escherichia.coli..“I.realized.I.liked.the. process. of. discovery. in. science,”. he. says.. “And. I.thought.if.I.got.a.PhD.and.went.into.research,.I’d.have.the.opportunity.to.help.even.more.people.than.I.would.as.a.doctor.”

At. first,. Tuyishime. considered. pharmacology,. but.research.on.malaria.parasites. in. the. lab.of.HHMI. in-vestigator.Daniel.Goldberg.at.Washington.University.School. of. Medicine. in. St.. Louis. changed. his. mind..“It. was. so. exciting. to. grow. the.microbes. in. culture,.and.watch.how.they.attack.red.blood.cells,”.says.Tuy-ishime,.who.was.there.as.part.of.HHMI’s.Exceptional.Research. Opportunities. Program. (EXROP). in. 2007..“After.working.in.Goldberg’s.lab,.I.knew.microbiology.

was.what.I.wanted.to.do.”The.following.summer,.Tuyishime.joined.David.Weiner’s.lab.at.the.

University. of. Pennsylvania.School. of. Medicine,. where.he. helped. test. the. effec-tiveness.of.DNA.vaccines.that. could. be. used. to.treat.HIV..DNA.vaccines.use. just. a. portion. of.the. viral. or. bacte-rial.DNA.in.an.effort.to.stimulate. the. immune.system,. a. promising.approach. for. HIV. be-

cause. conventional. vac-cines. that. use. weakened.

or. killed. virus. are. neither.cost-effective.nor.safe.As.he.looks.to.the.future,.Tuy-

ishime,.now.21,.says.he’d.like.to.de-velop.DNA.vaccines.for.malaria..He.thinks.

they.could.one.day.supply.a.cheap.and.efficient.way.to.eradicate. the.disease..“Malaria. is.a.disease. that.shouldn’t. exist.. We. need. more. people. working. on.it. so.we. can. limit. how.many. people. it. sickens. and.kills,”.he.says.

While. he. credits. his.mentors.with. inspiring. him. to.consider.graduate.studies.in.science,.he.was.especially.encouraged. when. alumni. of. UMBC’s. Meyerhoff. pro-gram. talked.about. the.great. research. they.were. con-ducting. as. university. professors.. “Seeing. somebody.who. looks. like. me. involved. in. cutting-edge. research.helped.plant.a.seed.of.confidence.in.me.that.I.could.do.it.too,”.he.says.

He.now.hopes.he.is.sparking.that.confidence.in.a.younger.generation.of.budding.scientists.as.a.peer.adviser.for.entering.Meyerhoff.Scholars..Tuyishime.is.currently.applying.for.graduate.school,.and.when.he.is.a.professor.himself,.he.would.like.to.start.an.after-school. program. that. helps. and. encourages.minority. high. school. students. who. are. interested.in. the. sciences.. “I. recognize. that. there. are. many.talented. students,. especially.members.of.minority.groups,.who.are.not.provided.the.same.opportuni-ties.that.I.had.”

If.you.have.to.change.paths.toward.pursuit.of.an.ad-vanced.degree,.you.might.want.to.consider.a.non-tra-ditional.career.in.the.sciences..For.most.of.these.ca-

reers,.a.broad.interest.in.the.sciences.is.a.prerequisite..

if you like to write:science writerThe.best.sign.that.you.might.enjoy.science.writing.is.that.you.love.to.know.all.about.many.aspects.of.sci-ence,.can.quickly.learn.the.basics.about.many.topics.and. can.describe. complex. subjects. in. clear,. exciting.prose..Science.writers.are.hired.by.newspapers,.mag-azines,. and. journals. and. for.Web. site. development..Many.science.writers.are.freelance.authors.and.need.to.have.some.“business.skills”.as.well.as.writing.skills..While.some.science.writers.have.also.completed.a.de-gree.in.journalism,.many.have.not..A.good.resoure.to.explore.is.the.National.Association.of.Science.Writers.Web.site..The.American.Association.for.the.Advance-ment. of. Science.has. a. fellowship. for. students. inter-ested.in.becoming.science.writers..

For. those. of. you. interested. in. environmental. jour-nalism,. check.out. the.Society. of. Environmental. Jour-nalists.. If.you.are.interested.in.writing.about.medical.topics,.check.out.the.American.Medical.Writers.Asso-ciation..For.those.of.you.more.interested.in.conveying.technical.information,.check.out.the.Society.for.Techni-cal.Communication.

if you like computers and math:bioinformaticsBioinformatics.is.an.increasingly.popular.career..People.in.this.profession.help.make.sense.of.the.vast.quantities.of.information.from.the.human.genome.project.and.oth-er. gene-sequencing. projects.. Bioinformatics. combines.computer.science,.library.science,.as.well.as.the.biologi-cal.sciences.to.help.catalog.and.make.genetic.informa-tion.available.to.researchers,.pharmacy.companies,.and.the.biotech.industry..There.are.several.master’s.programs.in.bioinformatics.around.the.country..One.of.the.newest.programs.is.at.the.Georgia.Institute.of.Technology..Check.out.their.Web.site.for.information.on.bioinformatics.and.salary.and.career.outlooks.for.this.field.

if you like to work with children or young adults: science educationScience. education.might. be. the. place. for. you.. If. you.have.ever.wanted.to.work.in.a.science.and.technology.museum.or.a.zoo,.you.should.check.out. the.Associa-tion.of.Science-Technology.Centers.Web.site.at.www.astc.org,.and.the.American.Association.of.Museums.at.www.aam-us.org..The.American.Zoo.and.Aquarium.As-sociation.at.www.aza.org.has.a.wonderful.page.on.all.aspects.of.zoo.careers..Often.environmental.or.conser-vation.societies.hire.environmental.educators..Working.at.the.Natural.History.Center.in.Missoula,.Montana,.is.a.great.way.to.get.on.the.job.experience.for.these.types.of. careers.. If. you.want. to. teach.science.or.biology. to.middle.or.high.school. students,. consider.our. teacher.preparation. options. in. biology.. The. National. Science.Teachers.Association.has.a.Web.site.at.www.nsta.org.and. the.National.Association.of.Biology.Teachers.has.their.Web.site.at.www.nabt.org.

if you like drawing or photogra-phy: medical illustrationYou.might.want.to.consider.science.illustration.or.medi-cal.illustration.as.a.career..The.University.of.California.at.Santa.Cruz.has.a.one.year.graduate.program.that.is.described.at.natsci.ucsc.edu/scicom/SciIllus.html..If.you.are.interested.in.medical.illustration,.plan.to.get.some.additional.training..The.Web.site.for.the.Associa-tion.of.Medical.Illustrators.is.Medical-Illustrators.org;.under. “Profession”. it. includes. some. of. the. schools.that.currently.offer.training.for.this.career.

alternative careers

Now. in. its. ninth. year,. the.Annual.Biomedical. Re-search.Conference.for.Minority.Students.(ABRC-MS). is. the. largest,. professional. conference. for.

biomedical.and.behavioral.sciences.students,.including.mathematics,. attracting. approximately. 2,900. individu-als,.almost.double.the.number.of.attendees. it.had.the.first.year..“Our.focus.is.on.undergraduate.students,.es-pecially.minority. undergraduate. students,. and. getting.them.through.the.pipeline.with.the.ultimate.goal.of.go-ing.to.graduate.school,”.says.Irene.Hulede,.manager.of.the.student.programs.division.of. the.American.Society.for.Microbiology..“Students.come.to.present.papers,.ei-ther.through.poster.sessions.or.orally,.and.we.also.give.them.the.opportunity. to. talk. to. top-notch.scientists. to.get.a.perspective.on.how.they.got.where.they.are.now.”

Students.come.from.over.285.U.S..colleges.and.uni-versities.for.the.three-day.conference..One.of.ABRCMS’s.new.benefits.is.instituting.a.way.to.help.more.students.and.facutly.get.to.the.conference..“We’ve.implemented.a. travel. award. program,”. Hulede. says.. “This. means.that.more.students—for.example,. community. college.students—and.faculty.can.attend..

All. attendees. are. pursuing. advanced. training. in.biomedical.and.behavioral.sciences,.including.math-ematics,.and.many.have.conducted.independent.re-search..Also.in.attendance.are.more.than.280.repre-sentatives. from.graduate.programs.at.U.S..colleges.

and. universities,. as. well.as. scientists. from.

gove rnmen t.

agencies,. foundations,. and. professional. scientific.societies..

Keynote.and.other.speakers.are.a.highlight.of.the.conference,.and. this. year,. students.will. get. to.hear.from.past.attendees.who.have.gone.on.to.reach.their.dreams.. “This. year,. instead. of. having. one. person.give.the.keynote.address.on.the.opening.night,.we’ve.invited. some.of. these.past. students. to.be. the. key-note.speakers,”.says.Hulede..“They.will.share.their.stories.of.how.they.got.where.they.are,.and.encour-age. our. attendees. to. keep.working. hard. to. pursue.careers.in.research.”

All.of.this.exposure.to.science,.mentors,.and.students.working.to.achieve.the.same.goals. is.a.heady. event. for. attendees.. “The.students.are.very,.very.excit-ed. to. come. to. ABRCMS,”.says. Hulede.. “This. is.the.one.time.they.get.to.present.in.a.group.that’s.large,.but.not.ove rwhe lm ing ..They.get.to.have.a.lot.of.one-on-one.dialogues. with.students. who.look. like. them,.as. well. as. faculty.and. industry. pro-fessionals.. Our. at-tendees. know. they.need.to.bring.their.best.selves. to. the. conference,.because.you.never.know.who.you’re.going.to.meet.

“ABRCMS.works.because. it’s.like.a.one-stop.shopping.for.a.research. career—we. have. a.bit.of.everything!”

aBRcMS 2009!

resources for the young scientist

ad indexalbert einstein college of medicine .......................................................... 3

abrcms ........................................................................................................31

johns hopkins .............................................................................................14

mit ...............................................................................................................14

morehouse ..................................................................................................18

nih undergraduate scholarship program ................................................ 3

university of colorado ...........................................................................cv4

university of vermont ..............................................................................18

national society of black physicistswww.nsbp.org

american society for microbiology gra-date opportunitieswww.asmgap.org

abrcmswww.abrcms.org

society for the advancement of chicanos and native americans in science (sacnas)www.sacnas.org

minority access to research careers (marc)www.nigms.nih.gov/Minority/MARC/default.htm

national institute of general medical sciences (nigms) programs for minority studentswww.nigms.nih.gov/Minority/Programs.htm

national institutes of health (nih) loan repayment programwww.lrp.nih.gov

The Young Scientist: A Career Guide for Underrepresented Science Graduates

Documents

Transcript of The Young Scientist: A Career Guide for Underrepresented Science Graduates

Microaggressionsand Underrepresented Groups in Computer ... · Microaggressionsand Underrepresented Groups in Computer Science Virginia W. Huynh, Ph.D. Department of Child and Adolescent

Clarkson University The Community of Underrepresented ... · Community of Underrepresented Professional Opportunities Scholars through our Journal Volume 7. This Journal showcases

New Career Development PATHS for Underrepresented Groups

Identifying Underrepresented Populations for Gifted · eligibility), female, African-American, Hispanic, and American Indian groups underrepresented in their percentage of gifted

Assessing and Improving the Experience of Underrepresented ...

A Chilly Climate for Underrepresented Minority Students ... Chilly Climate for Underrepresented Minority...A “Chilly Climate” for Underrepresented Minority Students and Professionals

obStaCleS and SolutionS for underrePreSented minoritieS in ... · Obstacles and sOlutiOns fOr underrepresented MinOrities in technOlOgy stereotype threat, whereby the groups subject

Increasing Postsecondary Readiness for Underrepresented Students

Improving Completion Rates for Underrepresented Populations

The History of Caltech's Underrepresented Students

Increasing Postsecondary Readiness for Underrepresented ... · Increasing Postsecondary Readiness ... School Self Assessment Rubric: ... Increasing Postsecondary Readiness for Underrepresented

Communicating with underrepresented communities

Recruiting Members of Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic ...rbms.info/conferences2/preconfdocs/2010/SeminarH... · backgrounds, particularly underrepresented racial and ethnic groups,

Underrepresented API Populations in Higher Education

The Underrepresented French Trombone: Literature of the ...

A CD RECORDING PROJECT OF UNDERREPRESENTED WORKS FOR EUPHONIUM · A CD RECORDING PROJECT OF UNDERREPRESENTED WORKS FOR EUPHONIUM ... A CD RECORDING PROJECT OF UNDERREPRESENTED ...

A Profile of New York’s Underrepresented Minority ... · A Profile of New York’s Underrepresented Minority Physicians, 2006 ... of New York’s underrepresented minority physicians

Underrepresented and Overwhelmed (Final)

NYC_Are ELL Students Underrepresented in Charter Schools?

A Training Manual for PNMGC Mentors and Mentees · 2021. 1. 28. · Color (PMGC) evolved into the Project for New Mexico Graduates of Color (PNMGC). PNMGC serves underrepresented