The Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium and the University of Wyoming Science Posse selected three students for the 2011 summer undergraduate research fellowship program with Winston-Salem State University (WSSU).
In the program, WSSU students will be matched with graduate student mentors in the Science Posse, which includes graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
For six weeks, WSSU students will work in laboratories with their mentor graduate students to receive hands-on research experience. Students will work in zoology and physiology, chemical and petroleum engineering and physics and astronomy labs on campus.
This year's WSSU undergraduate participants are:
Charlotte, N.C. -- Jonaa Smith
Kannapolis, N.C. -- Bridgette Parks
Kings Mountain, N.C. -- Alicia McClain
WSSU students are scheduled to arrive June 17 in Laramie and be involved in research projects through July. Students will also participate in local summer activities such as Jubilee Days, go hiking at Vedauwoo and horseback riding in the Snowy Range and visit Denver and Fort Collins, Colo.
"One of the shared goals of this fellowship program is to get students excited about pursuing careers in science and hands-on experiences like this help to promote that goal," says Emily Stewart, program coordinator at Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium.
It is also a great cultural exchange for students from both UW and WSSU. To quote one of the 2010 WSSU students: "The experience was like no other. I savor the moments and the memories of Wyoming."
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship is made possible through funding from the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium, the UW Strategic Diversity Initiatives Committee and the School of Energy Resources.
