Participants have access to labs and mentors, as well as professional development.
Summer research opportunities, which provide undergraduate students access to lab experiences and faculty mentoring, can be unreachable for some due to limited research opportunities at their home institutions or financial constraints. This is something that Mary Stromberger, vice provost and dean for graduate education at The Ohio State University, experienced herself. Stromberger has a bachelor’s degree in biology and microbiology, as well as both a master’s and a doctorate in soil science.
“I was a first-generation, Pell-Grant-eligible student,” she said. “I was in a situation where I had to work to pay for my education, so I probably said to myself, ‘I can’t do that.’”
Now, Stromberger leads Ohio State’s chapter of the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP). SROP enables students from underrepresented backgrounds to explore graduate study and academic careers, all with deeply reduced financial costs. Participants conduct research with a faculty mentor on a topic of mutual interest and participate in activities crucial to preparation for graduate school, including a professional development series.
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