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Shining STARS

Five visiting student "stars" polished their research skills at Scripps this summer as part of a UC San Diego-wide research academy that give underrepresented undergraduates a taste of graduate school life.

UCSD's Summer Training Academy for Research in the Sciences (STARS) program aims to increase the number of minority students with research experience and enhance their preparation for doctoral study. The intensive eight-week program also provides research internships for students to experience the rigors of doctoral programs.

The five Scripps STARS, four of whom were diversity students and all of whom are women, were part of a larger group of 29 participants spread throughout various academic divisions of the UCSD campus.

Scripps hosted students Sarah Rosa from Dartmouth University; Brett Dennis-Duke from Mcalester College; Stephanie Garcia from University of Texas, San Antonio; Jean S. Alupay from UC Davis; and Kamil Armaiz-Nolla from University of Puerto Rico.

The focus of their summer research ranged from the impacts of tsunamis on the Hawaiian Islands and a petrologic look at sea level rise to the relationship between flying fish and dolphin communities in the tropical Pacific, to impacts of turbulence on the development of sea urchin larvae, to the impacts of sedimentation on nitrogen fixing bacteria in salt marshes.

"The STARS program was an amazing opportunity for me to learn hands-on about a life in research and academia," said Rosa. "It not only gave me a glimpse into that kind of lifestyle but also, through the weekly workshops and meetings, provided me with every resource that I need for a complete graduate school application."

The Scripps faculty mentors who guided the STARS students's summer research efforts were: Ron Flick and Lisa Levin of the Integrative Oceanography Division, research biologist Mike Latz, geologist Pat Castillo, and ecologist Lisa Balance. Graduate student advocates Elisa Maldonado and Serena Moseman also worked closely with the students.

Throughout the summer, the students kept a rigorous schedule. They spent six to eight hours on lab research each day, and participated in weekly student development workshops, and twice-weekly graduate records exam (GRE) courses. Much of this work was done in preparation for the UCSD Summer Research Conference, where the STARS students were required to formally present their research.

The STARS not only gained valuable first-hand experience conducting research, but also had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most distinguished researchers in their fields of interest. The Scripps scientists and graduate students working with the STARS equally benefited from having a high-quality, dedicated apprentice devoted to a part of their research.

Scripps STARS graduate advisor Serena Moseman lauded the perks of working with sharp, energetic students who brought fresh perspectives to the table. "As a graduate student and lab supervisor, I gained a lot in the process of training these students. They asked valuable questions and were very insightful, so I feel I've learned as much from them as I've taught them," Moseman said.

—Shannon Casey

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• Scripps Home
• Summer Training Academy for Research in the Sciences (STARS)
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