This summer, 35 undergrad students from colleges across the USA traveled to Madison for WISCIENCE’s Cellular and Microbiology of Stress (CMBS) Summer Research Program, where they spent ten weeks getting hands-on experience as scientists. Each student was placed in a campus lab relevant to their research interests, and they worked closely with their lab mentors to design and execute their own research projects. For many students, this was their first experience doing independent research. For others, it was an opportunity to expand their research capabilities in ways they couldn’t do anywhere else.
While the hands-on research experience is integral to the program, it is not the only draw. Students also take part in professional development activities, learn about research careers from a wide range of faculty and staff, and deliver several science communication components to the UW–Madison STEM community, including a poster session and research symposium. By the end of the program, students have a stronger idea about what research entails—and what they are capable of.
The CMBS program is intended for students who have limited access to research opportunities like those at UW–Madison, including first-generation students, those whose life experience is impacted by historical or social factors, and those who attend smaller colleges without robust research facilities. Students from near and far are offered a unique opportunity to discover what research is like and to build skills for their futures in grad school and beyond.
Such an intensive and transformational learning experience is possible because of an incredible support network. Program directors Amber Smith (Associate Director of WISCIENCE) and David Wassarman (Professor of Medical Genetics) work closely with the entire cohort throughout the summer. Each student is mentored by their faculty mentor I as well as one or more graduate students or postdocs from their lab. Before being able to accept CMBS students in their lab, all mentors participate in WISCIENCE’s Advancing Research Mentoring Practice, a four-session training program where they further their abilities to be effective, culturally responsive mentors.
Plus, the students have each other–and students from other summer research programs on campus. They form close friendships, spending time outside of the lab exploring campus and the city of Madison, whether wandering along State Street, checking out the Farmer’s Market, or kayaking on Lake Mendota.
Ultimately, this program is an example of the Wisconsin Idea—a way for UW–Madison’s innovative research and high-caliber mentoring to reach across the country to shape the next generation of scientists. Whether studying how traumatic brain injury may impact the microbiome or how Wisconsin’s frogs are affected by environmental stressors, this year’s cohort did some phenomenal science and had transformational experiences—ones that will continue to influence them for years to come.
Learn more about the CMBS Summer Research Program.