Enrichment Programs Newsletter
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October greetings! This month our newsletter is focusing on
CUR
(the Council on Undergraduate Research). Temple has an enhanced institutional membership to CUR, which means that YOU (Temple faculty, staff, and students) can join for free. Read on below to find out why you might want to join.
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Missed our introductory issue? Read it
here.
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- CUR (Council on Undergraduate Research)
- Alumni Spotlight: Diamond Research Scholar & Posters on the Hill Presenter Demetrius Lee '19
- Upcoming Deadlines & Events
- Undergraduate Research Information Sessions
- IRT Graduate School Application Support Information Sessions
- Get in Touch
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CUR (Council on Undergraduate Research)
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CUR
is an organization that supports and promotes undergraduate research and creative activity. Over 700 colleges and universities are institutional members. Because Temple has an enhanced institutional membership, all Temple faculty, students, and staff may
join
for free.
Member benefits include:
- an online member community and job board
- networking, mentoring, leadership, and presentation opportunities
- Registry for Undergraduate Researchers -- a platform to help connect well prepared undergraduate researchers with graduate programs
- student travel awards for students from certain disciplines (biology, physics & astronomy, psychology, social sciences)
Every April, CUR holds
Posters on the Hill,
an event where undergraduates from across the U.S. share their research with members of Congress and their staffers. The 2019 program can be viewed
here
. Temple was proud to send senior neuroscience major Demetrius Lee to Capitol Hill last year to talk with government officials about the importance of undergraduate research (see below for more).
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Alumni Spotlight: Demetrius Lee, CLA '19
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Demetrius, a 2019 Temple graduate, majored in neuroscience and pursued research opportunities with great enthusiasm during his time at Temple. As a
Diamond Research Scholar
, he worked with Dr. Debra Bangasser in the psychology department and neuroscience program to research the
sex-specific effects of multiple life stressors on development and cognition in rats. Demetrius
was one of 60 students selected from across the U.S. to share his research with members of Congress and their staff at the Council on Undergraduate Research's Posters on the Hill event this past spring.
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Current Position:
Research Technician at CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
What inspired you to pursue this project? Where did the idea come from?
I have always been interested in the effects that stress has on the brain. This led me to join the Neuroendocrinology and Behavior Lab headed by Dr. Bangasser, where I became very interested in early life stress. Most stress research tends to use only males and completely ignores females, but due to differences in male and female brains we thought it was imperative to pursue experiments that compared both males’ and females’ responses to stress to gain deeper insights into the effects of stress.
What was a highlight of working on this project?
There were several highlights, but the largest was presenting this research on Capitol Hill to different members of Congress as part of the Posters on the Hill event sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research. I was able to meet with several members of Congress to discuss the importance of undergraduate research.
What was your biggest challenge with this project? How did you handle it?
The biggest challenge was having the patience to tediously and consistently collect data from the hundreds of experiments we did. I handled it with positive self-talk that was focused on keeping my eye on the goal at hand.
How has your work on this project impacted you?
The results on the project were very exciting, but the biggest impact was the number of opportunities working on this project opened up for me. I am now working at CHOP, which seemed like a dream just one year ago. I would not be where I am today without this project.
Have any publications or conference presentations or awards resulted from your project?
I have given several conference presentations for this project. My first was at the Mid-Atlantic Pharmacological Society Meeting, where I won a first place presentation award. I also received a
CARAS Travel Grant
to support my travel to the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Indiana. I presented at the
Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creativity
at Temple. I also received the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Award and was chosen to speak at the reception. I gave a talk at the Scholars of Color Conference in Philadelphia. Lastly I received a Psychology Department Travel Award to go to Washington D.C., where I presented at
Posters on the Hill
to members of Congress. Finally, I am a co-author on a paper currently under review at the
European Journal of Neuroscience
.
What are you doing now? Did your experience working on your Diamond Research Scholars project prepare you in any way for your current role?
I am currently a research technician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the lab of Ethan Goldberg M.D., Ph.D., where I am supporting the Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative. My Diamond Research Scholars project was instrumental in preparing me for the rigors of my current position.
Do you have any advice for students considering pursuing a mentored research or creative project?
My advice is to never give up and to be persistent in what you want. I never settled until I got what I needed to succeed, and I was never afraid to ask for help and advice from professors. Speaking with professors in your field about your interests is one of the best things you can do. I implore those with an inkling of interest in research to begin to reach out to as many professors and PIs [principal investigators] as you can. The more people you reach out to, the higher the chances of you getting in a position where you can apply for different grants. It is all up to you to get the support you need to get where you want to go.
Answers have been edited and condensed.
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Upcoming Deadlines & Events
- October 23: IRT information session for students considering graduate school in Education, Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences (see below for more details).
- November 5: Posters on the Hill applications due by 11:59 pm. Undergraduates are encouraged to apply for a chance to share their research with members of Congress and their staffers.
- November 6: STEM-focused information session on Undergraduate Research Opportunities, 5-6 pm, in 201 Tuttleman.
- November 7: Non-STEM-focused information session on Undergraduate Research Opportunities, 4-5 pm in 201 Tuttleman.
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Undergraduate Research Information Sessions
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Diamond Research Scholars Steve Hamilton and Kiana Burton share their research at the Diamond Research Scholars Poster Day in July.
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Students curious about learning more about research opportunities at Temple and beyond should come to one of the upcoming
Information Sessions on Undergraduate Research Opportunities
:
- STEM focus: Wednesday, November 6, 5:00 - 6:00 pm. Register here.
- Non-STEM focus: Thursday, November 7, 4:00 - 5:00 pm. Register here.
Both will be held in the 201 Tuttleman classroom and will feature short presentations on funded internal and external opportunities by:
- Kerry Milch, Assistant Director for Undergraduate Enrichment
- Barbara Gorka, Director of Scholar Development and Fellowships Advising
- Rose McGinnis, CST Director of Student Professional Development and Undergraduate Research Program (STEM session only)
Faculty, please help us spread the word about these sessions. Thank you!
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Graduate School Application Support for Students in Education, Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
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The IRT helps students committed to social justice and diversity apply to MA or PhD programs within the field of Education, Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The IRT provides year-long one-on-one advising and support throughout the graduate school process. They work with a consortium of over 40+ institutions who provide their students with application fee waivers. Participation is free of charge. 62% of IRT applicants identify as first-gen and 61% identify as coming from a low-income background.
The IRT mission is to empower talented underserved and underrepresented future educators to teach and serve as leaders in Education (as college professors, deans, administrators, college advisors, high school counselors, K-12 teachers, principals, etc.). They accept applications from professionals in the field, people who already have a master’s degree or are currently enrolled in a master’s program, recent graduates, and undergraduate juniors and seniors. Undergraduate juniors and seniors are also eligible to apply for their paid, summer residential internship.
RSVP
for the information session on Wednesday, October 23rd,
and
sign up for updates
about pertinent dates and information. Questions? Contact
Monica Reum,
Recruitment and Admission Programs Specialist.
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We Want
to Hear from You!
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Are you an undergraduate researcher or peer teacher with news to share?
Do you know an undergraduate researcher or peer teacher who should be featured here?
Do you have an event, program, or deadline you would like us to include in an upcoming issue?
Do you want to learn more about undergraduate enrichment programs at Temple and how to become involved?
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