UC Redefines 'Researcher' and Gives Women Unique Summer Opportunities

When someone says “researcher” we often envision a scientist in a lab coat hovered over a microscope. Usually a tall, middle aged man against an all-white backdrop staring purposefully into a lens.

The University of Cincinnati is widening that perception by giving undergraduate women unique research opportunities through the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Research Experience for Women Undergraduates (REWU) program.

By paring undergraduate women of all disciplines with faculty members for 12 weeks and a $4,500 stipend, the students are able to conduct full-length research projects over the summer between their sophomore and senior year.

During those three months, the students work closely with their faculty advisor/researcher in preforming research, measuring and interpreting results, deriving conclusions, and developing plans for future research. Their findings are then presented at the closing ceremony held at the end of summer.

This year 23 women undergraduates gave their final presentations on July 31st. The closing ceremony was well attended and supported by Dean Lim as well as the mentoring faculty.

The students presented on their subjects across disciplines including food and nutrition, statistics, biology, international affairs, astrophysics, and more. Each 10 minute presentation was followed by a question and answer session in which the audience, made up of mostly supporting faculty and students, asked stirring questions on the women’s work.

The projects were as diverse as the women who conducted them. From Does the Addition of an Experimental Protein Alter Cell Characteristics, by senior Kristina Davis, to Color Vision in Tanzanian Geckos, by Manavi Singh, and Community Concerns of Hydraulic Fracturing in Eastern Ohio, by Casey White, each project was specific to the student’s interest and field.

Scattered amongst the presentations, various university supports, including Provost Beverly Davenport, stood up to state their gratitude towards Professor Urmila Ghia, PhD, WISE chair, and the young women who spent their summer increasing knowledge and advancing their respective fields.

The opportunity to be mentored by UC professors and conduct original research translates to greater retention in the classroom and a stronger resume. It is a distinguishing experience that has led many students to continue at UC for their graduate education.

The program also benefits the faculty and speaks to their dedication to students’ success. While in some cases it may be simpler to do research by themselves or with other faculty members, UC professors extend their hand and welcome students into the lab as a way of better preparing and educating them for future careers of scholarship and advanced education.

The WISE REWU program is truly a university wide effort. Supporters from every sector of UC attended the final presentations with enthusiasm and regard for the work that has been done. Each individuals’ remarks echoed the last with an overwhelming theme of appreciation for Professor Ghia, PhD and her team, as well as admiration for the 23 women who participated in this year’s program.

The WISE REWU Program is sponsored in part by the Offices of the Provost and the Vice President for Research, with the support and cooperation of several departments in the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, Pharmacy, Nursing and Medicine. It is a twelve week program that encourages the participation of talented young women in the science, mathematics and engineering fields, with a goal of exposing these talents to diverse areas of research early in their education and to encourage the pursuit of advanced studies in these fields.

The WISE REWU program continues to educate and encourage women in their research endeavors with high hopes for their futures. Professor Ghia and her team look forward to the next group of motivated women who will choose to make the most of their summer next year.

To view the full list of presenters and their projects please visit:

http://ceas.uc.edu/content/dam/ceas/documents/WISE2014REWU.pdf

For more information on WISE REWU please visit the following link:

http://ceas.uc.edu/content/dam/ceas/documents/news/WISE%202013%20Program%20Announcement-1.pdf