WISE Women Undergraduate STEM Summer Research to be Showcased

Initiated and administered by the WISE Committee, the REWU (Research Experience for Women Undergraduates) Program encourages and enables the participation of talented young women in ongoing research. This year’s participants will be presenting their research findings during a special event on

July 28, 2016

, from

11:45 AM to 5:00 PM in the Engineering Research Center, Room 427

.

The goals of the REWU Program are to expose students to various aspects of scientific research, and to encourage the pursuit of advanced studies in science, mathematics and engineering. This summer, 28 young women worked on research projects in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science (Blue Ash), nursing, pediatrics, communication sciences and disorders, and science and health (Clermont).

Starting on May 9, 2016, each student had a rare opportunity to conduct research alongside a leading UC scientist/engineer in a wide range of fields. Paired with a faculty mentor/researcher, each young woman was given a stipend of $4,500 to carry out her research. In addition to the benefit of conducting research as an undergraduate, students could also opt to have the program constitute as one of their normal co-op experience semesters, with one additional week of research commitment.

WISE has earned its success by embedding in it a win-win proposition – while exposing young students to the world of research, it also forces the faculty researcher to distill complex projects into smaller, more focused blocks. One mentor reflects, “It is one of the best programs for interacting with undergraduate students who are very passionate about projects, willing to learn beyond the scope of classroom material, and able to take charge and responsibility for their work.”

Urmila Ghia, chair of the WISE Program, explains, “Participation in research projects is a significant factor in increasing student retention, and in encouraging talented students to excel. It enhances the students’ overall educational experience, initiates a network with a faculty member and the associated lab personnel, and helps them grow professionally. These talented and dedicated young women are the bright future of STEM fields. This summer marks 18 years of WISE promoting research amongst women undergraduates.”

For more information on the program, please visit:

http://www.wise.uc.edu/rewu.php