Submitted by Dr. Linda De La Garza, Professor of Chemistry
The Southwestern Georgia STEM Pathways Alliance (SWGA-SPA) sponsored a Summer Research Bridge Camp for scholars and associate scholars of participating institutions. Students from Georgia Southwestern, ABAC, Columbus Tech and Columbus State University, attended the camp along Valdosta State University students during May 30 to June 3, 2023.
The SWGA-SPA is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, created to provide support to underrepresented minority (URM) students (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders).
The Summer Bridge Camp was hosted by Columbus State University and Columbus Tech, and included sessions on robotics, electrofishing, cybersecurity, chemistry, and environmental science. The program also included activities related to career and professional development, students participated in a session on bioethics, and workshops on possible selves and establishing confidence to be successful in STEM fields.
The student participants David Vasquez (CHEM), Caidyn Carr (CHEM), Alma Diaz (GEOS), Vanessa Brignolle (BIOL), Opeyemi Oladejo (ENGR), and Hector Prieto (PHYS), were accompanied by Dr. Jason Allard (GEOS), LSAMP mentor coordinator, and Dr. Sandra Trowell (MATH), LSAMP assistant coordinator.
The interdisciplinary aspect of the camp helped students to experience applications of their majors and collaborate with students on other STEM fields in support of their objective of seeking advanced degrees after graduation from VSU. LSAMP at VSU hosted a similar camp on June 2021.
“We are very proud of the work of the LSAMP Scholars at VSU” – said Dr. Linda de la Garza (CHEM), co-PI and VSU LSAMP activities coordinator. “We invite interested students from the College of Science and Mathematics to join our activities, we will have sessions with speakers and workshops during the fall and spring semesters.”
The goal of this LSAMP program is to transform the STEM learning environment by significantly increasing the number of URM majors graduating with baccalaureate degrees and applying to graduate programs in the STEM disciplines.
To learn more about the LSAMP program: https://www.valdosta.edu/csm/lsamp.php
To follow LSAMP at VSU on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LSAMPatVSU/
Instagram: lsamp_at_vsu