Materials Science Research to Open Doors for Economically Disadvantaged High School Students: The ACS Project SEED Program at Clark Atlanta University

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Center for Functional Nanoscale Materials (CFNM), an NSF Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology, at Clark Atlanta University has partnered with ACS (American Chemical Society) Project SEED. The ACS project SEED program is recognized nationally as providing hands-on research opportunities to disadvantaged high school students who historically lack exposures to scientific careers. The University is a minority serving institution (MSI) and has an excellent relationship with Atlanta area school systems, which serve the African American community. Students entering their junior and senior years in high school were selected based on their academic performance, an essay and letters of recommendation for participation the Center’s eight week summer nanoscholar Program. Professors served as advisors and/or mentors and graduate students and doctoral fellows served as mentors. The Program included a variety of enrichment activities. All summer nanoscholars had personal research projects that were integral to the research programs of their advisors, and they presented their work in the form of a symposium at the end of the Program. We have completed three summers as an ACS Project SEED site. So far we have had one SEED scholar submit a major manuscript, two were invited to present at ACS National Meetings and one was awarded an eight year Gates-Millennium fellowship. Evaluation of the project strongly suggests that our approach is effective for opening doors for the economically disadvantaged students and tapping the best and the brightest for careers in the sciences and engineering. In the words of one of our young scholars “I realized that research is a continuous learning process. You can never know everything. Even a professor has credentials but they’re still continuing to learn.”