082310 OARDC interns take on research challenges

  • By Sharon Haught
  • August 15, 2010
  • 288
                        
For most high school and college students, summer is a time to relax and re-tool for the rigors of the coming school year. But for the 65 participants in the OARDC Research Internship Program the summer of 2010 was a time to work side by side with some of the top scientists in the country conducting cutting edge research. According to OARDC professor and Program Director for the OARDC Research Internship Program Dr. Parwinder Grewal the interns’ journey began last spring when 170 high performing college and high school students submitted applications for the 65 available spots in the program. Based on their interests and previous research experience the successful applicants were paired with OARDC professors to assist with research projects. The research conducted by the interns during the program was a varied as the diverse research projects currently being conducted at OARDC. While high school student Kojo Quaye worked with Dr. Mary Gardiner of OARDC’s Entomology Department to determine the level of suppression of pests by natural enemies in urban gardens and vacant lots in urban Cleveland, another student studied the viability of corn stalks and tree trimmings as feedstock for cellulose based bio-fuels. While projects like these took interns into the field and the laboratory, college student Preston Phelan’s work looked into an entirely different aspect of agriculture. Phelan worked with Dr. Casey Hoy on a statistical model to show the relationships between potential new agricultural businesses in Northeast Ohio and looking for cluster that could develop into agri-business ecosystems. Over the course of the 10 week program each student worked a minimum of 30 hours a week. In addition to conducting laboratory and field research, the students also gathered for seminars, group discussion sessions and symposia. The interns’ summer experience culminated in a two day symposium on August 12 and 13 during which each student presented a brief presentation summarizing the results of their work. For the interns selected for the program, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, one that even students in large metropolitan areas never have the opportunity to experience. “It is an awesome opportunity,” said Grewal. “It is helping them tremendously to realize the depth of science, the depth of opportunity, the possibilities they have in the scientific field as a career.” In addition to providing students with valuable experience, the program also provides the students with a stipend of between $2000 and $3200 which many of the students use to defray their college expenses. For a number of participants in last year’s program, the benefits of the program went beyond experience and compensation when the work of seven of the interns “were published in international peer reviewed journals,” said Grewal. And it’s not just the interns that gain from the experience. The faculty and graduate students at OARDC benefit as well. In addition to helping the university connect with the local community, the work the interns do is important to furthering the research the faculty members are conducting. And by encouraging graduate students to act as co-mentors to the interns graduate students gain much needed mentoring experience as well. “Soon they’re going to be faculty members and have their own PhD students and they will have experience in how to mentor the younger students,” noted Grewal. According to Grewal the OARDC Research Internship Program is funded in part by grants from the GAR Foundation and the Ashland Bioscience Consortium. The remaining funding for the approximately $200,000 program comes from OARDC and existing grants obtained by faculty members who utilize the interns. For more information on the OARDC Research Internship Program visit http://oardc.osu.edu/orip.


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