IU’s first lady visits labs Wednesday during summer research program

Students in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Summer Scholars Institute received a visit Wednesday from IU’s first lady, Laurie Burns McRobbie.

Laurie Burns McRobbie, along with Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs Ed Marshall, stopped by a few of the students’ research labs in Jordan and Myers halls. The goal of the visit was to give her an idea of the type of fundraising needed for the program in the future, said Jack Schmit, assistant to the vice president for institutional development and student affairs.

During the visit, students also had a chance to present the research they’re working on, including studies on cancer, cell phones and informatics.

“You hear them talk about what they’re doing and it’s like, ‘Wow,’” Schmit said.

The program, which started last year as an initiative by then-IU President Adam Herbert, works to provide research opportunities for and increase the number of African-American students in science and math disciplines, according to an IU news release. It also lets the students get a chance to explore IU and see the types of research done on campus, Schmit said.

The students in the nine-week program are from 11 historically black colleges and universities around the United States, including Morehouse College in Georgia and Xavier University of Louisiana, according to an IU news release.

“Part of the partnership is to hopefully get those students coming to IU for graduate work,” Schmit said.

Since it began, enrollment for STEM has doubled to 22 students who are juniors, seniors and graduate students, Schmit said.

Students who are chosen for the program are paired with faculty members on the IU-Bloomington or IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis campuses who have similar interests, Schmit said. During the program, students stay in campus apartments and receive a $4,000 stipend, he added.

Anyone who is interested in the program and is thinking about going for their Ph.D. can apply online. Schmit said although some students go through the program and end up attending graduate school somewhere else, they have a greater chance of coming back to teach at IU when they’re done getting their master’s degree.

Schmit said one improvement to the program he would like to see in subsequent years is a chance for the students to visit IU-Bloomington and IUPUI prior to coming in the summer. This spring, he said, all 22 students attended an orientation weekend for the program at Bradford Woods, which included staying in cabins, making campfires and doing trust exercises.

“It was intended to really get together as a group,” he said, adding that the weekend made a difference. “They just get together and talk and the chatter starts.”