SAN DIEGO – They could spend their summer days in languor at the beach, sending nonstop text messages to friends. Instead, April Stanley and Andy Vesci are preparing for the fall semester at the University of San Diego by toiling 40 hours a week in research labs.
LAURA EMBRY / Union-Tribune
April Stanley (left), a member of USD's Pre-Undergraduate Research Experience program, listened to chemistry professor Chris Daley as they conducted an experiment in a USD science lab.
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Stanley and Vesci are part of an undergraduate program that recruits students who often don't make it into the research ranks: students of color, students whose parents have never been to college or students who are financially needy.
The plan is to expose them to science and math in hopes they will choose a career in science – not always a first choice for the Millennial Generation.
Formed in 2001 as a way to diversify the sciences, the Pre-Undergraduate Research Experience program enables three to five freshmen to spend six to eight weeks in a lab before starting college, then provides free tutoring for two years.
Stanley, a sophomore, joined last year and has now moved on to another research program for undergraduates.
Vesci, who is just beginning, said the experience is exceptional.
“I love it,” said Vesci, 18, who is the first in his family to go to college. “It's unbelievable.
“The knowledge and experience I'm getting from this program is so unique. I could never get this at a summer job.”
Faculty mentors also appreciate the program.
Physics professor Eric Page said that mentoring Vesci – who is now considering physics as a major – is gratifying.
“Helping students get a start early in their academic career is a good thing,” Page said. “We encourage as many of our undergraduates as possible to do research. It helps them for graduate school and for jobs.”
Program funding comes from various grants. Each student and faculty mentor gets a $2,500 stipend. The funding also pays for supplies, tutoring, and one or two social events.
Cultivating diverse budding researchers improves science overall, said Debbie Tahmassebi, a USD chemistry professor and one of the program's founders.
“Oftentimes you need to see people who have succeeded in order to believe you can succeed,” Tahmassebi said.
Stanley, who is half Filipino, is considering a career in science. Even though she always knew she wanted to participate in research, chemistry has never come easy to her, Stanley said. Taking part in the program has confirmed her penchant.
Her confidence grew as well, which was visible as Stanley navigated Chris Daley's chemistry lab, which smelled similar to nail polish remover.
Stanley was purifying an orange, pasty substance created in the lab. Her goal – part of a molecular experiment – was to turn it white and powdery, which she achieved by dousing it in solvent and sucking it dry of liquid and impurities with a vacuum.
“I haven't taken organic chemistry yet,” Stanley said as she carefully mixed the solvent and the gooey solid. “This is going to help me this semester when I (study) organic chemistry.”
From a stool where he was consulting with another student, Daley, a professor of inorganic chemistry, glanced at Stanley's work.
“It's looking pretty good,” Daley told her. “That's actually going to be a lot whiter when it dries.”
Administrators have not tracked how many participants have majored in science after the summer program.
“For me, success doesn't mean they graduate with a science degree,” Tahmassebi said. “Success is that they graduate in something they are happy with.”
Tanya Sierra: (619) 498-6631; tanya.sierra@uniontrib.com
