Ben Nalevenko, who worked as an intern at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center explains his work at the Summer Scholars Program poster session in July.

MCS Summer Scholars Program Spurs Students’ Scientific Interests

Heidi Opdyke

Students from Carnegie Mellon University and other institutions conducted research as part of the Mellon College of Science Summer Scholars Program (SSP). The program brings together undergraduate students primarily from liberal arts colleges to conduct research in mathematical sciences, physics, chemistry, biology and computational projects.

Each research experience has its own priorities and events, but under the SSP umbrella students lived together in the same dorm and were provided science-specific professional learning and development opportunities. SSP aims to increase access to information about graduate school, scientific research, conference meetings and other career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. It helps young scholars build professional networks and foster a sense of community within STEM research spaces; improve their ability to think creatively about research; and work in interdisciplinary and collaborative settings.

SSP provides valuable social and professional development opportunities to students in a variety of undergraduate research programs throughout MCS.
SSP provides valuable social and professional development opportunities to students in a variety of undergraduate research programs throughout MCS.
Lauryn McKenna explained her research that was funded by NSF. It was her third summer working on training a machine learning model to output intensity localization curves for fluorescently tagged proteins. By knowing the precise membrane-to-cytoplasm ratio for a protein, researchers can learn about its binding affinity to the membrane.
Lauryn McKenna explained her research that was funded by NSF.  It was her third summer working on training a machine learning model to output intensity localization curves for fluorescently tagged proteins. By knowing the precise membrane-to-cytoplasm ratio for a protein, researchers can learn about its binding affinity to the membrane.
Jennifer Zhang and Stephanie Wang pose at Ohiopyle White Water Adventurers before heading out on the river for white water rafting. They worked in Department of Mathematical Sciences this summer as part of the Summer Undergraduate Applied Mathematics Institute.
Jennifer Zhang and Stephanie Wang pose at Ohiopyle White Water Adventurers before heading out on the river for white water rafting. They worked in Department of Mathematical Sciences this summer as part of the Summer Undergraduate Applied Mathematics Institute.
Samuel Yang, a rising sophomore in biological sciences, was a Summer Undergraduate Research intern funded through the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium as administered by CMU. Yang worked in Catherine Armbruster's lab and used genomics and molecular methods to compare opportunistically pathogenic bacteria isolated from the homes of people with the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis to the bacteria infecting their respiratory tract.
Samuel Yang, a rising sophomore in biological sciences, was a Summer Undergraduate Research intern funded through the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium as administered by CMU. Yang worked in Catherine Armbruster's lab and used genomics and molecular methods to compare opportunistically pathogenic bacteria isolated from the homes of people with the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis to the bacteria infecting their respiratory tract.
Among some of the activities SSP students participated included a home Pirates baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Among some of the activities SSP students participated included a home Pirates baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays.