Rhodes College’ Department of Chemistry will host the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED program on campus this summer.
Established in 1968, Project SEED provides sustained science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and growth opportunities for high school students with diverse identities and socioeconomic backgrounds so they can be empowered to advance and enrich the chemical science discipline.
Karen Mosley, instrumentation technician and chemical safety officer, will serve as coordinator of the Rhodes program, which will engage local high school students in meaningful research under the supervision of Rhodes faculty within the departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In addition to Mosley, Profs. Larryn Peterson, Loretta Jackson-Hayes, and Terry Hill contributed to Rhodes’ proposal to host Project SEED on campus.
The eight-week paid internship will allow local high school students the opportunity to participate in research ranging from designing “green” experiments to synthesizing novel antibacterial compounds to investigating protein function or interactions in microorganisms. First-time students will receive a $3,200 stipend.
The high school students will have opportunities to engage with Rhodes students and gain invaluable information on college life. There also will be informational sessions on college prep, careers in science, and writing scientific papers.
“The entire program is about exposure. Project SEED is designed to give high school students exposure they may have been denied because of economic status,” says Mosley. “Students will have access to invaluable information as well as experience and wisdom from faculty and staff who can help them prepare and navigate academia in the near future, all while conducting important research. I hope that by the end of eight weeks that students have a broader vision of what they can achieve and a network of masterminds they can call on for help.”
The application deadline is March 21, 2022. Students can apply here.