- University of Central Florida News | UCF Today - https://www.ucf.edu/news -

6 Chosen for National Science Foundation Summer Programs

Posted By On In Research,Science & Technology | Comments Disabled

Six UCF students from the National Science Foundation-sponsored LEARN program have been accepted to prestigious summer programs around the country.

The program, a first-year living and learning community for science, technology, engineering and mathematics students, provides the opportunity for students to live, take courses, and do research together their first year at UCF.

The program aims to increase STEM retention by providing mentoring and academic support, while exposing students to discipline-specific research. Summer research programs are meant to expose students to an intense research experience and expand their preparation for graduate education.

The students who have been accepted this year are:

  • Kimberly Cranmore (Environmental Engineering) – NSF Coastal Research in Environmental Science and Technology Research Experience for Undergraduates (CREST-REU) at University of Massachusetts
  • Kathryn Ross (Biology) – Committee on Institutional Cooperation Summer Research Opportunities Program (CIC-SROP) at Purdue University
  • Kaithlyn Pinnock (Mechanical Engineering) and Andrea Otero (Industrial Engineering) – Explorations in Science Research: An Undergraduate Summer Program at the University of California Berkeley

    • Additionally, two students from the 2011 cohort were accepted to prestigious programs:

  • Andrew Mendez (Computer Engineering) – Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summer Research Program
  • Jamar Borland (Biomedical Sciences) – Stanford Summer Research Program, Amgen Scholars Program

    • Both students form the 2011 cohort also completed summer research experiences last summer at the National Institutes of Health (Borland) and Iowa State University (Mendez). Being accepted for these summer experiences so early in their careers makes them very competitive for graduate education and additional opportunities.

    For more information about the LEARN program and other students accomplishments visit: www.our.ucf.edu/learn [1] or contact Dr. Kimberly Schneider at KRS@ucf.edu [2].