Northern Neck Times

 Randolph-Macon College issued the following announcement on July 2

Under the watchful eye of Randolph-Macon chemistry professor Rebecca Michelsen, 24 Latinas from 18 high schools in central and Northern Virginia attempted to freeze soap bubbles in liquid nitrogen in the June heat. They marveled as the nitrogen, which, at -196 degrees Celsius (-320 degrees Farhenheit) froze the bubbles instantaneously, and then froze flowers, which they shattered like glass on the pavement nearby.

The interactive demonstration was just one part of the annual Pathways to Science camp, which took place on July 27 on Randolph-Macon’s campus. The selective program is designed to spark high school-aged Latinas’ interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and encourage them to pursue higher education and a career in science.

This year’s program was abbreviated from a traditional weeklong format to a jam-packed day of activity due to COVID protocols. The program included a lunch around R-MC’s fountain with the students and their families, followed by engaging STEM activities like Dr. Michelsen’s liquid nitrogen and:

• Identifying Pollinators, plants, and birds in the Brian W. Moores Native Garden on the R-MC campus with Professor Nicholas Ruppel (Biology).
• Introducing the Pseudomonas syringae bacteria to a test tube of water causing it to freeze almost instantaneously with Dr. Elias Taylor-Cornejo (Biology).
• Solving a forensic case study using hair analysis and genetic identification with Dr. Stephanie Coster (Biology).
• Exploring the science behind fireworks with Dr. Susan Borowski (Chemistry).
• Discovering Ooblek, a non-Newtonian fluid that acts as both a solid and a liquid at the same time, with Dr. Rachele Dominguez (Physics). 

This year’s program also featured a bilingual guided tour of the campus, College Admissions and Financial Aid information sessions, and a keynote address by R-MC Provost Dr. Alisa Rosenthal.

About Pathways

Now in its fifth year, Pathways to Science—the first program of its kind in Central Virginia—gives participants the opportunity to explore STEM disciplines and interact with researchers, STEM professionals, and Latinx scientists from across the state. With $1.4 million in total funding, the program is currently funded by a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s ITEST (Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers) initiative. NSF ITEST supports efforts to develop talent from all sectors of society to build the STEM workforce, and focuses on underrepresented groups in STEM fields.  Black women, Latinas, and other women racially underrepresented in STEM comprise fewer than 1 in 20 employed scientists and engineers, according to the NSF, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (2017). This year, Dominion Energy also provided $25,000 for Pathways to Science camp funding.

This partnership to foster equity and inclusion in STEM assembled by Randolph-Macon includes Fortune 500 companies such as Dominion Energy and WestRock and STEM-focused nonprofits, who help to fund the program as well as contribute to its programming. This year, parents of the participants explored Pathways partners Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and Science Museum of Virginia with free tickets while the campers were busy with activities on campus.

A Track Record of Success

To date, all girls who have participated in Pathways to Science since 2017 have graduated from high school on schedule. Ninety-five percent have matriculated to college, including two students who joined the Randolph-Macon College family and served as mentors for this year’s camp.

Pathways participants earn scholarship money for participating in the program; participants are invited to return to Pathways every summer until they graduate from high school, each year earning additional scholarship money to be used at the college of their choice. To date, the program has distributed $70,385.00 in scholarship money from the National Science Foundation for participants to pursue higher education.

Mentorship

Since COVID stood in the way of the traditional camp experience for the past two summers, the mentor program that is part of the experience has gained importance. Current R-MC students serve as mentors to the students, reaching out to them with advice and answering questions about school, college applications, scholarships, and more. The mentors were an integral part of this year’s Pathways experience, greeting the students as they arrived and spending the day with them, getting to know each other and establishing a bond. This year’s mentors are Alex Chapman ’23, Fattima Flores ’22, Tanya Sancen ’24, Grace Figueroa ’24, Gabby Cifuentes ’22, and Anayeli Verduzco-Rios ’23.

"We are so pleased to be able to serve the central Virginia Latinx community through the Pathways to Science Program at Randolph-Macon College,” says Marchetti ‘97, who serves as Pathways for Science Primary Investigator and Co-Director, as well as Garnett-Lambert Professor of Chemistry at R-MC.  "The resources we have put into place will increase the number of STEM professionals in central Virginia while providing opportunities and resources to this talented, ambitious, and underserved population in our area.  I’m so proud of the achievements our participants have made, and we look forward to seeing their future successes!”

Original source can be found here.

Source: Randolph-Macon College