High school interns enjoy a summer of science

High school student Tarik Gencer didn’t think much about electrochemistry before summer break. 

Gencer, who will be starting as a senior at Horizon Science Academy McKinley Park High School in Bridgeport in the fall, was one of 10 Chicago high school students who spent six weeks working on real research projects in University of Chicago labs through the STEM Lab Internship program.

He knew going in he was interested in engineering as a field, but after being assigned to the lab of University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering Assoc. Prof. Shrayesh Patel, Gencer is now intrigued by the idea of building the batteries that will help transition the planet off fossil fuels.

“I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in engineering and get into that field, but it was hard to find programs that would give me practical experience in anything STEM-related,” Gencer said. “Through this internship, people like me can either work on something that they truly love or gain a passion and understanding for something that they didn’t originally think too much about.” 

The STEM Lab Internship program is part of an ongoing partnership with the nonprofit After School Matters, which provides after-school and summer programming to about 20,000 Chicago teens each year. It is just one of many summer programs that open UChicago labs, including outreach efforts for City Colleges of Chicago students and undergraduates from universities without comparable research opportunities.

“The students are building real, hands-on research expertise while helping advance ongoing research projects, but we also create a full experience that helps them see themselves as future scientists,” said UChicago PME Assistant Dean of Education and Outreach Laura Rico-Beck. “While faculty and student mentors work one-on-one with participants to develop lab skills, UChicago PME staff provide guidance on what it takes to build a pathway in science — from writing résumés and preparing college applications to developing communication skills, building confidence, and learning how to connect with mentors and grow professional networks.”

Fellow participant Antonio Zetina, who spent the summer in the lab of Biophysical Sciences Asst. Prof. Minglei Zhao, said the suite of lessons outside the lab were just as valuable.

“Not only did this program teach me more about what I’m interested in – biology and the biomolecular field – it’s also great learning about that next step for college,” said Zetina, who will start at the University of Michigan in the fall. “We spent a lot of time in the cohorts. We studied how to present. We studied how to build our résumés. We learned how to ask for letters of recommendation. We learned a lot of important things that we will use throughout our careers.”

In the STEM Lab Internship program, students work on active UChicago research projects – important work, not busy work. Gencer learned three separate techniques to analyze battery parts: electron impedance spectroscopy, H-cell crossover testing, and UV visible spectroscopy. Zetina’s role was similarly technical, purifying the protein checkpoint kinase 1 to help explore possible links to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“Giving them a real role in an ongoing project lets them work through uncertainty, see how their data contributes to a larger story, and take genuine ownership of the outcome,” said Gencer’s internship mentor Andrea Diaz, a PhD student in Patel’s lab. “Students can tell when their work matters, and that sense of trust and responsibility is often what helps them begin to see themselves as scientists.”

This was Zetina’s second year with an After School Matters internship. He spent last summer conducting environmental research with a different local university. He said that experience led him to jump at the opportunity to join the UChicago program.

“I saw an opportunity like this – similar structure, you're here to do research – and it's at the University of Chicago,” he said. “Not only that, but the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. I thought, ‘Well that’s a huge opportunity.’”

It’s also a huge opportunity for the UChicago researchers who serve as mentors for the students, said Zetina’s mentor Erick Torres Guasp.

“I have had an amazing experience volunteering the last three years with my students,” he said. “I always try to be the best mentor that I can be for my students, and I hope they succeed in everything they set their minds on.”

The lessons the STEM Lab Internship students learned over the summer apply not only in the lab, but throughout their future careers.

“One lesson that they teach during the first week is that you need to be very accepting of mistakes,” Gencer said. “It’s important that you’re able to look at mistakes objectively, not knock yourself down over them, and try to learn from them to become a better scientist.”

• Learn more about how UChicago PME increases access to science