Ian Scheffler
Only a tiny fraction of American high school students ever get the chance to conduct scientific research in a university lab. There are thousands of universities across the country, but the number of research labs willing — and equipped — to mentor young students is far smaller.
Bridging that gap is one of the main reasons the Cora Ingrum Center (CIC) for Community and Outreach exists. With roots stretching back to the 1970s, the CIC aims to introduce as many Philadelphia students as possible to the kind of science happening within Penn Engineering.
Learning by Doing
“I wanted an experience in real research,” says Nathaniel Gauthier, a senior at George Washington Carver High School of Engineering, located in northwest Philadelphia.
Last summer, Gauthier interned in the Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory, with Paul Yushkevich, Associate Professor in Radiology, and Pulkit Khandelwal, a doctoral candidate in Bioengineering.
Gauthier found himself engaged in cutting-edge research on brain disease. “Our lab is actually working to develop a machine learning algorithm that is able to segment the MRI scans of people with Alzheimer’s disease,” he says.
“I was really excited about the opportunity to pursue research,” adds Justin Liu (EE’28), who interned in the Perception, Action and Learning (PennPAL) Research Group, under Assistant Professor Dinesh Jaramayan and doctoral student Junyao Shi.
Creating Opportunity
Through a wide range of initiatives, from the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), in which Gauthier and Liu participated, to the Fife-Penn STEM and CS Academy, which runs coding clubs for elementary and middle school students, the CIC expands the intellectual horizons of hundreds of students every year.
“The main reason we host these programs is for students in Philadelphia and the greater Philadelphia area to experience Penn Engineering’s state-of-the-art laboratories, and be mentored by our phenomenal students and renowned faculty,” says Chanda Jefferson, the CIC’s Director of Community Engagement and Outreach.
In addition to conducting research, participants in CIC programs hone their professional skills, working on everything from presentational speaking to academic writing. Some students, like Liu, have even gone on to matriculate at Penn Engineering.
“Our goal is to help all students maximize their potential,” adds Laura Stubbs (ME’79, GME’80), Senior Director of the CIC. “We want everyone in Philadelphia to benefit from the kind of educational resources we have at Penn Engineering.”
For more information on community outreach programs at Penn Engineering, please visit the Cora Ingrum Center’s webpage.
Those interested in supporting the Cora Ingrum Center can donate to the Cora Ingrum Fund.
Students interested in the Army Educational Outreach Program, which provides a stipend and summer of mentored research for high schoolers, can apply online.