The Rose Hills Foundation has granted $240,000 to City of Hope to support the Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy for aspiring scientists. The two-year grant will enable 50 students to attend the program.
The summer program, which began in 1975, engages scientific curiosity and promotes the potential research careers of promising high school and college students from the San Gabriel Valley. The Rose Hills Foundation has supported the program since 2005.
“The academy provides a richly rewarding learning environment that enhances each student’s academic and career potential,” said Paul Salvaterra, Ph.D., the program’s academic adviser. “For many students, attending the academy can be a career-shaping opportunity. The Rose Hills Foundation grant makes this opportunity possible for students that might not otherwise be able to attend.”
One distinguished alumna of the program’s first class is City of Hope’s recently appointed chief medical officer, Alexandra Levine, M.D.
Each student participates in a biomedical research project under the guidance of a senior scientist or researcher. The projects stimulate critical thinking, encourage experimentation and promote intellectual accomplishment.
Students also take part in informal and interactive workshops with City of Hope faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and staff. The workshops cover a broad range of subjects, from instruction on preparing a scientific poster to biomedical research ethics. The program seeks to enhance opportunities for students to form mentoring relationships with faculty and graduate students.
“City of Hope’s Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy is an outstanding program that encourages innovative thinking among some of the brightest students in the San Gabriel Valley,” said Victoria B. Rogers, president of the Rose Hills Foundation. “The knowledge and experience the students take from their scientific mentors in this program will set them on a path to potentially making lifesaving discoveries in the future. We are pleased to have the opportunity to support City of Hope in this way.”
High school and college students age 16 or above who reside in the San Gabriel Valley may apply to the academy. The program’s application period usually runs from November to February, and accepted students are notified in May. For more information on the program, visit www.cityofhope.org/summerstudent.
The Rose Hills Foundation is a legacy of the founders of Rose Hills Memorial Park, which is the largest cemetery in North America. Pursuant to the goals of its founders, Rose Hills is a legacy to be enjoyed by future generations, not only as a memorial park, but now as a foundation created out of proceeds of its sale.
