The Rose Hills Foundation has renewed its support of the Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy for aspiring scientists through a two-year $120,000 grant.
The summer program, which began in 1975, engages scientific curiosity and promotes the potential research careers of promising San Gabriel Valley high school and college students. The Rose Hills Foundation has supported the program since 2005.
 Former summer student Vaibhav Konanur discusses his research project. (Photo by p.cunningham) |
“Students from the San Gabriel Valley represent a significant pool of young people with undeveloped scientific talent,” said Paul Salvaterra, Ph.D., the academy’s academic advisor. “The Rose Hills Foundation’s generous support for our student academy allows us to offer students who might not otherwise be able to attend a chance to discover their potential by participating in a hands-on biomedical research project.”
City of Hope’s chief medical officer, Alexandra M. Levine, M.D., M.A.C.P., is among the program’s distinguished alumni.
Students in the summer program work on their projects under the guidance of a senior researcher. The projects stimulate critical thinking, encourage experimentation and promote intellectual accomplishment.
The 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 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 toward potentially making lifesaving discoveries in the future. We are pleased to have the opportunity to support City of Hope in this way.”
San Gabriel Valley high school and college students age 16 or older are eligible to apply. The application period for the summer program usually runs from January to March, and accepted students are notified in April. For more information on the program, visit www.cityofhope.org/summerstudent.
