2019 First Annual UNTHSC Round Table and Panel Discussion for Undergraduates

Updated: Jul 29, 2019

Panel Members from Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences:

Amanda Roberts, MA; Jessica Proulx, BS; Shruti Patil, MS; Ella Kasanga, MPhil; Viviana Mancilla, BS; Carmen Claudio, BS ; Talisa Silzer, MS

Panel Member from School of Public Health:

Ahrein Johnson, BS

Are you an undergraduate student interested in conducting biomedical research in graduate school?

Do you need help in identifying what is expected of you and how to prepare for success while balancing a research project and taking graduate level courses?

The Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth, Texas provided undergraduate students a rewarding opportunity to prepare for a successful graduate school experience. Dr. Harlan P. Jones, Director of the Center for Diversity and International Programs (CDIP) and Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics at UNTHSC leads the summer interns of SRIP which hosts research training for aspiring undergraduate students. The interns are matched with a biomedical research professor and graduate students from a mentor-guided laboratory. In addition, the interns will enhance their academic and career development through insightful and educational workshops. The programs which participated in the 2019 SRIP cohort are the following National Institute of Health and Department of Defense funded programs:

The Summer Multicultural Advanced Research Training (SMART)
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Undergraduate Collaborative Summer Training Program in Prostate Cancer and Alabama State University
Developing Undergraduate Researchers-Matter (DURA-M) program.

Representatives of various UNTHSC student organizations ( e.g. National Institute of Health Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (NIH-IMSD), Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), Graduate Student Association (GSA), and Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)) provided insight on career opportunities post-graduate school, how to be successful in graduate school and health professional school, how to find the right graduate school, and the life of a graduate student.

Batool Syed interned at North Texas Eye Research Institute (NTERI) under the guidance of research mentor Dr. Abe Clark, Director of NTERI

"As a summer intern, attending the panel provided me with insight on graduate school life. The advice stories shared during the panel definitely encouraged me to pursue a graduate school in the future." -Batool Syed, 2019 UNTHSC SMART Intern

Baylor University

"The program exemplifies the power of near-peer mentoring and role modeling that will facilitate, support, and promote a strong biomedical sciences research workforce in the future." -Harlan Jones, PhD, Director of CDIP at UNTHSC

Being a graduate student panel member representing all the UNTHSC student organizations to share my graduate school experience with undergraduates and providing vital advice on how to properly prepare for graduate school was rewarding for me. Not only did I contribute to the career development of the future biomedical scientists and health professionals, I was reminded of how far I have came and motivated me to continue to be successful in earning my doctorate degree in biomedical sciences at UNTHSC.

To learn more about the SRIP program and application process click here.