Though the start of the school year finds many students reminiscing about lazy summer days of sleeping in and working on their tan, 79 aspiring young scientists ended the summer of 2011 much more than tan and well-rested! Participants in the STARS (Students and Teachers As Research Scientists) program spent their summer researching everything from neural circuits to human/robot interaction at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Student participants are paired with research mentors from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (Creve Coeur, MO), Saint Louis University, the Solae Company, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Missouri - St. Louis. For six weeks, researchers take on student apprentices, who complete science research projects and gain real-world laboratory experience. For many students, this experience is one of the most important in their decision to pursue a career in science.
Rivermont Collegiate is proud to announce senior Meghana Pagadala, daughter of Mr. Kishore and Dr. Padma Pagadala of Rock Island, is a scholar graduate of the 2011 STARS program! Meghana's research project, "The Mechanism by Which CD8+FoxP3+T Cells Regulate Osteoclast Activity", was completed with Dr. Rajeev Aurora from Saint Louis University. Of the 79 STARS participants from 36 schools, only 4 students, including Meghana, came from outside the St. Louis metro area. Participants are selected based on GPA, test scores (PSAT, SAT, ACT, etc.), student essays, and letters of recommendation. The entire Rivermont community is extremely proud of Meghana and looks forward to her future contributions to the world of science!
For additional information on the STARS program, visit the University of Missouri - St. Louis website at www.umsl.edu.
For additional information on Rivermont Collegiate, contact Cindy Murray at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org and visit us on the web atwww.rvmt.org!
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