The grant, awarded through the NSF鈥檚 , will fund up to $15,000 annually for each scholarship recipient throughout the length of their degree. Overall, the S-STEM Scholarship will fund a quality undergraduate education for 23 91短视频 students among three cohorts over the next six years, beginning with first-year students entering the Fall 2025 semester.

The scholarship is open to academically talented students with financial need who are majoring in the following fields: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Math, and Psychology (research/STEM track).

Applicants for the S-STEM Scholarship must submit their application and reference forms by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. For more information about the program and how to apply, visit: emu.edu/stem/scholarship

In addition to scholarships, the program offers students a paid one-week Bridge to College experience, where they can meet professors, learn material from their discipline, acquire study skills, and become better prepared for college.

91短视频 Biology Professor Dr. Kristopher Schmidt said that some first-year students can struggle to adjust to life on campus, and that the grant aims to ease that adjustment.

鈥淲e want to create a sense of belonging,鈥� said Schmidt, who is principal investigator for the grant program.

The program also provides funding for embedded tutoring services and paid tutoring opportunities for students, specialized advising, and guidance from professional STEM mentors.

鈥淭his would be a person outside the university in their field of interest who can encourage them, help them, and connect with them along their four-year program,鈥� Schmidt said about the mentors. 

The S-STEM Scholarship program offers innovative opportunities for place-based learning and funding for an eight-week paid internship. Students can use grant-funded resources to conduct research on forest restoration in the Park Woods space, which serves as a key learning lab for STEM students.

This latest grant builds on the success of a similar STEM grant that wrapped up in 2023.

By leveraging grants like these, 91短视频 lives into its mission and vision, outlined in its 2023-28 strategic plan Pathways of Promise of opening new pathways of access and achievement, and can help the NSF achieve its goal of diversifying the STEM workforce.

鈥淲e were thrilled to receive this,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited and grateful the NSF has chosen to invest in our students at 91短视频.鈥�

Faculty members Kristopher Schmidt, Jim Yoder, Daniel Showalter, Stefano Colafranceschi and Dean Tara Kishbaugh wrote the S-STEM grant proposal.

From internships in large production facilities and laboratories to fieldwork in Hawaii, nine 91短视频 students gave fellow students, professors and the campus community a snapshot of their summer experiences this week.

The fall STEM Student Symposium featured engineering majors speaking about internships, as well as biology, chemistry and environmental sustainability majors sharing about research projects.  Several worked in partnership with 91短视频 professors and were funded by the Kauffman-Miller Research Awards and the CT Assist Summer Experiential Learning Program. One student participated in the the prestigious National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program. 

Jonas Beachy studied water-splitting viability oxides in thermochemical cycling at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Working in Professor Jonathan Scheffe鈥檚 Renewable Energy Conversion Laboratory, Beachy explored thermochemical cycling, 鈥渁 process that uses concentrated thermal energy from the sun to create favorable thermodynamics to 鈥榮plit鈥� water in H鈧� and O,鈥� he said. 鈥淗鈧� can then be processed in hydrogen fuel cells to release energy. I was looking at oxides that would potentially have greater efficiency in producing H鈧�.鈥�

Beachy appreciated the experience of working in a large university laboratory, 鈥渟imilar to what a graduate school experience would be,鈥� and now feels a bit more ready to take the leap himself. He also enjoyed meeting the other REU participants and exploring Gainesville together.

Beachy is one among many 91短视频 students who have been selected for the REU program. The most recent was Jake Myers, then a sophomore, who researched the regional effects of invasive tree species on daily nest survival at University of South Dakota.

More Highlights

Ben Bontrager-Singer spoke about his experience with mechanical engineering of HVAC systems for new construction.

Cameron Byer shared learnings from an internship at VistaShare, a company in Harrisonburg owned by 91短视频 alumni.

Erin Clayton and Graciella Odelia spoke about their research with Professor Jeff Copeland on measuring the expression of RNF-11 and Parkin in Parkinson鈥檚 Drosophila.

Hannah Giagnocavo worked with Professor Kristopher Schmidt on the pathogenic changes and immune responses in C. elegans.

Cheyenne Suamatae’a-Te’o also worked with Schmidt on a project observing the behaviors of C. elegans when placed on differing bacterial plates.

Luke Wheeler shared highlights from a virtual internship with Engineers in Action (EIA) and an in-person internship at Danone International in Mt. Crawford, Virginia. With EIA, he helped to create training materials on chapter development and compiled lists of resources. As bridge projects are a large contribution of many chapters, he also pulled together instructions on how to make bridge designs, using the Revit program.

While a learning and development intern at Danone, he appreciated the opportunity to learn from upper-level management and contribute to improvements in plant production. Another highlight was seeing 鈥渢he inner operations of a massive production facility,鈥� he said.

Theo Yoder travelled with Professor Matt Siderhurst and fellow student Nicole Miller to conduct research on controlling agricultural pests. They were based at the Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center.

His research explored the development of protein lures to attract, trap and control Melon Fly populations. This research will be continued in Australia over the next several years with a focus on benzaldehyde and pyrazine, two abundant compounds we found in effective lures.

One of the things that most motivates Vincent Morra MS ’15 (biomedicine) is interpersonal connection. It’s what first attracted him to the field of osteopathic medicine, and what told him that 91短视频 (91短视频) and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) were the right schools for him.

“The culture there, at 91短视频, was very different from what I was used to,” he said. It’s “a tight knit community. It’s much more supportive than other educational settings I was used to 鈥� all the professors have very open door policies.” 

He then chose to attend WVSOM in Lewisburg because “the people there were very genuine.” 

It should come as no surprise that someone who places such value on relationships and compassion would enter the field of osteopathic medicine.

Doctors of osteopathic medicine are fully licensed physicians, like those with a doctor of medicine, or M.D. degree. But in addition to the usual gamut of medical school courses, osteopathic medicine schools include special training in the musculoskeletal system and “manipulations,” a set of hands-on techniques used to prevent, diagnose, and treat injuries and illnesses. These treatments can help a patient in place of or in addition to traditional medical therapies. 

Morra explained that osteopathic medicine also emphasizes looking at a patient “holistically,” including the person’s “body, mind and spirit, and treating the patient as a whole, and not just as whatever their diagnosis might be.”

Morra earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree in May, and recently began his residency in family medicine at Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, W.Va. The three-year residency will give him plenty of opportunities to serve people from rural areas, reminiscent of his hometown in Bridgewater, Virginia.

“There’s a huge population here that is lacking in medical care,” Morra said.

The first year of his residency will include a “smattering of everything,” from outpatient to inpatient medicine to obstetrics. In his second and third years, he’ll have the chance to study various specialties firsthand, such as cardiology, neurology, or nephrology.

Throughout the residency, though, “you’re always spending time in the clinic with your patients, in order to keep continuity of care with them,” said Morra.

Morra knew a bit about osteopathic medicine as an undergraduate economics student at the University of Virginia. But he found certainty in this calling while earning his master’s degree in biomedicine at 91短视频, as professors and peers in the program all valued “treating the whole patient.”

“Students take a few classes 鈥� interdisciplinary seminar, cross-cultural healthcare, and faith and ethics 鈥� that allow them to see health from varied aspects,” said Professor Kristopher Schmidt. 

91短视频’s biomedicine program has an 80% acceptance rate among students who apply to medical schools.

Because Morra’s undergraduate degree was in economics, he said the biomedicine program gave him an opportunity to dig deeper into the medical field before he applied to medical schools, as well as “the opportunity to become more confident in myself before applying.”

Professor Tara Kishbaugh, interim director of the biomedicine program, said Morra was a “great addition” to the program. 

“He is such a quiet, gentle person,” she said. “He consistently was working with his peers to support their learning in organic chemistry 鈥� which typically is one of the more frustrating prerequisites for students. He always went above and beyond in the class, carefully figuring out each bonus question, turning in work early, even when there were reasons for his work to be late.”

Seven 91短视频 students heading to careers in science and medicine have earned funding for summer research, provided by the Kauffman-Miller Research Awards and the CT Assist Summer Experiential Learning Program.

鈥淲e are pleased that we can work with such a large group of students this summer, since these opportunities were so limited last summer.鈥� said, a biochemistry professor who holds the Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair. 

* Erin Clayton and Graciella Odelia  will work with Professor Jeff Copeland to measure gene activity in a Parkinson鈥檚 disease model in the fruitfly. 

* Hannah Giagnocavo and Cheyenne Suamatae’a-Te’o will work with Professor Kristopher Schmidt, solving the many puzzles of roundworm development.

* Theo Yoder and Nicole Miller will travel to Hawaii with Professor Matt Siderhurst to develop and assess new methods of tropical agricultural pest control.

* Rebekah Amstutz will work with Professor Jim Yoder on an investigation of the possibility of institutional nitrogen tracking.

The Kauffman-Miller Research Awards are named for emeritus professors Glenn Kauffman (chemistry) and Roman Miller (biology), each of whom were 鈥渃hampions of undergraduate involvement in authentic scientific research at 91短视频,鈥� said Cessna. 鈥淭hese awards from the Daniel B. Suter Endowment Fund provide opportunities for biology, chemistry and environmental science students to build the key skills of scientific inquiry from writing the proposal to presenting and potentially publishing their findings.鈥�

Over their 30-plus year tenures, Kauffman and Miller each worked with more than 40 undergraduates on research projects ranging in topics from organic blueberry production to the synthesis of new cyclic organic compounds.

The CT Assist Health Experiential Learning Program awards funds to pre-professional health science students at 91短视频 to support clinical experiences that help prepare students for professional health programs. is a Harrisonburg-based healthcare staffing business owned by two alumni. 

Traditionally, funds from CT Assist鈥檚 program have supported overseas clinical experiences [read about 2018 and 2019]. As that priority is limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year鈥檚 award supplements the research project and clinical shadowing experiences of awardee Erin Clayton.

Teacher education majors at 91短视频 who are preparing for careers teaching in the STEM fields will soon have access to new scholarship funds. 91短视频 is the recipient of a five-year grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, a program funded by the National Science Foundation.

The scholarships, worth $10,000 each year, are available to junior and senior education majors who are earning secondary teaching certifications in biology, chemistry, computer science, or math. 

By the conclusion of the grant, 24 new STEM teachers will be placed in high-need school districts. The grant also includes professional support and development for participants while they are studying at 91短视频 and once the 91短视频 graduates are working in their new positions.

鈥淭his grant is unique in that it helps us create a pipeline to recruit and mentor STEM majors towards considering a teaching career, then helps to prepare them to teach in high-needs schools with a unique skillset of content knowledge and restorative justice practices,鈥� said professor of teacher education Paul Yoder, the grant鈥檚 principal investigator and director of 91短视频鈥檚 Graduate Teacher Education program. 鈥淥nce they are hired, we also will support them, all of which we hope leads towards retention of high-quality STEM teachers in our schools.鈥�

The grant team also includes three STEM professors:聽 Kristopher Schmidt, professor of biology and director of the MS in Biomedicine program ; Daniel Showalter, professor of mathematics; and Laurie Yoder, professor of chemistry. The faculty members will serve as mentors and advisors to pre-service teachers, and coordinate with lead teachers in their respective fields at Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS).

鈥淚n a time of critical need for more STEM teachers in K-12 settings, 91短视频 is committed not just to supplying these teachers, but to rooting their education in restorative justice practices,鈥� said Showalter. 鈥淭his grant allows for an intentional focus on developing teachers who can respond wisely and gracefully in classrooms where growing numbers of students have experienced trauma.鈥�

HCPS, which has a linguistically and culturally diverse student demographic with 66 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, is 91短视频鈥檚 local partner in the grant. 

The program 鈥渨ould be a tremendous asset, resource, and shared effort for our district in helping to meet the needs of students and teachers,鈥� wrote Superintendent Michael Richards.听

The district will support the grant through mentoring of practicum students, providing STEM educators as guest speakers at 91短视频 events, developing internship opportunities, and creating pathways for 91短视频 students to participate in HCPS STEM outreach activities, according to Richards.

The project strengthens and enhances existing partnerships between 91短视频 and HCPS, Yoder said, including current practicum and student-teaching experiences. HCPS also partners with 91短视频 to provide restorative justice in education (RJE) professional development opportunities, including a cohort-based graduate certificate program for HCPS teachers and staff.

鈥淭eachers who are prepared to implement restorative justice in diverse school settings can help to improve learning outcomes and strengthen school-wide RJE efforts,鈥� Yoder said. 

Yoder says the grant鈥檚 multi-year commitment will also provide data for a study on the impact of implementation of RJE-infused curriculum among pre-service and in-service STEM teachers in high-need schools. The 91短视频 professors will look at the ways in which 鈥淩JE-infused curriculum helps pre-service and early-career STEM teachers feel prepared to meet the challenges associated with teaching in culturally and linguistically diverse school settings.鈥�

On December 5, 12 graduate students in 91短视频鈥檚 MS in Biomedicine program defended their original research in a virtual oral presentation. Their work ranged from laboratory experiments with cardiac proteins and African clawed frogs to public health inquiries on and off campus.

Since 2013, the master鈥檚 in biomedicine program has helped graduates prepare for careers as health professionals. The research component is just one unique curricular offering. Students also benefit from a unique approach to cadaver dissection, which many alumni say has provided optimal preparation and a strong background for the rigors of medical school. Several articulation agreements with professional health schools enhance opportunities to matriculate and continue with career goals.

Each oral defense is evaluated by professors in the MS in biomedicine program, committee members, other faculty and other graduate students.

The research component brings graduate students into mentoring relationships with faculty, alumni and other professionals across many disciplines. Committee members for this round of research projects included Doug Graber Neufeld, professor of biology; Daniel Showalter, professor of mathematics; Jeff Copeland, professor of biology; Scott Barge, vice president of institutional effectiveness; Kristopher Schmidt, professor of biology; Ryan Thompson, director of the psychology program; and Tara Kishbaugh, director of the biomedicine program.

Master’s candidates and their research topics include:

Josephine Awotoye: Predictors of not having a primary care provider in the United States: a cross sectional analysis of the 2018 behavioral risk factor surveillance system;

Mecca Baker: Direct and indirect regulation of cell cycle genes by HLH-25 in Caenorhabditis elegans;

Luz Contreras: Health literacy and demographics in Spanish speakers in Harrisonburg, Virginia: a two-part survey questionnaire with self-reported sections;

Cesar Corona Gutierrez: Which neurons play a role in lifespan extension in Drosophila melanogaster;

Jessica Hindle: The effects of nicotine and glyphosate-based herbicide on orofacial cleft;

Carmen Meacham: The effects of progesterone and estrogen on the feminization of Xenopus laevis;

Jennifer Rojas: The effects of electronic cigarette liquids on immunity and lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans;

Jessica Saunders: Investigating young Black Christians’ attitudes towards medicine in America;

Sukriti Silwal: Effect of bovine milk and NovaMin on the demineralization and remineralization capacity of teeth;

Kristen Snow: analysis of cardiac troponin levels as an indicator of recovery time and myocardial infarction reoccurrence;

Gene St. Val: Influences of transportation, insurance and demographics on DSM-5 cross cutting symptom measures and treatment adherence;

Benjamin Wright: The role of unc-53 in ced-3 mediated apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans.

What will a post-pandemic world look like? How is COVID-19 affecting each of us differently, and what are our responsibilities to one another in the face of those disparities? What do we know about the biology of the virus? And are there things that are changing for the better because of this crisis?

A free seven-week online course offered at 91短视频 this summer will delve into those questions and more. Community members are welcome. Students can opt for a pass/fail grade and will have online access to readings, videos, and other materials before each class. 

The course meets each Tuesday evening, beginning June 30, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for seven weeks, with a different pair or trio of faculty and staff from different academic fields leading each class.

The lectures and Q and A will be recorded and available for viewing later.

The course is co-led by language and literature professor Kevin Seidel and chemistry professor Laurie Yoder.

鈥淲hat pulled me in at first was the possibility of teaching with faculty from all three schools 鈥� sciences, social sciences, and humanities 鈥� talking together and learning from one another about the virus,鈥� Seidel said. When the pandemic hit, he started fervently gathering information and perspective: from scientists, from fictive literature, and from poetry, trying to make sense of 鈥渢his strange new world.鈥� 

Week 1 | June 30, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Treating COVID-19

What do we know about the biology of COVID-19? What鈥檚 next in vaccine development? What public health measures are working to slow the spread of COVID-19?

Kristopher Schmidt, Associate Professor of Biology

Kate Clark, Assistant Professor of Nursing

Week 2 | July 7, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Pandemic History and Data

What can we learn from past pandemics about life after this one? What can we learn from visual presentations of data about the pandemic? 

Mary Sprunger, Professor of History

Daniel Showalter, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Week 3 | July 14, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Politics and Collective Trauma

Why has the U.S. response to COVID-19 been so contentious and uneven? What is collective trauma and what might it have to do with that response?

Mark Metzler Sawin, Professor of History

Ryan Thompson, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Trina Trotter Nussbaum, Associate Director, Center for Interfaith Engagement

Week 4 | July 21, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Zoonotic Viruses, Wet Markets, and the Economics of COVID-19

Where do coronaviruses come from? What are the links between environmental degradation and pandemics? What does COVID-19 have to teach us about how our economy is connected to the natural world? What are the economic impacts from a pandemic?

Jim Yoder, Professor of Biology

Jim Leaman, Associate Professor of Business and Leadership

Week 5 | July 28, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Our Life with Animals, Our Life with God

Why are so many people taking refuge in nature during the pandemic? Why is that refuge harder to come by for some people? What do the scriptures say about how our life with God is related to our life with animals? 

Steven Johnson, Professor of Visual and Communication Arts 

Andrea Saner, Associate Professor of Old Testament

Week 6 | August 4, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Systemic Racism in the U.S. before and after COVID-19

Why has COVID-19 hit African-Americans harder than other groups? Why does rural Navajo Nation have the highest infection rates in the country?

Jenni Holsinger, Associate Professor of Sociology 

Matt Tibbles, Teaching Fellow, Applied Social Sciences

Jim Yoder, Professor of Biology

Week 7 | August 11, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Resilience, Repair, and Transformation after COVID-19

How do we carry forward what we鈥檝e learned about COVID-19, trauma, and restorative justice? 

Johonna Turner, Assistant Professor of Restorative Justice and Peacebuilding

Katie Mansfield, Lead Trainer, Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR)

From laboratory experiments to quantitative research gathered on campus and in communities far away 鈥� 12 graduate students in 91短视频鈥檚 MS in Biomedicine program participated in an oral defense of their research projects at the end of the fall 2019 semester.

The research 鈥渉elps students not only to develop mastery in the natural sciences but also to incorporate other disciplines such as social science and ethics. They are able to connect their personal interests with academic studies and other networks beyond 91短视频,鈥� said Professor Laurie Yoder, who provided research oversight.

For students applying to medical school or other professional health schools, such research projects provide 鈥渁n important and unique experience that sets them apart from other applicants,鈥� said Dr., program director. 鈥淪tudents learn an incredible amount by taking an original research project from start to finish.鈥�

Since 2013, the master鈥檚 in biomedicine program has helped graduates prepare for careers as health professionals. The research component is just one unique curricular offering. Students also benefit from a unique approach to cadaver dissection, which many alumni say has provided optimal preparation and a strong background for the rigors of medical school. Several articulation agreements with professional health schools enhance opportunities to matriculate and continue with career goals.

Each oral defense is evaluated by professors in the MS in biomedicine program, committee members, other faculty and other graduate students. Family members, invited professionals and alumni, and other students also attend, Yoder said.

The research component brings graduate students into mentoring relationships with faculty, alumni and other professionals across many disciplines. Committee members for this round of research projects included Esther Tian, professor of engineering; Carolyn Stauffer, professor of social work; Tara Kishbaugh, professor of chemistry; Ryan Thompson and Gregory Koop, professors of psychology; Kristopher Schmidt, professor of biology; Laura Yoder, professor of nursing; and Julia Halterman, director of the biomedicine program.

Master鈥檚 candidates and their research topics include:

Adeola Adesuyi, An exploration of the factors that contribute to patient perception of branded and generic drugs;

Donatine Afful, The UNC-53 gene negatively regulates levels of RAC BTPase CED-10;

Heidi Byron, Associations between personality types and their responsiveness to gamification in mobile applications amongst faculty and staff at 91短视频;

Hosam Hadid, Acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms may depend on burn injury type;

Alexus Holbert, The psychological impact of genetic testing;

Anna Jemi-Alade, The erosive potential of kombucha, Coke and apple juice on bovine teeth;

Cyndra Jones, Investigating attitudes of first responders toward individuals with opioid use disorders and cocaine use disorder: a survey of police officers and emergency medical technicians in an urban city in central Virginia.  

Bowen Lian, Assessing the need for a mild cognitive impairment screening tool in medical and surgical patients at Sentara Rockingham Memorial Hospital;

Claire Reilly, Linking dentists鈥� education level to their recognition of patients with dental anxiety;

Krystalee Revanna, Gene expression of BAX and BCL-2 in liver and kidney medulla Sprague Dawley rat tissues in response to high salt and high fructose diets;

Nathan Ropelewski, The effects of short-term diets on cognitive function in Mus musculus;

Michelle Van Horn, Comparison of virtues reflection vs. mindfulness-based stress reduction in undergraduate students at 91短视频.

Eleven 91短视频 students and graduates presented at the annual fall STEM Student Research and Internship Symposium.

Three students were selected for the National Science Foundation and its Research Experience for Undergraduates program (REU), a highly competitive and prestigious 10-12 week summer opportunity. Prospective participants apply directly to REU-funded sites in 19 research fields. Sometimes as many as 200 students apply for 10 or fewer positions. 

Funding was also provided by 91短视频-specific research funds and grants, including the Kauffman and Miller Research Grants and the  CT Assist Health Experiential Learning Program  

Participants included:

Jonah Short-Miller and Maria Yoder: RING Finger Protein 11 (RNF11) modulates dopamine release — modeling Parkinson鈥檚 disease in Drosophila

Short-Miller and Yoder, both 2019 graduates, coauthored the research with Professor Jeff Copeland, Eve Champaloux and B. Jill Venton, with support from 91短视频鈥檚 Kauffman Miller research award, CT Assist, the National Institutes of Health, and Biogen-Idec at the University of Virginia.

Jacob Myers: Effects of Invasive Tree Species on Daily Nest Survival of Birds in Missouri River Riparian Forests

Myers, a sophomore in the National Science Foundation grant-funded  STEM Scholars Engaging in Local Problems program, spent his summer with the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of South Dakota. His co-authors are Sierra Rider, Amanda Hegg, David Swanson and Mark Dixon.

James Paetkau: Analyzing Fungal Growth on Cellulose Nanofibrils

Paetkau, a senior, was selected for an NSF-REU with University of Maine Forest Bi-products Research Lab Institute and Unidad Desarrollo Techologico. His co-authors are Caitlin Howell and Emily LeClair.

Melissa Kinkaid: Characterizing Classroom Practices in Undergraduate Inorganic Chemistry Courses Using COPUS

Kinkaid, a senior, co-authored this research with Cole Pate and Barbara Reisner in an NSF-REU and an NSF grant focused on 鈥淚mproving Undergraduate STEM Education鈥� at James Madison University.

Sylvia Mast: The Role of unc-53 in the apoptotic pathways of Caenorhabditis elegans

As part of research funded by the Kauffman-Miller Research Award and CT Assist, Mast conducted this work with Professor Kristopher Schmidt. She is a 2019 graduate.

Karissa Sauder: internship with Secure Futures, Staunton, Virginia

Sauder spent her summer working with , a solar developer that finances, builds, owns, operates and maintains on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for schools, hospitals, governments and businesses to enhance their sustainability goals and to reduce their electricity costs. Secure Futures is 91短视频鈥檚 main partner in its own solar project development. The company鈥檚 executive director of former 91短视频 business and economics professor Anthony Smith, and several 91短视频 alumni work with the company. 

Clara Weybright and Maya Dula: Agroforestry Parcels: A Preliminary Assessment

The research partners, a senior and a junior, respectively, spent four weeks in Guatemala over the summer conducting a biodiversity evaluation and a sociological study involving Q鈥檈chi communities involved in programming hosted by the Community Cloud Forest Conservation Center. This project was funded by a Kauffman-Miller Research Award and a CT Assist grant. Professor Jim Yoder was the advisor.

Anastasia Dronov and Kayley Scottlind: La Costa, La Selva, La Sierra: A Multi-Facility Experience in Peruvian Healthcare

This project, funded by a CT Assist Health Experiential Learning Award and advised by Professor Kristopher Schmidt, included travel in Peru: observations at National Hospital Docente in Lima; one week in the jungle city, Iquitos; hosting of a medical campaign for anemia and diabetes control and three weeks assisting with laboratory and clinical work at Centro Medico Belen, in Ayacucho. Dronov, a senior biology and Spanish double-major who also speaks fluent Russian and is a practicing EMT, hopes to become a physician. Scottlind, a junior double-major in biology and Spanish, hopes to become a doctor and serve Spanish-speaking communities.

The awards funds to pre-professional health science students at 91短视频 to support clinical experiences that help prepare students for professional health programs. is a Harrisonburg-based healthcare staffing business owned by two alumni.

They 鈥� and other students who completed STEM research and internships this summer 鈥� will share about their experiences in the first of the fall semester鈥檚 Suter Science Seminars, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, in the Suter Science Center room 106.

For seven weeks, biology majors Sylvia Mast, Xavier McCants and Maria Yoder shadowed and accompanied health care providers in village and urban settings, took Spanish classes and learned about Peruvian culture through homestays. They were accompanied for two weeks by professor of biology Kris Schmidt, who previously lived and worked in Peru and facilitated their travels.

The CT Assist Health Experiential Learning Program awards funds to pre-professional health science students at 91短视频 to support clinical experiences that help prepare students for professional health programs. The three recipients this year 鈥� Sylvia Mast, Xavier McCants and Maria Yoder 鈥� each received the maximum amount of $2,500.

Sylvia Mast

Mast, who plans to become a physician鈥檚 assistant, said the trip provided opportunities such as measuring blood pressure, finding a baby鈥檚 heartbeat using ultrasound, centrifuging blood and typing bacteria.

Navigating medical terminology and seeking to understand the procedures she was seeing required Mast 鈥渢o give myself grace in my limited understanding and to be unapologetic in my ignorance鈥� 鈥� 聽and 鈥渢o live with humility and use that humility to foster curiosity,鈥� she said.

鈥淭he culture of a community dictates the way healthcare is administered,鈥� she said. That could mean using the appropriate language 鈥� perhaps switching from Spanish to Quechua 鈥� or prioritizing people鈥檚 needs over strict adherence to an established schedule.

On an 鈥渁bnormally chaotic鈥� morning in one clinic, Mast observed an appointment that exemplified how though the clinic was a busy place, staff prioritized their patients鈥� needs: A mother and a nurse had set out to find a needed medical device for a sick baby, leaving the baby with its grandmother in the exam room. Meanwhile, the next patient 鈥� another mother 鈥� was brought into the same room. When she saw the sick baby crying, she shared some of the milk she had brought along for her own child. While sometimes at the cost of efficiency or organization, a patient visit to this clinic often became a communal effort with doctors and neighbors and strangers working together to solve a problem.

鈥淥bserving the healthcare system in Peru has only strengthened my desire to become fluent in a second language, culturally aware within my own community and constantly attuned to ways that the system can provide proactive intervention in establishing a healthier community rather than solely reacting to repetitive problems that arise,鈥� she said.

Xavier McCants

McCants, who also plans to become a physician鈥檚 assistant, said that the hospital setting, with its outdated or nonexistent technology and insufficient equipment, was particularly 鈥渆ye-opening.鈥�

From a doctor he learned about the impact of Venezuelan migration on Peru鈥檚 healthcare providers: 鈥淎ll of these people need help but there is not enough equipment,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o it is hard for the doctors taking in all of these individuals without many resources.鈥�

The cross-cultural experience took McCants out of his comfort zone and prompted him to approach service with 鈥済reat sensitivity,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 genuinely wanted to learn everything I could from the Peruvian culture. I wanted to get the full experience of trying every food possible, listen and dance to their music, and just see the world from a different point of view. I have been able to see how much I take for granted,鈥� said McCants. 鈥淚 will remember this experience always.鈥�

It also made him want to offer help 鈥� and therefore more zealous for future studies.

鈥淪eeing so much and not being able to help was frustrating,鈥� he said. 鈥淜nowing I was underqualified and was strictly just shadowing has increased my willingness to want hone my craft!鈥� At the same time, he said, he learned that 鈥渟ervice is not always 鈥榙oing,鈥� but rather being present and accompanying individuals in a task that needs to be done.鈥�

Maria Yoder

Yoder, who hopes to pursue psychology and neuroscience, also observed the culture of care even as she felt the challenge of 鈥渟eeing all the differences between the Peruvian system and the U.S., and thinking about what I could learn from the system rather than how to 鈥榗orrect鈥� it.鈥�

That system sometimes appeared 鈥渃haotic,鈥� with patients waiting in long lines, and doctor visits where staff, and occasionally a stray dog, moved in and out of the room, she said.

鈥淪ometimes a patient will walk into somebody else鈥檚 appointment because they have an urgent question,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 demonstrative of a more relaxed sense of time and communal living in Peru. I also can鈥檛 imagine how rigid and white-washed a visit to the doctor鈥檚 office in the U.S. would feel if you were used to this system.鈥�

In the small village of Vito, Yoder observed the difficulties of accessing advanced health care: Lima is a 21-hour winding, bumpy bus ride away 鈥� a trial for village women with complicated pregnancies. She also noted the carbohydrate-rich diet of subsistence farm crops that leads to health problems such as diabetes, anemia and malnutrition.

And she realized that all health norms are not always culturally relevant. In Vito, the students prepared and gave 鈥渉ealth chats鈥� at an elementary school and with mothers in the community. They had considered including the World Health Organization recommendation to cage animals in order to reduce parasite risks, but decided against doing so.

Between lectures on the glucose transports systems and adrenocorticotropic and pancreatic hormones, Schmidt鈥檚 human physiology class at 91短视频 sipped smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Caf茅 in celebration of his Gold Star Teacher Award, an award come to fruition (no pun intended) by the publicity efforts of graduate student Alethea Gnanakan.

She heard about the contest on the radio. Each month, Q101 selects two teachers for recognition from student nominations. Gnanakan secretly rallied her classmates via email to send in nominations. Every single one did.

鈥淭hirty-one of something like 60 nominations this month were for him,鈥� said Harrisonburg Radio Group publicist Nancy Dickerson. 鈥淎nd Alethea was calling and texting to check. He is obviously a favorite.鈥�

What makes Schmidt such a good professor? One student said he uses a variety of teaching techniques and is always available to answer questions. Serious learning is mixed with moments when he tells a funny story and 鈥渨e take time to just laugh.鈥� Schmidt鈥檚 mentorship, this student says, has helped him excel in classes and see himself as a 鈥渉igher caliber student.鈥�

Schmidt arrived at 91短视频 in fall 2017 from Goshen College. He teaches biology courses to undergraduate and graduate students聽and directs the undergraduate pre-professional health science program.

His wife, Kathryn, and son Zachary, 5, came to class to join the celebration.

Gnanakan, who aspires to go to medical school, says Schmidt鈥檚 support 鈥� she describes him as 鈥渟uper-invested鈥� 鈥� during her preparations has been invaluable.

He also has a 鈥済enuine gift for teaching,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 think the secret to his unique teaching ability may be that he is a storyteller. Much of science is a narrative of why different events take place and what happens as a consequence. This is also what makes science a challenging subject because you have to tie many small details together to tell a story of what鈥檚 happening in the body.鈥�

Gnanakan added that Schmidt has an 鈥渆xtraordinary ability to fill the space between questions and answers with understanding.鈥�

鈥淗e nurtures us as a class in dialogue, empowers us to cultivate an inquisitive mind, and then also to pay it forward by teaching others,鈥� she said.

Another student shared appreciation for his 鈥渆nthusiasm and energy鈥� in the classroom, but also 鈥渢he tremendous amount of time and effort into helping students connect with opportunities outside of class with research projects and travel experiences. 鈥淗e鈥檚 gone out of his way to help his students find success inside and outside of the classroom,鈥� she said.

After selfies were taken with Q101 radio personality Brandy and he was presented with a $30 gift certificate to the Green Valley Book Fair, Schmidt looked at the clock, clearly calculating the material left to cover before class was over.

鈥淥k, you drink your sugary smoothies and I鈥檓 gonna get started on this material,鈥� he told his students, and then he paused, ever the teacher. 鈥淣ow, is the insulin you are producing from this smoothie an exocrine or endocrine secretion?鈥�

Her interest led her to investigate careers that primarily work with the dead.

Now a junior clinical laboratory medicine major at 91短视频, Shank plans to become a pathologist鈥檚 assistant.

The education of a pathologist is a long and difficult process, with stringent academic requirements and a competitive post-graduate path. Not to mention the unusual activities the work entails 鈥� examining and dissecting dead bodies. So a student would want to be sure this was indeed for her.

This spring, Shank spent 30 hours in a practicum experience, shadowing five pathologists and one pathology assistant at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Va.

After witnessing an autopsy, being around corpses and aiding in organ dissection, Shank says the experience confirmed her desire to continue along this career path and helped her understand more clearly the professional and emotional demands of the job.

Shadowing experience can help save time and money

That鈥檚 the goal of the practicum, a one-semester course required for all pre-professional health sciences majors, says Professor Kristopher Schmidt.

鈥�91短视频 has offered this course for years, and our alumni who go on to be successful practitioners in the medical fields often tell us that it was a pivotal experience in their development, as the first taste of what it might feel like to work in the profession,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淥ur students gain insights into what it means to work with colleagues and with patients.鈥�

Dr. Julie Plumbley, chair of the Augusta Health Pathology Department, says that hosting students such as Shank for shadowing opportunities provides a more accurate and realistic perspective of what may become their future profession.

鈥淥ne of the great aspects of shadowing is its myth-busting ability,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople, quite understandably, often form their ideas of a profession they think they鈥檇 like to pursue from television and movies. Of course, these dramatic renderings rarely reflect the reality of a particular type of work. Shadowing can correct false impressions and prevent mistakes that can be costly in terms of time and money. Plus you may learn about a related profession you weren鈥檛 aware of previously.鈥�

In the practicum course, students keep a journal and meet to discuss situations and issues they encounter.

Junior Leah Lapp spent her practicum with family physician and 91短视频 alumnus Dr. John Wenger at Sentara RMH. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have concrete goals yet, which is why I wanted this experience. I鈥檓 currently deciding between medical school and graduate school, and this experience has given me a deeper glimpse and appreciation for what it would really be like to be a doctor.鈥�

If she does decide to apply, an 91短视频 education has been helpful to past applicants. Over the past 15 years, 80 percent of those who completed 91短视频’s pre-medical program and applied to medical school were accepted.听Over the past 10 years, students who completed 91短视频’s pre-professional health sciences program enjoyed a 100 percent acceptance rate to physical therapy schools and a 92 percent acceptance rate to physician’s assistant programs. 91短视频 also has articulation agreements with two universities.

After shadowing, clear goals and a path forward

Being sure of what she wants to do has helped Shank make plans for her future. She has already been accepted into Sentara Rockingham Medical Hospital鈥檚 School of Histotechnology, a one-year program that she鈥檒l begin in January 2019 after graduation from 91短视频.

鈥淗istotechnicians work directly alongside pathology assistants, so this will be a good way to get my foot in the door while learning as much as I can before graduate school,鈥� she said.

While earning a salary, Shank says she will also be gaining valuable work experience that may help her application to medical school rise to the top. There are only 12 graduate medical schools that offer a pathology assistant program in the United States 鈥� she hopes to attend Eastern Virginia Medical School聽 鈥� so competition is fierce.

Shank says her practicum experience allowed her to practice skills important to the workplace, like learning how to observe and take notes. She鈥檚 grateful to the professionals who made her practicum experience so worthwhile. After learning of her specific interests, the pathology assistant showed her some video of an autopsy from her medical school days. And she鈥檚 waiting for an invitation to assist at an autopsy, which would include weighing the organs and dictating notes.

This would be 鈥渁 dream come true,鈥� she said.

Sonia Balasch, PhD, assistant professor of Spanish
Balasch earned an MA in Spanish (Hispanic linguistics) and a PhD from the University of New Mexico. Originally from Venezuela, she brings five years of faculty experience teaching Spanish and has most recently been a visiting assistant professor of Spanish at George Mason University.

David Berry, PhD, assistant professor of music
Berry earned a BM from the Eastman School of Music and an MM and DMA from The Julliard School. He brings experience as a solo pianist and chamber musician in a variety of innovative and nationally-recognized touring chamber ensembles.

Ryan Good, PhD, assistant professor of applied social sciences and assistant director of Washington Community Scholars’ Center
Good earned a BA from Goshen College and master鈥檚 degrees from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Temple University. Good completed his PhD in planning and public policy from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He has taught at Rutgers and Eastern universities.

Michael Horst, MA, instructor
Michael Horst has worked at 91短视频 for many years, and begins this year with a new title. He earned a BS in Psychology and MA in Counseling from 91短视频 and is currently a PhD candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision at James Madison University.

Ji Eun Kim, PhD, assistant professor of political studies
Kim earned a BA from the Catholic University of Korea, an MA from Seoul National University and a PhD in political science and peace studies from the University of Notre Dame. Her research interests focus on political violence and conflict, transitional justice, post-conflict reconciliation and human rights.

Joohyn Lee, PhD, assistant professor of recreation leadership
Lee earned a BA from the Catholic University of Korea, an MA from Radford University and a PhD in leisure studies from Pennsylvania State University. She has teaching experience in the leisure, recreation and sport industry field at both Florida State University and the University of Florida.

Irma Mahone, PhD, assistant professor of RN-BS Nursing
Mahone earned a BS in nursing from 91短视频 and an MS in psychiatric nursing and PhD in nursing from University of Virginia. Mahone鈥檚 extensive experience includes case management, individual and group therapy, and emergency intervention along with her psychiatric nursing experience. Mahone was most recently a research assistant professor at the University of Virginia.

Meg Sander, PhD, assistant professor of education and director of MA in Education
Sander earned a BA from Virginia Tech, an MEd from JMU, a JD from the University of Richmond School of Law and a PhD in education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Sander brings teaching experience in special education, law and ethics, and educational foundations. Most recently, she was a research associate at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education.

Kristopher Schmidt, PhD, assistant professor of biology
Schmidt earned a BS from Trinity Western University, an MS from the University of British Columbia and a PhD from Simon Fraser University. Schmidt brings teaching experience mostly recently from Goshen College in biology and also as director of the premedical sciences program.

Ann Smith, PhD, associate professor of nursing
Smith earned a BS in nursing from the University of Virginia and a PhD in community college leadership from Old Dominion University. In addition to experience working as a nurse, Ann brings extensive college teaching and administrative experience, including service as the director of nursing programs at Piedmont Virginia Community College.

Andrew Suderman, MT, instructor of theology
Suderman, who came to 91短视频 for the spring 2017 semester, earned a BA in philosophy from Canadian Mennonite University and an MT in theological studies from Conrad Grebel University. Suderman anticipates completing a PhD in systematic theology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa this year. He brings international and cross-cultural experience from living in Costa Rica, Bolivia, Columbia, and South Africa.

Ryan Thompson, PhD, assistant professor of psychology
Thompson earned a BA from Berry College and both an MA and PsyD from George Fox University. He has teaching experience as an assistant clinical professor and as a clinical psychologist.