Top left to right: Mckinley Broomhead, Dylan Rietze, Katrina Reimer, Kate Sheppard, Jenna Black, Ellery Ingersoll-McNeely. Bottom L-R Faith Hines, Taryn Keenan, Rachel DeCicco, Claire Lamothe and Camryn Martin.
![Research experience program 2024 2](/artsci/sites/faswww/files/styles/wide/public/img/research%20experience%20program%202024%202_0.jpg?itok=qRVXjpAf)
Rachel DeCicco (l) worked in the lab of Dr. Stephen Lougheed (Biology) under the guidance of graduate student Stafford Maracle (r).
Paul Grogan (Biology), Faith Hines and Kira Henders.
Gerome Manson (School of Kinesiology and Health Studies) and Ellery Ingersoll-McNeely.
Second year student Dylan Rietze (middle) worked with both Drs. Christian Muise (l) and Ting Hu (r) (School of Computing).
A unique undergraduate opportunity
A group of Faculty of Arts and Science students recently completed the STEM Indigenous Academics (STEMInA) Research Experience Program. Undergraduate students in the program were paired with leading researchers from Smith Engineering and FAS and, over the past year, had the chance to complete research projects in their laboratories.
is an academic support and community-building program for Indigenous students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) -based undergraduate degree programs at Queen鈥檚 University.
Third year Life Sciences student Rachel DeCicco worked in the lab of Dr. Stephen Lougheed (Biology) under the guidance of graduate student Stafford Maracle. She鈥檚 been involved in the STEMInA program since her first year at the university.
鈥淭his program was what encouraged me to accept my offer from Queen鈥檚,鈥 she says. 鈥淭here is a strong Indigenous community here and a lot of resources and opportunities that are there to help the transition into university.鈥
Her research involves using a unique polymerase chain reaction (PRC) technique (a technique used in the lab to make millions of copies of a particular section of DNA) to detect American eel DNA within environmental samples. She鈥檚 also shadowing Dr. Lougheed and his work on grizzly bear and polar bear DNA. She then moved onto her own project.
Thanks to support from STEMInA, Rachel had the opportunity to present this research at the (AISES) conference in Vancouver AISES is a non-profit professional association with the goal of substantially increasing American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, First Nation and other indigenous peoples of North America representation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and other related disciplines.
鈥淭he conference was sponsored by Apple and other notable companies and being able to present was an opportunity STEMInA presented me with that I wouldn't have normally had. This work on my research project has provided me with invaluable learning opportunities and experiences undergraduate students wouldn鈥檛 normally have.鈥
Second year student Dylan Rietze worked with both Drs. Christian Muise and Ting Hu (School of Computing) for his Research Experience program. His project centered on unraveling the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance鈥攁iming to shed light on one of today鈥檚 most daunting global health dilemmas. By analyzing the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) he identified potential methods to counteract and manage antibiotic resistance effectively.
鈥淚 would say this program has met my expectations and also exceeded it in some ways,鈥 Dylan says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really know what to expect as I鈥檝e only taken a few computing classes in my first year, but it鈥檚 really been much more than I thought it would be. It鈥檚 pushed me to try new things and explore new ways of using genetics and coding. I would absolutely recommend this to other students which will provide them with the opportunity to step out of their normal lives and try something unique.鈥
Dr. Muise says now that the program is finished, he鈥檇 like to debrief on how the program could run again next year. 鈥淭hree hours a week from the students is not too overwhelming and I don鈥檛 think we expected too much of them. It鈥檚 kind of exciting how we can reimagine this year over year. This program is really a launching pad for undergraduate students.鈥
He also believes some of the students involved will join the labs as graduate students, with the Research Experience Program providing a unique opportunity to mentor students on a one-on-one basis.
鈥淚 would absolutely love to get involved in this program again,鈥 Dr. Hu says. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy I can provide guidance and expertise to help the students learn more about research and help them succeed. It鈥檚 exciting for me, especially to work with motivated students like Dylan.鈥
Dylan also joined Rachel at the AISES conference. 鈥淚 was kind of shocked with the opportunities I had there. I had a chance to meet with different companies and I made connections which could lead to something down the road.鈥
At the event signifying the end of the program for this year, STEMInA program coordinator Kayla Bourdeau took a moment to talk about the success of the Research Experience Program.
鈥淚 thought the event went great, so proud of all the students and their presentations and growth and I am grateful for the researchers who took the time to mentor the students. Absolutely, the plan is to run the Research Experience Program again next year. You never know where an opportunity will lead you and how different experiences will challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and allow you to grow academically and personally.鈥