Swarts Lab

We run an outreach program that promotes continued science education for community college students. This program seeks to identify students from nearby community colleges who have shown a strong interest in the sciences and provide them with opportunities for summer research and mentoring through CMU chemistry faculty and students. The objective is to foster students’ interest in science and ultimately help them transition to four-year institutions and careers in science.

We work with the Mid-Michigan Community College, Delta College, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, and Montcalm Community College (see map to the right). The program launched in the summer of 2015 under generous support from CMU's College of Science & Engineering and has continued since with funding from the National Science Foundation and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. This support includes a stipend for the summer and funding for research supplies.

The research experience includes comprehensive lab safety training, literature review, development of a research proposal, execution of a research project, working with peer mentors in the lab, and oral presentation of research results.