RAM Scholars Organize Virtual Summer Research Institute

The projects ranged from Applied Psychology and Computer Programming & Information Systems, to Sport Management and Bioscience.

That’s what happens when you put 50 RAM Scholars together with 17 FSC faculty members and post-doctoral researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, and Stanford University.

Originally, RAM Scholars were to do their research projects locally, nationally, and internationally, as they have in past years. But because of the pandemic, many of those projects were cancelled. That didn’t deter the RAM Scholars though, and the virtual RAM Summer Research Institute was born.

“The RAM Scholars who participated in the Summer Research Institute did so out of their own motivation,” says Dr. Lisa Cullington, assistant director, Research Aligned Mentorship (RAM) Program. “It is remarkable to see such initiative and commitment to undergraduate research. Not only did they engage in timely and interesting research projects, but they did so virtually and in  collaborative settings.”

To top it off, a Virtual Research Symposium was held earlier this month, as a showcase for the research projects.

“RAM Scholars presented their projects in interdisciplinary breakout groups, each moderated by a RAM staff member.  We had over 80 participants attend, representing FSC students, faculty, staff and administration, family and community members, and external institutional partners. By designing and sharing their research projects, our scholars not only showed what they learned during the summer, but also their ability to approach a subject matter with an inquiry stance. Cultivating this perspective is vital in their development as student researchers, and a skill they can apply to future academic and professional settings.”