While most high school students are lounging around the pool, playing video games, or maybe working at the nearest mall, one local senior is spending his off-time doing research at UC Davis.
Sam Wang of Arcadia High is among a group of students attending the UC Davis Young Scholars Program this summer. The advanced science program, hosted by the School of Education, introduces up to 40 high school juniors and seniors to the world of original research in the biological and natural sciences.
“Students work under the direction of real-world researchers,” said Rick Pomeroy, program director and teacher educator in the School of Education at UC Davis. “In fact, these high school students are engaged in research that most college undergraduates don’t have an opportunity to do.”
The new program, which kicked off this year on June 21, attempts to immerse students in the college experience, engaging participants in one-on-one with research faculty in state-of-the art laboratories for six weeks, a spokesman for the university said.
Additionally, each student works on an individual project and prepares a professional-level research paper and presentation about his or her work.
“All of the participants are highly qualified academically, take honors or advanced placement courses in high school, and have high GPAs,” said Pomeroy. “Most importantly, though, they have all demonstrated a desire and ability to conduct original scientific research and have the potential to contribute significantly to the field.”