Seven high school seniors in Georgia have been named “Promising Scholars” by the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities.
The 2005 “Promising Scholars” are Chike Akoh of Athens, Allison Bishop of Cartersville, Gabrielle Gay of Decatur, Jeremy Jones of Statesboro, Hannah Kamau of Decatur, Paul Ruddle of Valdosta and Devon Watson of Atlanta.
The students were recognized for their academic achievements in math and science and were invited to UGA to attend the annual undergraduate research symposium sponsored by CURO each spring. Each student also received a $250 stipend under a grant to CURO from the National Science Foundation.
“We appreciate receiving this NSF grant that enables us to recognize these high-caliber students and provide an opportunity for them to connect with some of UGA’s brightest young researchers,” says Pamela Kleiber, CURO coordinator and associate director of UGA’s Honors Program. “We hope this will encourage these high school students to pursue advanced study in science, technology, mathematics or engineering.”
During their visit to UGA, the high school students were paired with CURO apprentices-freshmen and sophomores who work one-on-one with faculty mentors on year-long research projects in various disciplines.
Woodland High School senior Allison Bishop was escorted around campus by Caelin Cubeñas, a recent UGA recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship. Cubeñas talked about her CURO research experiences, working with cell biologists Marcus Fechheimer and Ruth Furukawa.
“Undergraduate research is very important to the college experience in terms of helping undergrads improve their skills for their future careers,” said Bishop, who plans to enter the CURO apprentice program in the fall.
Jeremy Jones, a Statesboro senior who plans to attend UGA as a recipient of the Ramsey Honors Scholarship, and as a CURO research apprentice, said he was impressed with the CURO symposium and the fact that his guide, Edmond Fomunung, was conducting research as a freshman.
“Jeremy accompanied me to my presentation at the symposium and was amazed to see the depth of research that a first-year student like myself was doing,” said Fomunung.
CURO was established to foster a culture of inquiry by providing opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research guided by faculty mentors. Although part of the Honors Program, CURO programs are open to all interested UGA students with a 3.4 GPA.
