The American Chemical Society Project SEED in Milwaukee* Summer 2008

What Is Project SEED?

Project SEED is a program administered by the American Chemical Society (ACS) that offers high school students a unique opportunity to spend a summer conducting hands-on research with a scientist in a laboratory setting. Students are awarded a $2,500 fellowship to work on their research projects for 8-10 weeks during the summer. Students who satisfactorily complete the first summer and who have not yet entered college may return for a second summer of research and receive a $3,000 award. Because of the design of the research projects and the close mentoring relationship between student and scientist, the program has had a very positive influence on students. For detailed information, please visit the ACS Project SEED website.

Who Is Eligible?

Project SEED is designed for economically disadvantaged bright high school students. The candidates must have taken high school chemistry and be recommended by their respective teachers. The candidates must have demonstrated ambition, motivation, and the willingness to work hard.

What Are Typical Projects?

Students in Project SEED are provided projects that give them the opportunity to do meaningful research. The projects are suggested by mentors and reviewed by an ACS committee to make sure they are exciting, meaningful, and doable by Project SEED students. Many of the projects involve learning about making new compounds, testing them using instruments, and analyzing data.

What Are The Student's Rewards?

Project SEED will provide you with the opportunity to build a good working relationship with a scientist who can provide career guidance, encouragement, and letters of recommendation for the college of your choice. During the course of the summer, you will develop laboratory skills as well as skills in written and oral communication. You will learn to work as part of a team. You will have the chance to develop and demonstrate creativity and to discover that you can do scientific research. And you will get paid!

Project SEED offers high school students exciting opportunities, including:
- information on career paths,
- preparation for college studies,
- individual mentoring by a scientist,
- exposure to other assistance programs,
- opportunity to present their summer research at a scientific meeting,
- eligibility to apply for SEED college scholarship awards,
- chance to enhance their self-confidence.

What Are Your Responsibilities?

The students should be at work every day on time and be dresses appropriately for the laboratory environment. The student will need to maintain a good attitude toward work, use the safety training provided, and share any concern about work with their mentors and/or program coordinator. The students are expected to learn as much as they can about their specific research projects. The students will be asked to do research that may involve, for example, making new compounds, collecting data, or working with instruments or computers. The students will also be required to complete surveys and reports concerning their experience, and give an oral presentation at the end of summer describing what they have learned.

How To Apply?

Students attending any high school program within the Milwaukee metropolitan area are eligible to apply, as far as they have already taken high school science courses and meet the economic criteria described at the ACS Project SEED website. The candidate must be nominated by a science teacher and submit a written application including an essay on his/her interest in science and the Project SEED program. An interview with the student and his or her parent or guardian follows the analysis of the written application. The interviews are carried out at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - UWM.

Participation in the SEED program is competitive. We anticipate that three positions will be available for summer 2008 at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The deadline for application submission is Friday, May 30, 2008.

Download Application

Milwaukee's Project SEED Team

Prof. Guilherme L. Indig Project Coordinator and Scientific Mentor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - UWM

Prof. Andy Pacheco Scientific Mentor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - UWM

Prof. Dean Duncan Scientific Mentor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - UWM

Prof. Graham Moran Scientific Co-Mentor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - UWM

Mrs. Marina Sorokina-Kleczka Scientific Co-Mentor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - UWM

Mr. Matthew Youngblut Scientific Co-Mentor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - UWM

Mr. Jeffrey Duhacek Scientific Co-Mentor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - UWM

Mrs. Dorothy Hancock High School Chemistry Teacher Rufus King High School

Mrs. Brandy L. Lacy Academic Advisor Director - Upward Bound Math and Science Program UWM Academic Affairs

Mr. Zachary Steuerwald Safety Advisor University Safety and Assurances - UWM

Research Projects - Summer 2008

1. Oxidation reactions catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (Indig, Moran, Sorokina-Kleczka).
2. Enzymatic determination of ammonia concentration in reaction mixtures (Pacheco, Youngblut).
3. Organoimido functionalization of polyoxotungstates (Duncan, Duhacek).


High school teachers interested in nominating students, and mentors from any UWM department (as far as working on chemistry projects), as well as other academic or industrial settings in the Milwaukee metropolitan area are welcome to join the project. If you have interest in volunteering, please contact Prof. Indig. The SEED Program does not offer any financial compensation to program volunteers. Only high school students are eligible for compensation in the form of summer research fellowships. We encourage all interested parts in visiting the ACS Project SEED webpage.

* All informational text that appears in this webpage came from the Project SEED Student, Mentor, and Coordinator Handbook.

Other Project SEED Programs in the USA:

University of Pennsylvania http://www.med.upenn.edu/seed/
Indianapolis ACS Project SEED http://www.indyprojectseed.com
Washington State University http://feql.wsu.edu/students.htm
Rider University http://www.rider.edu/172_2786.htm

---

Member, American Chemical Society Milwaukee Section ACS Amalgamator

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry 3210 N. Cramer Street Milwaukee, WI 53211-3029 800-628-8258 or 414-229-4411 FAX: 414-229-5530 http://alchemy.chem.uwm.edu/

Molecular Graphics

News   |   Calendar   |   Contact Us   |   Home
Graduates   |   Undergraduates   |   Research Facility   |   Directory   |   Alumni