Photo By Joseph Battley II | SILVER SPRING, Md. (July 28, 2021) Gabrielle Blazek, a lab technician explains to STEM...... read more read more
SILVER SPRING, Md. (NNS) Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) hosted the final week of a three-week virtual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) intern seminar with students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) from July 26 – 30.
The internship aims to introduce rising college underclassmen to Navy Medicine and provide information on medical research. The program, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, is in its inaugural season with two HBCU students selected to participate out of over 70 applicants.
Lt. William Graham, a Navy Medical Service Corps officer with a desire to expose students to opportunities in Navy medicine, spearheaded NMRC’s role in the program.
“This is the first program of its kind that involves exposing interns to all niche careers in Navy medicine,” said Graham. “Additionally, the internship provides training in professional writing, resume development and advance degree application submissions.”
NMRC’s researchers highlighted career paths, giving students a chance to learn about virology, wound infections, infectious disease and various laboratory functions. The STEM students met with officers from the Nurse Corps, Dental Corps, Medical Corps and Medical Service Corps.
Lt. Megan Schilling, a Navy Medical Service Corps officer from NMRC gave insight on how clinical diagnostic labs operate.
“I've enjoyed the opportunity to teach the students about what we do, hoping to make an impact and inspire their career choices,” said Schilling. “It’s great to see them engaged and interested in Navy Medicine."
The program directly links historically black universities to not only research facilities at NMRC, but also to other career fields in the medical industry.
“I like how the research wraps back around to everything going on in the world today. I’m glad that we were able to learn more about the testing process and the importance of the COVID vaccine,” said Aaliyah Mars, a biology major at Jackson State University.
HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, an opportunity to develop their skills and talents. These institutions of higher learning train and equip young people to serve domestically and internationally as professionals in the public and private sectors.
“What’s really exciting is opening the aperture of research to students who attend historically black colleges and universities,” said Capt. Abigail Marter Yablonsky, NMRC’s executive officer. “With all of the diversity that is out there, it’s great to see the future of science in these students.”
NMRC's eight laboratories are engaged in a broad spectrum of activity in support of the Navy, Marine Corps, and joint U.S. warfighters, ranging from basic science in the laboratory to field studies in austere and remote areas of the world to cutting-edge research in operational environments. NMRC researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, medical modeling, operational mission support, and epidemiology.
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2021 12:06 |
| Story ID: | 402125 |
| Location: | SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 257 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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