Welcome to the 10th Annual School of Science STEM Research Symposium 2021!
We achieve a 10-year milestone in the annual STEM Research Institute (SRI) at the School of Science in which selected students are provided the opportunity to participate in authentic research projects under the supervision of experienced faculty mentors. My hearty congratulations to all! The Symposium is back in person but I am happy we will also be streaming it online so that more members of the local public and elsewhere could participate. This 10th Symposium is ever more in line with the focus to provide our diverse student population with high quality and innovative learning experiences that prepare them to question, investigate, and formulate conclusions about the natural world. Students are immersed in various disciplines in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and they have each arisen to the challenge to partake in real world, hands-on scientific inquiry implementing innovative ideas with sophisticated materials and technology. As in previous years, the corps of resilient faculty and staff on all campuses invested resources and expertise to provide research students with the platform to develop skills needed to broaden their knowledge base and competency for scientific excellence.
The intent remains to provide students with the opportunities to enhance their overall undergraduate experience as an additional way to prepare them for success in the global workforce. Faculty have done this by engaging their curiosity, sharpening their critical thinking skills and enhancing their scientific literacy.
I would like to commend all of our 110+ student research participants for their accomplishments in their respective fields of research. We are proud of the diligence and dedication each of you demonstrated throughout this process under still challenging conditions. I would like to thank our funding agencies and partners, including the US Department of Education, US National Science Foundation, Bank of America, Bosch Family Foundation, University of Florida, Florida Atlantic University, St. Thomas University, Nova Southeastern University, etc. In addition, I would like to thank the MDC administration, faculty, School of Science staff and units of the college including Media, Communications, Learning Resources, Campus Services, etc., for their remarkable efforts and for collaborating to facilitate this significant experience for all and especially the students.
Sincerely,
Victor I. Okafor, PhD
Dean of the School of Science
Dr. Carlos D. Bustamante
Founder and CEO, Galetea Bio Inc.
Dr. Carlos D. Bustamante is a scientist, investor, and entrepreneur and an internationally recognized leader in the application of data science and genomics technology to problems in medicine, agriculture, and biology. He is on leave from Stanford University where he is a Professor of Biomedical Data Science, Genetics, and (by courtesy) Biology, was founding Director of the Stanford Center for Computational, Evolutionary, and Human Genomics and is Inaugural Chair of the Department of Biomedical Data Science. Dr. Bustamante has a passion for building new academic units, non-profits, and companies to solve pressing scientific challenges. He is also currently Founder and Chairman of the Board of Galatea Bio, Inc., a Director at EdenRoc Sciences, LLC and Etalon DX, founder of Arc Bio, LLC and CDB Consulting LTD., and has served as SAB member for more than a dozen companies. Carlos received his Ph.D. in Biology and MS in Statistics from Harvard University (2001), was on the faculty at Cornell University (2002-9), and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2010. Commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", the MacArthur Fellowship is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to individuals, working in any field, who have shown "extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction" and are citizens or residents of the United States.
Thank you to the funding agencies that help to support our STEM Programs at Miami Dade College, especially our STEM Undergraduate Research Opportunities.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in the research material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agency. The original research represented at our MDC STEM Undergraduate Symposium is funded in part by:
U.S. Department of Education grant awards:
STEM AISLE (Advanced Institute for Scholastic Leadership Experience), PR# P120A200007
STEM SPACE (Strategic Pathways to Academic Competition and Excellence), PR# P031C160161
STEM EngInE (Educate, Intern, and Employ), PR# P031C160143
National Science Foundation:
S-STEM (Florida Pathways to Success), Award: UFDSP00011889
FGLSAMP (Florida Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation), Subaward FAMU C-5035
CUREs (Building Capacity Hispanic Student Success from 2 year to 4-year Institutions through CUREs), Award: 1832436
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