Incoming high school students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in scientific methods through a new program at the University of New Mexico, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Led by Associate Professor Terefe Habteyes from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and the Center for Advanced Technology Materials (CHTM), the High School Incoming Senior Research (HSISR) program opens up future scientific career paths for students.
For six weeks over the summer, five high school students had the opportunity to do something they don’t usually do in high school: conduct experiments in a high-tech research lab. High school students came from Atrisco Heritage Academy High School, La Cueva High School, Christian Hope School, and Albuquerque School of Excellence. They worked together with Habteyes and a PhD student to develop their own projects and gain first-hand knowledge of conducting research in a state-of-the-art facility.
The experience was made possible by the NSF CAREER award received by the Habteyes research laboratory to put high school students on the field before passing their senior year. At this critical juncture, students begin to think about their college options, and programs like HSISR will help them make decisions as they begin to consider their future options.
When asked why he chose to participate in HSISR this summer, Sammy Hadgu, who graduated from La Cueva High School, said: “I wanted to learn more about nanoparticles, but I also wanted to do an internship. I know that a summer internship is important to universities when applying for them, so I took that into account and knew that I would do something interesting to post my CV ”.
To ensure the most lasting experience possible, students were allocated different projects to focus on development over the course of six weeks. Since neither of them had contact with such a laboratory, not only were they taught how to use the equipment, but were also given the opportunity to use the tools at their disposal to advance their research. During this program, all students had the opportunity to use modern testing equipment
Equipped with this new knowledge, students were able to put their training into practice by studying a phenomenon known as ‘plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis’. A nanoparticle has a number of remarkable optical properties that can differ significantly from the bulk material it is derived from, depending on a number of factors. In this application, students used metal nanoparticles to concentrate light energy down to one billionth of a meter (or nanometer).
By preparing solutions of various concentrations, students were able to investigate the electron absorption properties of organic materials by measuring the absorption spectra of UV visible light. This process introduced them to Beer’s Law, which says that the absorption capacity of a dissolved substance is directly proportional to the concentration of the solution.
The experience of being on a university campus was also a welcome introduction to students. Benicio Martinez of Atrisco Heritage Academy High School found this aspect of the program an added bonus to the experience gained, saying: “I really enjoyed being able to work in laboratories and do research. I also liked the feeling of being on the campus, going out to lunch and visiting UNM. ”
In addition to Habteyes guidance, high school students were also able to work with three undergraduate students and one alumni mentor to help them develop their projects. The goal was twofold: 1.) to provide enhanced learning opportunities for high school students, and 2.) to ensure that the projects developed this summer would continue to evolve as undergraduate and graduate students develop them throughout the academic year.
After the end of the program, students shared their results at the final presentation ceremony on July 22. Speaking about his experiences this summer, Jonathan Henok, who is an incoming senior at La Cueva High School, said: “This internship allowed me to understand in-depth research in a college-level program. I enjoyed working with people who were collaborative and friendly, and the other social elements made the experience amazing. ”
Jonathan Tessema of Albuquerque School of Excellence stated that HSISR has given him a lot of pride in being able to accomplish something he has never done before. Especially the experience of “giving a presentation to a group of people and fully understanding the topic.”
Kidus Tekle of Hope Christian Schools stated that HSISR is an immediate community of fellow researchers to connect with, saying, “I enjoyed being able to share the experience with four other students like me which made it even more fun. “.
Habteyes is proud of the inaugural summer of the program and is excited to be able to provide this experience to more incoming seniors in the future. He said: “I am very glad that the students learned so much in six weeks, working six hours a day… Overall, it was a very valuable experience. I am deeply convinced that there should be a national competition program to involve brilliant young students in their studies at an early age. “
