Undergrad Education / en Żr¶ąÍř Scarborough lab brings in high school students for research opportunities /news/u-t-scarborough-lab-brings-high-school-students-research-opportunities <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Żr¶ąÍř Scarborough lab brings in high school students for research opportunities</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-02-rishawn-andrade.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=SfF6TmVH 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-03-02-rishawn-andrade.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kOqnkDDh 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-03-02-rishawn-andrade.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Eg3QIR9p 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-02-rishawn-andrade.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=SfF6TmVH" alt="Photo of Rishawn Dhir"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-03-02T14:26:23-05:00" title="Thursday, March 2, 2017 - 14:26" class="datetime">Thu, 03/02/2017 - 14:26</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Fourth-year neuroscience and health studies student Rishawn Dhir first got introduced to university through a high school co-op program that had him researching in the Andrade Lab at Żr¶ąÍř Scarborough (photo by Raquel Russell) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/raquel-russell" hreflang="en">Raquel A. Russell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Raquel Russell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergrad-education" hreflang="en">Undergrad Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/education" hreflang="en">Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/spiders" hreflang="en">Spiders</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">Żr¶ąÍř Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In 2014, <strong>Rishawn Dhir</strong>’s high school co-op program placed him in the lab of Professor <strong>Maydianne Andrade</strong> at Żr¶ąÍř Scarborough. Little did the eleventh&nbsp;grader know the impact it would have on his academic future.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The co-op program changed my opinion of university,” says Dhir, who is now a fourth-year neuroscience and health studies student at Żr¶ąÍř Scarborough.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It made me realize that within a lab there are many opportunities, not only for research&nbsp;but to work with other people,&nbsp;to take leadership opportunities and to develop as an individual.”</p> <p>Since 2012, the high school co-op program has been part of the Andrade Lab, renowned for its primary subjects – black widow spiders. The lab, led by Andrade, a biology professor, explores the mating habits of cannibalistic spiders.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3633 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Maydianne-Andrade-28%20%281%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 499px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Professor Maydianne Andrade (right) with a student in her lab (photo by Ken Jones)</em></p> <p>While Żr¶ąÍř Scarborough&nbsp;has a robust set of co-op programs for undergraduate students, the Andrade Lab is one of the few to adapt the plan for Grade 11 and 12 high school students.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Incorporating high school students is a great way to increase pipelines into the university,” says Andrade. “People in local schools should be aware of what we’re doing here. Co-op high school students are looking for a meaningful experience and to be honest –&nbsp;we need help,” she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Today, Dhir leads a team that provides mentorship and discussion between undergraduates and their former high schools. He attributes much of his passion for the program to his experience as a high school student in the lab.&nbsp;</p> <p>Some of that experience is grunt work –&nbsp;high school students&nbsp;like undergraduates clean spider compartments and help with the practical running of the lab.&nbsp;</p> <p>After being prepared for working with black widows, students like Danilo Piljevic, an eleventh&nbsp;grader, then get to help with feedings.&nbsp;</p> <p>“As a Grade 11 student who’s going to apply to university next year, it’s great to have this array of options of people I can talk to, see what it’s like,&nbsp;and see what programs are good for me and which aren’t,” says Piljevic, who attends A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in Scarborough.&nbsp;</p> <p>Piljevic adds that for three to four hours a week he gets to see if this is something he could imagine himself doing for the rest of his life.</p> <p>Andrade appreciates the doors the program opens for students.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We’re connecting with students who are perhaps uncertain about going to university or want to feel their way into whether they want to do biology or something different,” says Andrade.&nbsp;</p> <p>The structure of the lab allows high schoolers new to the program a chance to work with more senior students, and more motivated senior students area allowed to manage lab assistants or do independent research.&nbsp;</p> <p>Dhir become a leader in the lab and says it helped build his confidence. After the program, he volunteered during the summer and became a lab assistant.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I felt confident enough from my experiences to get involved through numerous councils in first year and then creating my own in second year,” says Dhir.&nbsp;</p> <p>“There are many opportunities for you here as long as you’re confident, push yourself and go out there and look,” he says. “You’ll find them if you try,” says&nbsp;<strong>Haneen Altahir</strong>, a third-year biochemistry and environmental science student, who also went through the high school co-op program.</p> <p>Like Dhir, networking with fellow lab personnel and being on campus influenced her university decision.&nbsp;</p> <p>“After coming to Żr¶ąÍř Scarborough&nbsp;every day for co-op, I could imagine being a student here,” she says. “It’s such a community school, and I really wanted to be a part of that.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 02 Mar 2017 19:26:23 +0000 ullahnor 105288 at