WAU BIOLOGY & CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT TAKING THEIR STUDENTS ABOVE AND BEYOND
In January 2023, the Biology and Chemistry Department at Washington Adventist University (WAU) gladly received the news that another student, Ava Movahed Abtahi, was accepted into the Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Post Baccalaureate Research Program at the National Institute of Health (NIH). About Ava, Dr. Perez said, “She is truly an outstanding ambassador for our university at the NIH.”
In recent years, the Department has received a positive spotlight for the quality of its students who participate in competitive internships.
Abtahi graduated from WAU with a Bachelor of Science in Biology Degree and interdisciplinary Honors College experience. After her IRTA post-baccalaureate research program, her goal is to enter a medical school program.
According to Dr. Samuel Perez, the Academic Chair of the Biology and Chemistry Department, “Only one in seven applicants receive the opportunity to participate in the Summer Internship Programs at the NIH; and IRTA post-baccalaureate positions at the NIH are even more difficult to get into, as it only has a 10% acceptance rate. Thus, the fact that three graduates from the Department of Biology and Chemistry, since 2020, were awarded post-baccalaureate research positions at the NIH is a very notable achievement for our academic program at WAU.”
To apply for internships or an entry-level position at the NIH, a student must have an outstanding academic proficiency (usually evident by a GPA of 3.8-4.0). Be academically curious and inclined to research. “These aptitudes may take a little time to appear; however, a student’s potential in these areas can be immediately demonstrated during laboratory projects and Teaching Assistantships in the Department. Also, he/she needs to consistently display a higher level of independence and reliability”, Dr. Perez said.
Dr. Perez highlighted that, “Students who have obtained the IRTA Post Baccalaureate positions at the NIH have some things in common. They are assertive and do take initiative in looking for competitive post-baccalaureate research or internship opportunities. Every student in our department who got a post-baccalaureate opportunity at the NIH applied directly online without suggestions to do so. In doing so they exhibited confidence in their learned skills and were willing to engage in research activities in a high pace environment”.
In past years, students from the Department of Biology and Chemistry at WAU have successfully rotated through internships at the US Food and Drug Administration; thus, opportunities for students who value a faith-based undergraduate training in the life sciences and are passionate for research has been a real possibility at WAU. There is no doubt that these experiences can significantly enrich students’ academic careers because they are exposed to professionals in highly productive environments near our university! They have the unique opportunity to be mentored by talented scientists who are innovators in their fields. Under these circumstances, students can enhance the skills they received in their undergraduate training towards a successful career in Medicine, life science graduate degrees and the Biotechnology industry.
“My colleagues and I,” said Dr. Perez, have contributed to these types of success, by implementing a curriculum designed to develop different key areas in our students.”
Curricula in both, our Biology and Biochemistry programs, are designed to enhance the understanding of how living cells function for the benefit of entire living organism. Repetition and the gradual progression of basic concepts into more complex ones build knowledge that stays with students.
“Also, besides hands-on technical laboratory projects which endow students the experience and confidence to engage in experimental research projects, we are intentional about integrating activities that allow students to exercise their Critical thinking in every class, and in the Science Seminars meetings during their academic program” added Dr. Perez.
Students are allowed to be themselves while developing their leadership and interpersonal skills by engaging in laboratory teaching assistantships, tutoring, and other academic and non-academic activities on campus. Dr. Perez also pointed out, “an attribute of our department is the intentional promotion of effective communication skills. This is practiced since the first year in the students’ academic programs. Oral presentations and project reports follow rubrics devised to help our students to communicate complex ideas to their peers and professors. It helps them to build confidence when they communicate in academic and research settings.
“The most rewarding experience for my colleagues and I in the Biology and Chemistry Department, has been the success and growth of our students. We all embrace our role as genuine mentors and innovators in our respective fields,” added Dr. Perez.
In conclusion, “Once talent is seen, faculty mentors must be able to let students mature under their watch. This is done by giving them opportunities to practice their innate abilities and creativity without micromanaging every step they take,” says Dr. Perez and other Biology and Chemistry Department faculty members.