Summer High-school Opportunities for Research in STEM (SHORS)
The goals of the Quinnipiac University SHORS program are to:
- Expose student participants to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) research at the university level
- Give students a robust STEM research experience
- Empower student participants through working with QU STEM faculty on cutting edge research activities
The QU-SHORS program is a commuter program designed for high school students interested in discovering how STEM research occurs within the university environment. The students spend two afternoons per week during the month of June orientating themselves to their research team and then work full-time within their team's research lab for the first two weeks of their summer break.
Along with these experiences, the students also gain knowledge of the college application process and the teaching and learning required to pursue a STEM focused career. As part of their experience, the students are asked back to the University later in the year to share their experiences with their parents, the Quinnipiac faculty and corporate guests as part of an undergraduate research poster and presentation day. This gives the high school students an understanding of the outcomes and deliverables that are expected from college students who undertake research opportunities.
Program Cost: $100
(Scholarships are available to cover the program cost - please ask the center director directly)
2013 Dates:
After school sessions: June 3 - 28, 2013
The two week, full-time session takes place within the month of July as arranged with the QU faculty who leads the research team of projects being offered to the QU-SHORS program.
2013 Projects available:
Behavioral Neuroscience: The purpose of this summer project will be to examine how chronic stress can create many of the brain changes associated with mood disorders. Using a rodent model of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), researchers will investigate how this affect is reversed by antidepressant treatment (ADT). Students will assist with general lab duties and record and enter data from experiments. Students will also help interpret results relevant to the research project. CUS is considered to be the best model of major depressive disorder, a chronic, often disabling psychiatric illness. Rodents are frequently used in research and have been valuable for understanding the neurobiology of such disorders.
Application Process:
Applications are now closed for the 2013 QU-SHORS program. The application process for 2014 will open in February 2014.