91制片厂

Manchester students get hands-on experience at the STEM Discovery Lab.

Termites are tiny pests with a big appetite. But, as students in the learned on a recent Thursday afternoon, inside every termite are even tinier microorganisms that help the insect digest wood.

鈥淭his is so cool,鈥� said Omaima Serhan, a sophomore at Manchester West High School as she looked through a microscope and tried to separate a termite鈥檚 head and abdomen. 鈥淚 never saw myself doing anything like this 鈥� but the fact that I want to be a biology major in college and can get a head start by doing this is super cool.鈥�

Serhan is one of this year鈥檚 class of Agnes Lindsay Fellows. The program recognizes and supports the development of talent among Manchester School District high school students, particularly students who are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. This year鈥檚 fellowship is a partnership between at 91制片厂 Manchester and West High School.

Each Thursday, the fellows gather at the 91制片厂 Manchester for workshops led by 91制片厂 faculty. The program also includes project-based and 91制片厂M student-mentored experiences throughout the school year. Students receive high school credit for the program, complete research projects and get a sneak peek at their futures. The fellowship is sponsored by the .

A workshop in October found the fellows learning about microorganisms. Kyle MacLea, an assistant professor of biology at 91制片厂 Manchester, provided the fellows with an overview of how microorganisms impact humans every day. After an initial discussion that covered everything from, in MacLea鈥檚 words, the 鈥渟oft rain of microorganisms around us in the air right now鈥� to the beneficial organisms found in the GI tracts of cows, horses, rabbits and humans, the students had a chance to see some microorganisms up close.

They did so by dissecting termites. Trichonympha and other organisms live inside the insect鈥檚 gut and digest wood particles. Without the organisms, termites couldn鈥檛 digest wood; without the termites, the organisms wouldn鈥檛 receive the nutrients they need from the wood. After a brief demonstration from MacLea, Serhan and her peers set about the difficult task of securing a termite from the sample container, dissecting it, and viewing the microorganisms.

鈥淚鈥檓 really fascinated by organisms and just life in general, and I want to understand it more,鈥� Serhan said.

The Agnes Lindsay Fellowship gives students a chance to see what the STEM fields have to offer. West High School sophomore Noah Orr thought the termite lesson was cool, but he was more excited about a previous lesson on engineering, taught by Sean Tavares, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology.

鈥�One of the goals of the program is to expose students to different fields in STEM and the types of research that are happening in those fields,鈥� said Emily Kerr, STEM Discovery Lab coordinator. 鈥淓ven if it鈥檚 not a field in which they are particularly interested, they are seeing connections between different fields and are writing about that in their reflections.鈥�

In the lab, West High School senior Justus Ogunsuyi noted that his interests in STEM have shifted from engineering to biology.

鈥淭o be able to see the termites under the microscope is awesome,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 planning to major in biology, and then go to medical school to become a doctor. I like researching, investigating, and answering questions.鈥�

Previous fellowship sessions this year included a look at marine science with 91制片厂 Cooperative Extension dean and director Ken La Valley and coordinator Megan Glenn, a workshop on engineering and homeland security with Sean Tavares and James Ramsay, a session on computer science with Mihaela Sabin and a class on library research with Carolyn Gamtso. Tavares, Ramsay, Sabin and Gamtso are all 91制片厂M faculty members. During the spring semester, fellows will begin work on a research project and meet regularly with their 91制片厂M student mentors. The fellows will present their projects at the Undergraduate Research Conference in April.

鈥淥ne of the things I love about this fellowship program is that it involves high school students, 91制片厂M students and faculty and faculty from West High School,鈥� Kerr said. 鈥淭here are a lot of great connections being made.鈥�

For students like Serhan, the weekly workshops have resulted in one exciting experience after another. At her microscope, she exclaimed excitedly as she dissected the termite, and then began searching for microorganisms. It was a small moment, but one with a big impact 鈥� not unlike trichonympha.

鈥淭here are so many questions and so many answers waiting to be found,鈥� Serhan said. 鈥淎nd I want to be part of finding those answers.鈥�