COSAM News Articles 2024 01 Summer Bridge Program celebrates 21 incoming Auburn students as they prepare for future STEM careers
Summer Bridge Program celebrates 21 incoming Auburn students as they prepare for future STEM careers
The Summer Bridge Program celebrates 21 outstanding incoming first-year students completing the four-week program on campus at Auburn University that prepares students in mathematics and science.
“My daughter Alexis was part of this Summer Bridge Program and is now a doctor,” said Lieutenant Colonel Alcides “AL” Lugo, Jr. “She is a pediatric resident and is grateful for the help this program provided and the connections it gave her throughout her time as an undergraduate student.”
The program provides students with the opportunity to learn about research, hear from faculty and learn about services offered throughout the university.
“During the program, I have encouraged students to think like a scientist and prepare to be future doctors and researchers,” said Kimberly Mulligan-Guy, senior assistant dean, strategic initiatives and programs. “We had many researchers speak to the students about climate change and they presented projects with ideas that could become real-world solutions one day.”
The students had an opportunity to share their research pitches at the closing ceremony.
Each group of students talked about concepts that can make a difference in the world’s environment.
The first group of students, Morgan Boyer, Lorin McElrath, and Jasmine Clark, talked about how green water gardens could reduce ocean acidification helping the world’s oceans being healthier.
The next group, Jude Saxon, Leo Bruce and Maigan Heard, shared their ideas about CO2 gardens where plants could absorb this gas and release oxygen into the environment.
The third group of students, Stefani Antoine, Kenda Bonner and Jaykobb Dolne, talked about how even minor temperature increases have a direct impact on plants in the desert that then changes bird populations. Their idea was to create a precipitation renovator to generate rain in deserts.
The next group of students gave insight about low crop yields. Ife Ayileka, Jillian Liner and Jenise Demerin discussed how methane could be taken out of the air through underground Biogas-powered machinery.
The fifth presentation by Emeree King, Kayla Warren and Aylsha McCall talked about how ocean water could be converted into power through a submarine that performs electrolysis.
Then, the sixth group shared information about methane and human health. Audrey King, Kayla Thomas and Micah Dupree spoke about microorganisms that have the potential to use methane as energy.
The final group, Stephanie Hall, Kelechi Orji and Conley Menifee, talked about how kelp is a carbon sequester and by using a drone, not only could it release kelp into bodies of water, but also collect beneficial data.
“Can you imagine what these students are going to be capable of in the next four years?” said Mulligan-Guy.
After the presentations, students shared reflections of their time in this program. The students talked about how they thought they might not speak to anyone during these weeks, yet they all left with 20 new friends. These four weeks were full of learning, projects, excursions and networking.
“It’s all about building this community of future STEM leaders,” said Mulligan-Guy.
The students received certificates and would return home for the rest of the summer before they begin their very first year at Auburn.
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