Arpita Bose, assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, was awarded a second “Changing the Face of STEM” mentoring grant from L’Oreal USA to continue a summer laboratory research experience she offers low-income high school students from the St. Louis area.
Bose will use the new funding to continue supporting the Gateway Science Summer Program, a partnership she created in 2017 with the Gateway Science Academy of St. Louis. The program pairs three low-income high school students with Bose and Joshua Blodgett, also an assistant professor of biology at Washington University, for mentoring and to gain exposure to real laboratory experience and STEM careers.
Seven students have benefited from the program since its inception. The support from mentors at Washington University has helped the students gain the skills and confidence necessary to apply to college STEM programs, Bose said. Bose hopes to attract additional funding to allow the program to grow sustainably in the coming years.
Bose was a 2013 L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellow.