Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera toured campus on Monday afternoon to see first-hand how some of the state’s brightest high school students are spending their summer immersed in the STEM (science, engineering, math and technology) fields.
Rivera heard presentations by three of the students involved in Project SEED, a summer research program hosted at Duquesne, then visited labs where the students are working.
“This visit by our Secretary of Education highlights the importance of creating a STEM pipeline and interesting young students in science,” said Dr. Philip Reeder, dean of the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences. “We’re very proud of our faculty and students in Project SEED and all of our other partnerships that allow the Bayer School to reach out to populations that are underrepresented in the sciences.”
During his stop at Duquesne, Rivera shared his story as a first-generation college student with students, Reeder and faculty—including Dr. Jennifer Aitken, coordinator of the award-winning Project SEED.
“Professor Jennifer Aitken and the faculty mentors from Duquesne’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry should be commended for so generously donating their time so that each student can have a rich, authentic research experience,” said Dr. Ralph Wheeler, department chair. “Project SEED changes lives!”
