By Natalie Rozman
Ph.D. Student in Electrical and Computer Engineering
The Duke Research in Engineering Program (DukeREP) is a seven-week summer program where local Durham high school students interested in science and engineering are matched with labs in the Duke Pratt School of Engineering. The program helps students gain exposure to academic research and encourages them to pursue higher education and explore careers in STEM.
Pratt’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering decided to participate in DukeREP in order to specifically engage historically underrepresented minorities in engineering for this program. As a program coordinator for DukeREP, I helped the ECE department recruit a cohort in which two-thirds of the participants were ethnic minorities and half were female. I also knew that I wanted to get the Duke University Center of Exemplary Mentoring—and specifically the Sloan Scholars—involved.
As a Sloan Scholar, I understand the value of mentorship and knew that an informal lunch with a Q&A session would be a great opportunity for the high school students to interact with the Sloan Scholars. Through this event, the high school students were exposed to graduate school and the many postgraduate options offered by a doctoral degree in a STEM field. The high school students had a candid discussion with the Sloan Scholars, hearing not only the successes but also the struggles they faced during their undergraduate studies and as Ph.D. students. Through this event, the students had a better understanding of how to apply to graduate school, which factors to consider in choosing a graduate school, and what to expect once accepted.
Natalie Rozman (front row, third from left) with fellow Sloan Scholars and DukeREP participants.
