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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (May 8, 2013)—Milligan College students Nate Andrew and Sterling Herron will spend 10 weeks this summer working in important fields of study through Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs funded by the National Science Foundation.
A rising senior, Andrew will assist with research aimed at understanding and preventing societal violence. Andrew, along with several other students from colleges and universities across the nation, was selected to participate in Virginia Tech’s REU program.
During this program, Andrew will be immersed in the research process, working alongside a professor and other students to develop a stronger understanding of interdisciplinary research. In addition to reading assignments, he will work in labs, conduct library research, write his reflections on this experience, and ultimately construct a research paper and research poster to present at a conference on undergraduate research at Virginia Tech during the final week of the program.
Andrew’s project is titled “Reinforcing Anti-Violence Attitudes through Exposure to Violent Media Content.”
“I feel so blessed to have been given this incredible opportunity for the summer, and I am thankful for Dr. Joy Drinnon and the psychology faculty at Milligan for helping me in my search for an internship,” Andrew said. “Through the REU program, I hope to learn and grow by being immersed in a challenging research environment. Ultimately, I hope to make my summer work meaningful by adding to the growing body of research on an important issue regarding societal violence.”
A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Andrew is double majoring in psychology and business administration.
A rising junior from Butler, Tenn., Herron will participate in Penn State Hershey College of Medicine’s REU program. His research is focused on biomaterials and reducing blood clots.
Herron will work alongside Dr. Christopher Siedlecki, professor of surgery and bioengineering at the Hershey College of Medicine, on research about how biomaterials ― specifically internal medical devices in the circulatory system ― interact with the blood and certain proteins, looking for the cause of and reducing blood clots around these implants.
“I am looking forward to engaging in real-world scientific research and working with my peers and mentor in professional laboratories,” said Herron, a biology and chemistry major.
Herron learned about this REU program, which is called the SURIP (Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program), from his academic adviser, Dr. Michael Whitney, who completed graduate school at Penn State. The program specifically targets juniors and seniors who are interested in biomedical research.
“This internship would not have been possible without the help of Dr. Whitney and other Milligan science faculty,” Herron said. “I hope to continue my undergraduate research at Milligan and I will likely pursue another REU internship next summer.”
To learn more about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu.