ANA G. MENDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEM STUDENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CENTER AGMUS Ins tute of Mathema cs CARIBBEAN COMPUTING CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE Funding provided by the Na onal Science Founda on (NSF) Grants DMS 0822404 & CNS 0940522
Index Message from the Director 3 University of Vermont 4 UCAR 6 MIT Haystack 8 Lawrence Livermore 10 Vanderbilt University 11 Lawrence Berkeley 12 List of Schools 14 Aknowledgements 15 2
Message from the Execu ve Director The Ana G. Méndez University System (AGMUS) 2011 Pre College Summer Research Internship Program was a great success. Twenty three (23) high school students from public and private schools across Puerto Rico travelled to six research sites at ins tu ons in five states, the University of Vermont, MIT Haystack Observatory, Vanderbilt University, the Na onal Center for Atmospheric Research, Lawrence Berkeley Na onal Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore Na onal Laboratory. The pre college students worked with research mentors in projects in the areas of computer science, mathema cs, computa onal biology, astronomy and atmospheric sciences. According to the research mentors, the pre college students had be er performance than the average undergraduate student par cipa ng in research experiences for undergraduates (REU). The success of this program is based on the selec on process and the experience of the AGMUS Saturday Research Academy, where all the student par cipants learned the first steps of the research methodology. I would like to recognize the dedica on of the coordinators and mentors at all the sites where our pre college students worked for a period of six to eight weeks; and the staff of the AGMUS Ins tute of Mathema cs, the Caribbean Compu ng Center for Excellence and the Student Research Development Center. Mentoring pre college students during the summer was a great experience. Personally, I enjoyed having daily and weekly email contact with all the par cipants. Visi ng them during the month of July, 2011 was a unique experience. I wish all the par cipants success in their university careers. I know that all of them will reach Ph.D. studies in the near future. The funding of the Na onal Science Founda on was well invested in preparing the next genera on of scien sts from Puerto Rico. Juan F. Arra a, Ph.D. Execu ve Director 3
The University of Vermont, Burlington "This inves ga on has mo vated me more and it has invigorated me in terms of inves ga ng methods and the observa on they make here about the wide diversity of the animals opportunity 4
The University of Vermont University of Vermont Pre College Student Researchers Valerie Mejia Jennifer Patri Nicolle Rosa Melanie Cruz 10th Grade Melinda Vargas Working at the Ballif Lab showed me that there is a large world which s ll has many 5
University Corpora on for Atmospheric Research...I m leaving with a lot of It has been a great 6
University Corpora on for Atmospheric Research...I realized my genuine interest is con nuing studying science and math. UCAR Pre College Student Researchers We got a lot of compliments Joseph Colón 12th Grade Kevin Marrero 10th Grade Viviana Mas from scien sts about the quality of the work they did. - Rebecca Hacker Jennifer Rosa 12th Grade Natalie López 10th Grade Gilberto Jiménez 7
MIT Haystack Observatory My mentor is really helping me and teaching me a lot 8
MIT Haystack Observatory My inves ga on has been MIT Haystack Pre College Student Researchers Jenipher González Ediel Corujo 10th Grade Damaris Ramos Ramón Montalvo 10th Grade This summer experience has helped me be er define my future studies 9
Lawrence Livermore Na onal Laboratory Lawrence Livermore Pre College Student Researchers Nishmar Cestero Alex Sánchez 12th Grade 10
University of Vanderbilt University of Vanderbilt Pre College Student Researcher I have gained knowledge and hands on lab experience that is usually unobtainable during high school Sarah Matos 11
Lawrence Berkeley Na onal Laboratory 12
Lawrence Berkeley Na onal Laboratory We learned so much and had lots of fun, I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to go to a place so far away, work at a great lab, and meet such amazing people. Lawrence Berkeley Pre College Student Researchers Adriana Mejía 12th Grade Elvin Méndez 12th Grade Xavier Figueroa Ángel Andino Jorge Rosado 10th Grade 13
Pre College Student Researchers Name Grade School Angel Andino 11th Santa Gema School, Carolina Nishmar Cestero 11th Episcopal Cathedral School, San Juan Joseph Colón 12th Manuela Toro High School, Caguas Ediel Corujo 10th An lles Military Academy, Trujillo Alto Melanie Cruz 10th An lles Military Academy, Trujillo Alto Xavier E. Figueroa 11th Bap st Academy of Puerto Nuevo, San Juan Jenipher González 11th Bap st School of Caguas, Caguas Gilberto Jiménez 11th C.R.O.E.M., Mayagüez Natalie López 10th Academia Inmaculada Concepción, Mayagüez Valerie Mejía 10th Calasanz School, San Juan Kevin Marrero 10th San Benito School, Mayagüez Viviana Mas 11th Calasanz School, San Juan Sarah Matos 11th Barbara Ann Roessler Academy, San Juan Adriana Mejía 12th Episcopal Cathedral School, San Juan Élvin Méndez 12th José Aponte De La Torre High School, Carolina Ramón Montalvo 10th University Gardens High School, San Juan Jennifer Patri 11th Manuela Toro High School, Caguas Damarys Ramos 11th Barbara Ann Roessler Academy, San Juan Jennifer Rosa 12th Notre Dame Catholic School, Caguas Nicolle Rosa 11th Levi own Bap st Academy, Bayamón Jorge Rosado 10th An lles Military Academy, Trujillo Alto Álex Sánchez 12th Barbara Ann Roessler Academy, San Juan Melinda Vargas 12th San Antonio Abad School, Humacao 14
Acknowledgments The Execu ve Director would like to thank: University of Vermont Mentors: Dr. Declan McCabe, Dr. Eugene Delay, Dr. Bryan Ballif, Dr. Jim Vigoreaux (Coordinator) Chaperone: Ms. Yaina Hernaiz UCAR Mentors: Dr. James W. Elkins, Mr. Sco Landolt, Dr. Amy Solomon, Dr. Lyne e Laffea, Brandi McCarty, Christoph Senff, Dr. Pieter Tans Chaperone: Mr. Jean Carlos Rivera Program Coordinators: Dr. Rajul Pandya, Ms. Rebecca Hacker MIT Haystack Observatory Mentors: Dr. William Rideout, Dr. Larisa Goncharenko, Dr. Robert Schaefer, Dr. Shurong Zhang Program Coordinator: Dr. Phil Erickson Lawrence Livermore Na onal Laboratory Mentors: Dr. Laura Shulz, Dr. Michael Barne Chaperone and Program Coordinator: Mr. Anthony Baylis Vanderbilt University Mentor: Dr. Jay G. Forsythe Chaperone: Mr. Tomas Yan Melo Lawrence Berkeley Na onal Laboratory Mentors: Dr. Jason Hick, Dr. John Wu, Dr. Helen He, Dr. Shane Canon, Dr. David Bailey Chaperone: Mr. Alvin Peralta Coordinator: Dr. Juan Meza SRDC Staff AGMUS Ins tute of Mathema cs: Ms. Wanda Rodríguez CCCE: Mr. Luis Font SRCD: Dr. Gladys Bonilla, Ms. Zulma Irizarry, Ms. Thelma Graniela, Ms. Ive e Miranda Mr. Nicholas Natalizio Parents of all the pre college students 15
Funding provided by the Na onal Science Founda on (NSF) Grants DMS 0822404 & CNS 0940522 16