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About ISA
The Iowa Sciences Academy is home to a range of programs that support the success of undergraduate students interested in research and scientific communication. Through ISA programs, students have access to hands-on research, professional development, and scientific outreach opportunities.
Iowa Sciences Academy Staff
169 Biology Building
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1324
319-335-0724
ui-isa@uiowa.edu | | | | MARC News Five ISA students traveled to Portland, Oregon in October for the 2023 National Diversity in STEM (NDISTEM) Conference. MARC students Elizabeth Barroso, Cole Belcher, William Dong, Bethie Walker, and Science Alliance Intern Seren Castellano attended and presented research posters at the conference.
Highlights from the conference the students shared include creating new connections with students and faculty from other schools and learning about different future paths and graduate programs. Networking was another experience several students cited as being especially helpful.
Reach out to any of the students who attended the conference to learn about their experience and their research poster presentations. Learn more about SACNAS.
The Iowa Sciences Academy is accepting new applications for MARC for the 2024-2025 Academic Year. Submit your application by February 1st, 2024 via the ISA Portal. Applicants should be current Sophomores or Juniors, have a GPA of 3.0, hold a position in a research lab, be enrolled in a biomedical sciences major, be a US Citizen, and committed to pursuing a PhD in research science. Please see more about the MARC program on the ISA website. | | | Science Alliance - Spotlight Seren Castellano, a Science Alliance intern, recently attended the SACNAS Conference in October. Here is more about Seren, her research experience, and her current project. "Research has been an important, fundamental part of my time at the University of Iowa. Within my research in the Neiman Lab in the Department of Biology, I have worked on various projects with New Zealand freshwater snails as our model organism to answer ecological and evolutionary questions. From measuring snail growth to conducting genetic sequencing to better understand the transition from asexual reproduction. My current project is analyzing quiescence in a separate species of snail from New Zealand found in estuaries and how they differ in comparison to freshwater snails and the underlying process of sleep. I also do research in the Biological Anthropology Lab in the Anthropology Department where I use computational techniques to answer questions on the evolution of polyomaviridae, a family of viruses found in a variety of organism, including humans. Overall, I love exploring a variety of topics and hope to use all the knowledge I acquire at Iowa to my future career in research."
Science Alliance will be recruiting for more student interns in the spring for positions starting in the fall semester of 2024. Check out the ISA website in the spring! | | | | Latham Fellows Program The Latham Fellows Program welcomes sixteen fellows into its ninth year of operation. Students selected for the Latham Fellows Program commit to completing a two-semester course series in science communication skill development (LATH:3000 offered in the Fall) and outreach project implementation (LATH:3001 offered in the Spring). Students receive a $500 fellowship award for completion of the program and funds to support project implementation costs.
This fall, the Latham Fellow cohort consists of sophomore, junior, and senior-level students in majors ranging from Human Physiology, Biology, Biomedical Science, Neuroscience, Anthropology, Linguistics, Psychology, to Physics, Astronomy, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Science Education, and Environmental Sciences. Students spend time in class each week brainstorming ideas, conducting research on project ideas, and developing a plan for implementation of an individual and group science outreach project. Two major assignments all students complete are a written profile piece on someone connected to science or science communication as well as an original science podcast produced by the student.
A preview of student science outreach projects to be implemented in the spring semester will include the development of children's books and games, lesson plans, blogs, podcasts, and pamphlets designed to communicate science to audiences of various ages and demographics. | | | LSAMP - Student Spotlight LSAMP, or the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, is a program funded by the National Science Foundation and is geared towards increasing diversity in STEM fields. LSAMP interns receive a stipend for participating in mentored lab research and professional development activities.
Jacques Bugumba, a current LSAMP student in Biomedical Engineering, recently presented his research at a regional conference:
"I attended the Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence (LMSRCE) Annual Conference that was held in Oak Brook, Illinois in November. I presented a poster on the 3D MRI visualization of the vocal tract during human phonation. I was able to introduce the promising technique of the MRI Zero-Echo Time (ZTE), known as a future technique in MRI development. This was an excellent experience where I was able to receive positive feedback on my work, network with other scholars from different institutions across the country, and attend workshops. I came back fully loaded and bombarded with pieces of information. I'd like to express my gratitude to the LSAMP program, the Iowa Sciences Academy, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa for their support towards my career goals. I am also appreciative of having a great mentor, Dr. Lingala, for offering me this opportunity to complete this research. I look forward to using all the knowledge I acquired from this conference to hone my career goals." | | | | Mentor Highlight - Blumberg Lab The Blumberg Sleep and Behavioral Development Lab is dedicated to exploring the significance of sleep in early development. Researchers in the lab investigate the key aspects of sleep that make it crucial for early development. They conduct studies involving both baby rats and human infants. Notably, the Blumberg Lab has played a pivotal role in mentoring over 100 undergraduate students. Twelve students have received their doctorates as well.
Dr. Mark Blumberg heads the Sleep and Behavioral Development Lab and is also chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. He underlines the importance of one-on-one interactions with students and also places a strong emphasis on the value for students of establishing meaningful connections with professors and mentors. According to Dr. Blumberg, such relationships lay a solid foundation for students' careers, providing them with insights into their experiences and skills. He also specifically notes the critical importance of personalized and compelling letters of recommendation from a mentor for a student's success. Dr. Blumberg recognizes the dual benefits derived from these mentoring experiences, acknowledging the positive impact they have also had on him as a mentor, teacher, and scientist. Dr. Blumberg is currently mentoring ISA MARC student Alexia Lynn.
Greta Sokoloff, PhD, was a graduate student mentee in Dr. Blumberg's lab and has returned to the lab as a Research Scientist and mentor in the Sleep and Behavioral Development Lab. In her time as a mentor, Dr. Sokoloff has embraced the nature of one-on-one teaching as a way to become more involved with students in an experiential setting; she says that she appreciates the opportunity to "watch them grow from novices to become thoughtful professionals who are eager to learn." | | | Events The Iowa Sciences Academy hosted a Friendsgiving on November 15th. The night was filled with trivia, bingo, great food, and great friends. Thanks to all who were in attendance.
Additionally, the Office of Undergraduate Research's Fall Undergraduate Research Festival (FURF) took place on November 8th with nine ISA students presenting their posters. FURF is held in celebration and recognition of undergraduate researchers' contributions to research, scholarly, and creative work at the University of Iowa. Learn more about Undergraduate Research Festivals here.
On December 2nd, eleven students (MARC, Latham, and LSAMP) presented at the annual ISA Scholar Symposium. This in-person event involved each student presenting about their research project for five minutes followed by five minutes for questions. Around 50 people in total attended the event, and the students did a great job on their presentations.
The Science Coalition is offering a Fund It Forward Student Video Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to have graduate and undergraduate students tell Congress why science matters to them while highlighting federally funded research.
Iowa Sciences Academy student Josie Mbaye, a student in the Latham Science Communication class, has submitted a video to the Student Video Challenge. Watch it here!
The next event coming up for all ISA students is the Winter Retreat on January 20 from 10:00 - 12:00 in 2520D UCC. The event will feature a presentation by Ebonee Johnson, PhD, from the College of Public Health. The topic will be on science and social justice. | | | |
