At a time of day when many other undergraduates would have just been waking up, a select few were starting their day in mid-summer as part of the Chicago Initiative for Research and Recruitment in Undergraduate Science (CIRRUS) Program.

Students stifled yawns as they shuffled into the conference center of the Conservation Center and Animal Hospital at the Lincoln Park Zoo. When all the chairs were filled, some students began to sit on countertops or on the floor.  Megan Ross, vice president of Animal Care and Seth Magle, director of the Urban Wildlife Institute, knew how to get their attention. Magle’s presentation on “Urban Wildlife Biodiversity Monitoring,” chronicled the wildlife of the Chicago area through colorful photos of the most commonly found animals.

The 29 students along with Program Coordinator Rhonda Harley and DePaul CIRRUS team leader and faculty member James Montgomery started their field trip learning about a variety of research done at the zoo. Afterward, students took a tour of the zoo’s new Nature Boardwalk, learning how the staff monitors the animal activity in the area. By lunch, students had already expressed interest in interning at the zoo.

Preparing the scientists of the future
Creating an interest in science and mathematics is what the program is about. The CIRRUS program was created thanks to a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent program. “The research we fund is thoroughly integrated with education to help ensure that there will always be plenty of skilled people available to work in new and emerging scientific, engineering and technological fields, and plenty of capable teachers to educate the next generation,” states the NSF.

The grant was awarded as a partnership between DePaul University, Truman College and Harold Washington College. Over the past five years, the program has grown significantly. This summer the program received 100 applications but was only able to accept 29. Of those students accepted, 15 are from DePaul, 10 are from the partner schools and four are student assistants, also from DePaul. 

The CIRRUS summer program is designed to introduce students with an interest in science and mathematics to hands-on scientific research guided by faculty. Students are divided into faculty-led groups, depending on their interests. Students give weekly presentations and present their research posters at a final symposium, which faculty, staff and CIRRUS alumni are invited to attend. They are also given a stipend and the opportunity to live in Seton Hall with their fellow participants.

“The opportunity to live on campus creates a community of scholars and peer support,” Harley says. She also pointed out that this support can be just as valuable to the students as the lab work itself, because students without peer support are more likely to switch to non-STEM majors.

Keeps students connected
One way the CIRRUS program maintains interest during the academic year is by offering programs that allow the students to stay connected. The following summer, students have an opportunity to apply for funding, through CIRRUS, to do a research-focused internship geared toward their interests and academic discipline.

“I wanted to feel more comfortable in the lab,” says Darcy Velazquez, a sophomore at DePaul. Other students cited similar reasons for why they became interested in CIRRUS. For the partner school students, it’s a chance to learn about DePaul. Both Harley and Montgomery expressed their hope that CIRRUS students attending two-year colleges will transfer to DePaul. 

The CIRRUS program’s original award dates were September 2007 to August 2012. While the average NSF award grant lasts three years, the CIRRUS program was also awarded a no-cost extension until August 2013. Harley said it is hoped that the program will be institutionalized so that it can continue to be offered to future DePaul students.

At lunch, the students spoke about what they hoped to achieve from the CIRRUS program. One student, Belinda Dagaas of Harold Washington College, talked about her future career path in the sciences. “Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it,” she says.

See more photos from this story here.

reating an interest in science and mathematics is what the program is about. The CIRRUS program was created thanks to a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent program. “The research we fund is thoroughly integrated with education to help ensure that there will always be plenty of skilled people available to work in new and emerging scientific, engineering and technological fields, and plenty of capable teachers to educate the next generation,” states the NSF.

The grant was awarded as a partnership between DePaul University, Truman College and Harold Washington College. Over the past five years, the program has grown significantly. This summer the program received 100 applications but was only able to accept 29. Of those students accepted, 15 are from DePaul, 10 are from the partner schools and four are student assistants, also from DePaul. 

The CIRRUS summer program is designed to introduce students with an interest in science and mathematics to hands-on scientific research guided by faculty. Students are divided into faculty-led groups, depending on their interests. Students give weekly presentations and present their research posters at a final symposium, which faculty, staff and CIRRUS alumni are invited to attend. They are also given a stipend and the opportunity to live in Seton Hall with their fellow participants.

“The opportunity to live on campus creates a community of scholars and peer support,” Harley says. She also pointed out that this support can be just as valuable to the students as the lab work itself, because students without peer support are more likely to switch to non-STEM majors.

“I wanted to feel more comfortable in the lab,” says Darcy Velazquez, a sophomore at DePaul. Other students cited similar reasons for why they became interested in CIRRUS. For the partner school students, it’s a chance to learn about DePaul. Both Harley and Montgomery expressed their hope that CIRRUS students attending two-year colleges will transfer to DePaul. 

The CIRRUS program’s original award dates were September 2007 to August 2012. While the average NSF award grant lasts three years, the CIRRUS program was also awarded a no-cost extension until August 2013. Harley said it is hoped that the program will be institutionalized so that it can continue to be offered to future DePaul students.

At lunch, the students spoke about what they hoped to achieve from the CIRRUS program. One student, Belinda Dagaas of Harold Washington College, talked about her future career path in the sciences. “Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it,” she says.

See more photos from this story here.