WYOMISSING, Pa. — Eight Penn State Berks Leveraging Innovation and Optimizing Nurturing (LION) STEM Scholars were selected from thousands of applicants to attend the 2024 S-STEM Scholars and Principal Investigators Meeting from Nov. 8 to 10 in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting was co-hosted by the National Science Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Selected Berks LION STEM Scholars included third-year students Mark Longenberger and Warren Reinhart, both mechanical engineering majors; Gabriel Regalado-Moya, computer engineering; and Emmerson Velazques, electrical engineering. Regalado-Moya and Velazques began their degrees at Berks and are completing their degrees at University Park. Second-year students included Amar Alford, computer science; Alexander Maldonado, industrial engineering; Carlos Nunez-Fabian, computer engineering; and Giovannie Perez, aerospace.
Ryan Hassler, teaching professor of mathematics and principal investigator on the Penn State Berks S-STEM grant, attended the meeting as a mentor for the group and presented a poster titled ‘Sprouting research from day 1 at Penn State Berks’ with co-authors and Berks faculty members Rungun Nathan and Marietta Scanlon. In addition, Hassler served on a panel of speakers titled ‘Cultivating and maintaining partnerships in S-STEM’ organized by the NSF S-STEM Research HUB at Virginia Tech University.
“I was honored to accompany these talented S-STEM Scholars to the national meeting in Chicago. This meeting cultivated a supportive and inclusive environment for more than 1,000 S-STEM students from across the country,” Hassler said. "We are incredibly proud of our outstanding Penn State Berks engineering students who were chosen to participate in this prestigious event. Their dedication to professional development and eagerness to network shone through during the workshops, demonstrating their commitment to future success. The S-STEM community is a powerful force, positively impacting the lives of countless students and proving its vital role in shaping a new narrative for STEM education.”
The 2024 S-STEM Scholars Meeting included information sessions, professional development workshops, and guidance on topics such as internships, summer research programs, graduate school preparation, resume preparation and career planning. Scholars participated in targeted activities to connect with other scholars in similar STEM disciplines, education levels, regions, research areas and career pathways. Scholars also had the opportunity to connect with representatives across multiple industry sectors at the conference career fair.
Nunez-Fabian of Reading, Pennsylvania, commented, “Being selected to attend this conference was truly a blessing. It gave me the chance to connect with like-minded students who are pursuing similar fields within STEM. It was inspiring to network with peers who share my academic interests, and I also discovered a wealth of resources that will help enhance my academic journey.”
“One of the highlights of the conference was meeting a particular group of students who introduced me to a new perspective on research," Nunez-Fabian said. "They demonstrated that research doesn't have to be a one-way street, and their insights sparked my own interest in exploring this further. Hearing about how they’ve applied their research to future projects has inspired me to think more creatively about how I can apply my studies in meaningful ways.”
Reinhart added, “The S-STEM conference has provided me with a unique opportunity to connect with a community of individuals who share a passion for STEM. Being selected to attend the S-STEM conference in Chicago got me excited to continue learning, growing and contributing to the STEM field.”
About Penn State Berks LION STEM Scholars
Penn State Berks received a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program in January 2022. The grant was used to create the LION STEM Scholars Program, which provides support in the form of a four-year, renewable $6,250 scholarship to talented engineering students with demonstrated financial need. Students who meet the requirements will receive $25,000 over four years. In addition to scholarship funds, students also will receive academic support, mentoring and professional development through the LION STEM Scholars Program.
A cohort of students will be enrolled in the program each year for three years, for a total of 18 scholars over the program period. For more information on the LION STEM Scholars Program, contact Hassler at 610-396-6127 or via email at RSH14@psu.edu.