Sam Houston State University hosted the third annual Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site in Genome Science and Computational Biology (REU) program, an initiative funded by a National Science Foundation grant. The program brought together 10 students from across the country and their research projects, three of which attend SHSU.
Director of the REU program, Madhusudan Choudary, said, “We have really expanded from the first year to gradually encompassing bigdata science and machine learning and how to apply that in the various biological research including identification of species.” He said, “One of our goals is to increase opportunities for women and minorities and to encourage them to go towards higher education.”
Eight of the 10 students chosen are women and at least half of the participants since the program’s inception have been minorities or first-generation students. Students spent 10 weeks on the research with mentors and, sometimes, co-mentors. They displayed their projects in the Lee Drain Building’s atrium July 27 in the presence of undergraduate students, faculty members and parents.
The diverse range of projects combined biology and computer science research. Faculty members came together from multiple departments to mentor the students. Sophomore and junior undergraduate students from minority institutions or institutions with limited research activity were eligible to apply.
The three SHSU students chosen to participate included Ashleigh Ogg, Megan Hicks and Oyinoluwa Bola. Ogg and Bola will be seniors beginning in the fall semester and Hicks will be a junior.
