Summer Ventures brings 50 high school students to ECU for STEM immersion

two female students work on building a small yellow house model — Students in Construction Engineering were able to build model homes as part of the course.

This summer, East Carolina University’s College of Education hosted Summer Ventures for 50 high school juniors and seniors from across North Carolina.

Summer Ventures is a free, state-funded program for academically talented N.C. students who are seeking careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ECU is one of four universities in the state who participate in the program.

Students were able to participate in one of five courses:

DNA Fingerprinting with Dr. Eric Anderson, teaching assistant professor in biology
Neuroscience with Dr. Tuan Tran, associate professor in neuroscience
Forensic Anthropology with Dr. Christopher Wolfe, assistant professor in anthropology
Construction Engineering with Dr. Carol Massarra and Dr. Tianjao Zhao, assistant professors in construction management
Discrete Mathematics with Dr. Susan Mattingly from J.H. Rose High School

The program lasted for four weeks, with the first week being virtual. For six days every week, they participated in the course, conducting research selected by each of their interest levels. A few of the research projects conducted this summer included:

Comparison of Seismic Base Isolation Models for Corrugated Fiberboard Structures
Analysis of Porotic Hyperostosis Prevalence Across Three Ancestry Groups Between Modern and Pre-Modern Periods
Using Markov Chains and Statistical Analysis to Model Intentional Fouling Situations in NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball
Exiguobacterium Degradation Effects on Expanded Polystyrene when Catalyzed with Enzymes

In addition to their coursework, students had visits from the ECU Honors College, a medical student in the Brody School of Medicine, NFL player Cornell Powell and a dental student from the ECU Dental School. They also experienced some of what Greenville and eastern North Carolina have to offer by attending a Down East Bird Dawgs game in Kinston’s Grainger Stadium and spending an afternoon in Wildwood Park kayaking, SUP boarding and pedal boating.