Jan 21, 2016 | No Comments | By Sarah Preis
We are pleased to announce that the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute was selected as 2016-2017 Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (REAP) site by the Army Educational Outreach Program. REAP is a summer STEM program that places talented high school students from groups historically under-represented and underserved in research apprenticeships at area colleges and universities. REAP apprentices work on a hands-on research project under the direct supervision of a mentor, exposing them to the real world of research and allowing them to gain valuable mentorship and learn about education and career opportunities in STEM. A total of 41 universities across the United States were selected.
Dr. Kavan Hazeli, HEMI Postdoctoral Fellow, and Dr. Victor Nakano, Executive Program Director for HEMI, will mentor the selected apprentices.
“REAP provides an excellent opportunity to expose a high school apprentice to the research we are conducting for the Army on protection materials through our Center for Materials in Extreme Dynamic Environments (CMEDE),” states Nakano. “Additionally, we are looking forward to working with Ms. Christine Newman and the Center for Education Outreach to leverage their relationships with local Baltimore area high schools in promoting this program.”
Dr. Hazeli is excited to teach students from local Baltimore city high schools and inspire them to pursue educational opportunities and jobs in STEM fields. “At HEMI, we have access to cutting-edge equipment and facilities that will give students the chance to observe how researchers use their discoveries and apply them to real-world problems. We are currently working on number of exciting projects to design new materials with specific behaviors and functions for wide range of applications such as high-performance aerospace materials, sporting goods, biomaterials and protective materials.”
About 120 students participate in REAP nationwide each year, with approximately 90% pursing STEM studies at the post-secondary level. REAP apprentices are selected through a competitive application process which can be found at: http://www.usaeop.com/program/reap/.
From left: Dr. Victor Nakano, Executive Program Director for HEMI and Dr. Kavan Hazeli, HEMI Postdoctoral Fellow will mentor students participating in the REAP program this summer.
