Fermilab has received funding from the Department of Energy Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists for a new year-long program to increase the diversity of undergraduate students applying to its Community College Internship and Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship, and more broadly to internships in STEM fields.
The Fermi Explorers program starts up this fall. Fermilab staff will work with promising college-level students in demographic groups underrepresented in STEM who, with training and professional development, would be good future candidates for internships supported by the DOE WDTS Office.
Harold Washington College students discuss the Community College Internship with Fermilab representatives. Photo courtesy of Cara Brown
In the program, the laboratory professionals will be trained in science communication and diversity and inclusion strategies. After a period of student recruitment, they will host skill development workshops for the undergraduates and familiarize them with STEM internships available to them. Students will participate in “upskilling” activities, such as software development, hardware construction and data science, improving their confidence and illustrating research areas available at Fermilab. They will also shadow laboratory staff.
By leveraging the world-class expertise at Fermilab and its proximity to a number of Chicagoland communities underrepresented in STEM, Fermi Explorers will build a bridge between America’s premier particle physics laboratory and local communities.
Recommended reading
Ana Martina Botti receives 2024 URA Honorary Tollestrup Award for Postdoctoral Research
Ana Martina Botti’s work as a postdoctoral researcher has helped pave the way for more sensitive dark matter searches using skipper CCDs. For this important contribution, Botti was presented the 2024 URA Honorary Tollestrup Award for Postdoctoral Research.
Fermilab’s Anna Grassellino receives prestigious Marisa Bellisario Award
The Italian Marisa Bellisario Award was presented to Anna Grassellino, an Italian and American scientist with Fermilab who was recognized in the international category for her scientific work and leadership.
Inventors, creators and entrepreneurs honored at 2024 Inventor Recognition Ceremony
Fermilab’s 2024 Inventor Recognition Ceremony celebrated patents and ideas from Fermilab employees with notable guests. In 2023, 12 new patents were issued with 16 inventors associated with those patents working at Fermilab.