Diving into Science: STEM Scholars in Sicily

How might a university encourage students, especially those from underrepresented groups, to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics? The STEM Scholar Program at the TCU College of Science & Engineering tackles this question by providing academic support and enrichment opportunities to a select cohort of students. As part of this award-winning program, students participate in an education abroad experience that explores various STEM fields in a global setting.

Last summer, TCU STEM Scholars travelled to Syracuse, Sicily for two weeks, under the direction of TCU staff Zoranna Jones and Michelle Clark. The program was organized in three modules, each concerning a different scientific discipline with close connections to the island: sustainable agriculture, volcanology, and marine ecology.

Marine ecology played a particularly big part in the program, as just off the harbor of Syracuse is the Plemmirio Marine Protected Area, which hosts a wide range of biodiversity. To learn more about local marine flora and fauna, students visited the laboratories of the Plemmirium Consortium, which carries out biological research in the area and contributes to the preservation of marine life. During the visit, the group heard about the many initiatives of the Consortium and observed first-hand some of the local marine life in the Consortium’s touch pool. Students were then able to recreate the experience of an underwater dive through the use of VR visors.

While virtual reality makes diving accessible to all, students also participated in an on-site lecture with Marecamp, a local NGO devoted to the study and preservation of marine mammals in eastern Sicily. While aboard the Marecamp boat, the group learned about observing marine life in the field and ethical data collection and sampling. The highlight of the experience was an encounter with several dolphins, followed by a short lecture on identifying the different species that live in the area.

Through a combination of classwork and learning activities in the field, students in the program explored several areas of scientific research that are deeply connected to the geography of eastern Sicily. These future scientists learned how STEM disciplines affect environments and human realities outside the United States, putting their studies in a global perspective.

Accent partners with U.S. colleges and universities to provide fully customized support for faculty-directed summer programs, thanks to its extensive local network of speakers, institutions, and experts. Experiential learning activities often include guest lectures, workshops, and study tours to locations of academic relevance.