Rider University's Shirley He Participates in Freshman Science Honors Program

2012 Feb 9

Shirley He, '15, of Princeton Junction, NJ, a Biochemistry major, was one of the nine Rider University freshman who began independent research this semester as part of the Freshman Science Honors program.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Bruce Burnham, associate professor of Chemistry, He is investigating the chemical synthesis of nucleoside analogs as potential antiviral or anticancer agents. He will be finding synthetic routes that will allow for the positioning of functional groups on the molecule for structure-activity relationship studies.

As part of the Freshman Science Honors Program, qualified incoming freshmen are invited to start independent research during the second semester of their first year. Students are selected based on their high school GPA (3.5 or higher) and SAT Math scores (600 or better). Participating students are paired with faculty mentors representing a range of scientific disciplines. The opportunity affords students a chance to gain hands-on experience and continue research through their senior year.

Dr. Kelly Bidle, coordinator of the Freshman Science Honors program and professor of Biology, said the honors program began in the Biology department about eight years ago and has expanded to include students majoring in most of the science programs offered at Rider.

"The opportunity to start in the lab so early in your undergraduate career is virtually unheard of at most large research institutions," Bidle said. "We, as faculty, are really vested in our research. The honors program is a win-win for faculty and students. Students get research experience. We get a set of extra hands."

In fact, Rider's science faculty members have received about $1 million in active research grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation in the areas of immunology, developmental biology, neuroscience, environmental microbiology, and major research instrumentation. As a result, Rider science majors working in these research labs have had the opportunity to co-author research papers and present at national and international levels.

The majority of alumni of the Freshman Science Honors Program have continued their education by enrolling in master's and doctoral degree programs. In the last few years, graduates have been accepted to such schools as the University of California San Francisco, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Delaware and Rutgers University.