Jennifer Le

CNAS Student Spotlight: Jennifer Le

ilseu — Thu, 21 May 2020 21:15:22 +0000

CNAS Student Spotlight: Jennifer Le ilseu Thu, 05/21/2020 - 14:15 More Blog Posts CNAS Communications Staff September 03, 2020

Name: Jennifer Le
Major: Biochemistry
Hometown: Westminster, CA

Describe your research experience at UCR
I would say my research experience at UCR has been unexpected, but incredible. When I came to UCR, I thought I wanted to go to medical school, but after taking the Dynamic Genome class, I realized how much I loved research. Since working in Dr. Jernej Murn’s research lab, I’ve slowly developed the confidence and skills to be an independent researcher. Modifying and overcoming failed experiments cultivated my tenacity and I’ve learned to be more self-reliant from optimizing these experiments by reading articles in my field. For me, working in a research lab is empowering because I am overcoming challenges with the goal of creating new knowledge.

You recently were awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. As one of the most prestigious and competitive awards in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematic fields, or STEM, what does receiving this award mean to you?
For someone who was told growing that being a scientist would be difficult and that there weren’t many women professors, receiving the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship was a significant event in my career that affirmed I was capable of being a researcher. Applying to the Goldwater Scholarship was the most intensive experience I’ve had thus far because I was challenged to think critically about my future goals and why I wanted to be a researcher. It was even difficult to explain why I liked biochemistry. When I finally submitted my application, I gained a better understanding of my ambitions, skills, and how to write a strong research proposal. I think the application process is valuable in and of itself, but receiving the scholarship felt like a testament to my potential as a researcher.

You are also the recipient of the Donald A. Strauss Public Service Scholarship for a project seeking to close the gender gap in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, or STEM. Can you describe your project and what do you hope to accomplish?
I founded Queens of STEAM with the goal of addressing the underrepresentation of women in science. I lead a team of volunteers to mentor high school students every other week in after-school sessions. We aim to foster critical thinking skills by guiding the students to formulate and conduct their own experiments. Every month, we focus on an experiment that was developed with female UCR faculty to showcase their research to the students. My program also provides a community of female mentors that cultivate confidence and leadership skills in the students.

What are your plans after you graduate from UCR?
I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical science to investigate the pathogenesis of diseases at the genetic level. My long-term goal is to secure a faculty position at the university level to conduct independent research and to mentor future generations of researchers, in particular, women in science.

How has your experience as a CNAS student at UCR helped accomplish your goals?
Compared to my previous experiences, I feel that UCR has a strong collaborative environment and genuinely wants to see its students succeed. I have searched and found support from my lab, classmates, and faculty. Having this support was something that encouraged me to overcome my fear of failure and strive to reach my goals. I strongly feel that I would have a harder time replicating my unique support network at any other university. Additionally, UCR has a strong emphasis on recruiting students into research labs early on. My interest in research was piqued by Dynamic Genome, and I was motivated to join a lab one quarter afterwards to apply to the RISE Summer Research Fellowship. If I didn’t have these incentives during my freshman year, it may have taken me longer to find the interest or encouragement to join a research lab.

Jennifer Le

UCR CNAS student awarded scholarship for program offering mentorship to female students

ilseu — Thu, 21 May 2020 18:04:08 +0000

UCR CNAS student awarded scholarship for program offering mentorship to female students ilseu Thu, 05/21/2020 - 11:04 More College News Imran Ghori | Inside UCR May 20, 2020

UC Riverside student Jennifer Le is one of 14 recipients of the Donald A. Strauss Public Service Scholarship for a project seeking to close the gender gap in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, or STEM.

Jennifer Le

The Donald A. Strauss Public Service Scholarship Foundation provides $15,000 scholarships to college sophomores and juniors to fund public service projects they proposed. This year’s recipients were announced on Monday, May 18.

Le, a junior studying biochemistry, submitted a proposal to work with female faculty members and students at UCR to create a mentorship program for Riverside County high school students this fall. The one-year program would help build confidence for female students pursuing STEM careers through weekly mentoring sessions.

The students would focus on different topics every month, design their own hypothesis and experiments, and be encouraged to serve as peer mentors for the next group of students after completing the program.

“I’m very humbled to have the opportunity to start a program that addresses an issue I feel passionately about,” Le said.

Le was also recently awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and is a UCR Chancellor’s Research Fellow. The 20-year-old plans to pursue a doctorate in biomedical science with the goal of becoming a professor, mentoring students, and conducting research.

The Strauss scholarship is named for a former Newport Beach mayor and school board member who was a supporter of public service and education. It was created in 1997, two years after his death, and has awarded more than 300 scholarships.

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Biochemistry student wins Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship

ilseu — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 02:50:06 +0000

Biochemistry student wins Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship ilseu Wed, 04/08/2020 - 19:50 More College News Imran Ghori | Inside UCR April 06, 2020

UC Riverside student Jennifer Le is among about 400 college students across the nation to be awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious and competitive awards in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematic fields, or STEM.

From a pool of over 5,000 sophomores and juniors, 1,343 students were nominated by 461 academic institutions to compete for the 2020 Goldwater scholarships, ultimately awarded to 396 recipients. Each scholarship comes with a one-time award of up to $7,500.

Jennifer Le

The nomination letter described her as demonstrating exceptional potential and said she “is on an excellent trajectory to becoming a leading independent investigator.”

Le is also a UCR Chancellor’s Research Fellow. The 20-year-old junior plans to pursue a doctorate in biomedical science with the goal of becoming a professor, mentoring students and conducting research.

She chose to study biochemistry because of the way it connects different areas of science.

“In high school, I remember being excited about it because it explained the complexity of seemingly trivial occurrences and the importance of these occurrences,” Le said.

While maintaining a 3.9 GPA, she’s been a researcher for Jernej Murn, an assistant professor of biochemistry, in his biochemistry lab, and launched a program at Moreno Valley High School mentoring girls pursuing STEM studies.

“I wanted to ensure that other females had the same opportunities as I did, but at an earlier age so that they may feel more confident in their abilities and have a stronger sense of direction for their careers,” said Le, a first generation American whose parents immigrated from Vietnam.

She said the Goldwater scholarship will help alleviate some of the financial burden and allow her to spend more time on her studies.

Read the original article on Inside UCR:

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