Ph.D. students Boegehold and Hunt on HHMI grant to University of Puerto Rico

Darrin Hunt and Anna Boegehold, Ph.D. students in the laboratory of Dr. Donna Kashian, will be attending the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus (UPR-M) this summer as part of a cross-cultural exchange program. They will be the second set of students from the department to participate in this program, entitled Undergraduate Science Education 2012.

The three-year program is funded by an Undergraduate Science Education grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and is designed to expose young scientists to Latin culture through interaction with local undergraduates interested in ecology.

Hunt and Boegehold will host a workshop on urban ecology for UPR-M students - mainly undergraduates -to familiarize them with American culture, science and urban environmental issues.

Through the interactions generated by the programs and its workshops, the grant strives to foster increased awareness of the social and cultural experiences of Hispanic students and to foster greater interest, opportunities, and ultimate success for these students in the United States.

Donna Kashian, Wayne State associate professor of biological sciences, serves as adviser to the WSU students who will visit UPR-M. "My ultimate goal is to recruit some great Puerto Rican students here to WSU, and provide WSU students with a unique learning experience," she said.