Rider chemistry department aids aspirations of underrepresented high school students

High school students from Mercer County gained first-hand knowledge this summer of the uses and benefits of a bachelor's degree in chemistry as fellows of the Project SEED program.

Rider has hosted fellows of the national Project SEED program since 1976. The national program provides $2,500 fellowships to economically disadvantaged students to participate in summer research at an academic, government or industrial laboratory, with an emphasis on career development in hopes of motivating students to pursue higher education in the natural sciences.

Project SEED fellows benefited this year from the participation of several alumni who earned degrees in chemistry from Rider. David Hoffman ’72 and David Storey ’02, accompanied by Jim Bruno ’73, coordinated a tour of the Hovione Pharmaceutical laboratories in East Windsor. Ken Kawalek ’70 shared the details of his career as director of the Central Crime Laboratory of the New Jersey State Police.

The fellows also visited ChemGlass Inc., the leading manufacturer of high-quality laboratory glassware and equipment for the global scientific community, and the national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Washington, D.C. At the meeting, Project SEED fellows created professional poster presentations about their summer research. They will be mentored by Dr. Jamie Ludwig, assistant professor of chemistry, throughout the academic year toward submitting their research in local STEM competitions.

Recognizing that Rider and the surrounding community would benefit from a program that actively recruits talented but underrepresented students to study chemistry, Dr. Bill McCarroll and Dr. John Sheats originally established the SEED program's presence on Rider's campus. Today, the program is under the direction of Ludwig and Dr. Danielle Jacobs, associate professor of chemistry.

Rider’s SEED program continues to address the achievement gap for Trenton, Hamilton and surrounding communities by providing financial and professional opportunities for mentorship within the Department of Chemistry. All participants in Project Seed are eligible for ACS college scholarships, to further support their pursuit of scientific careers.

"We invite all Rider alumni to support this important program," Jacobs says, "and we welcome suggestions for future programming and field visits."

To support Project SEED, or another chemistry department initiative, visit the Support Rider Chemistry Page.