BEARS Program Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Workforce

BEARS Program Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Workforce

By Emmi van Zoest

Symphony Rutkowski participated for two years in BEARS, a program for undergraduate students who are interested in bioengineering and biomedical research. Photo by Kirra Robusto

Having the first name Symphony, a career in music might seem predestined. You might expect them to be participating in an orchestra or entertaining large crowds when learning of their name.

However, for Symphony Rutkowski, a junior biological sciences major at Cal State San Marcos, the name was more of a spontaneous decision.

"My mom always tells me she was just driving and thought, 'What about the name Symphony?' " Rutkowski said.

Despite her name's connection to the arts, Rutkowski is fully invested in her scientific strengths. She was accepted to Cal State San Marcos'BEARS program, which stands for Building Early Awareness and Research in Science, during her freshman year and participated for the two-year duration offered.

BEARS, the school's first bioengineering training program, is in its second year and co-directed by biology professors Tracey Brown and Carlos Luna Lopez. It is a scholarship-based program that is federally funded by the ESTEEMED (Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Educations Diversity) program at the National Institutes of Health.

The program selects a cohort of first-year undergraduate students who are interested in bioengineering and biomedical research. Each cohort of students completes a two-year paid program that has activities and research at CSUSM and UCSD. Students participate in the program from the summer before starting at CSUSM through the summer after their second academic year. The goal of the program is to enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce.

During their first academic year, students are connected with faculty and advanced students to learn about campus research projects. During that summer, they will do an extended group research project with their cohort to help introduce them to bioengineering research. The summer after their second academic year, they join a professor at CSUSM or UCSD for an individual research opportunity. During the final summer, students are paid $2,000 to conduct their own research projects with faculty from CSUSM or UCSD and present in the CSUSM Summer Poster Showcase.

"We did a lot in the program," Rutkowski said. "Usually every week, we dedicated a certain amount of time to learn some kind of practical techniques and applications in the lab that you might see.

"We did fluorescent imaging of breast cells and we gained familiarity with techniques such as pipetting. We also did welding, which was something I'd never experienced before."

Students also attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists. While attending the conference, students get to hear presentations from a variety of other students and professionals in the field.

"The conference essentially gave me a lot of exposure to what you should be seeing as a scientist," Rutkowski said. "Overall, I would say it was a very good experience to see what a scientist can become and the introduction to it."

Exposure and opening opportunities are top priorities for the BEARS program.

"It definitely gears you toward getting into another program, especially if you have ambitions of a master's or a Ph.D." said Rutkowski, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation. "It sets you up for that trajectory, just getting to know the people in the CTREE(Center for Training, Research, and Educational Excellence) community that was like my gateway."

Following her involvement in the BEARS program, Rutkowski is a part of the U-RISE, which is intended to prepare talented and motivated minority undergraduate students majoring in the sciences to enter and succeed in doctoral studies.

"I'm very grateful for the opportunity and the community itself," Rutkowski said, "Everyone is extremely supportive. All of the coordinators, Dr. Luna and Dr. Brown, are very open to talk to you and get you the help and support you need as are the people I met there. So you start to develop friendships with these people and you see them in your classes. There's people I still talk to from that cohort."

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