Adventist Medical Center opens doors to COS to women interested in science

Cindy Quezada, who was awarded a L’Oreal USA for Women in Science (FWIS) fellowship in 2005 to pursue research in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, was one of four FWIS alumni to win a $2,500 Changing the Face of STEM Mentoring Grant offered by L'Oréal USA.

The newly established grant program was designed to support former FWIS fellows in their efforts to inspire the next generation of women in STEM. Quezada is using the funding to launch a summer internship program for young women in partnership with Adventist Health, the Student Undergraduate Research Group Experience (SURGE) at COS and the Bravo Lake Botanical Garden in Woodlake, Calif.

 “I graduated with a major in science, but I didn’t fully realize how many career paths I could follow in this field,” says Quezada. “This program is my chance to expose young women to the different career choices in science, especially those that can help solve some of the global challenges we are currently facing, such as infectious disease or water scarcity.”

From June 6 through Aug. 5, SURGE students will each spend one week in both the clinical and microbiology labs at Community Care – Hanford and Adventist Medical Center – Selma for a total of 40 lab hours. During this time, they will learn about the science behind the clinical laboratory profession as well as complete a small science project that they will present at a poster symposium in Visalia on August 12.     

“Cindy’s project exemplifies the purpose of the Changing the Face of STEM Mentoring Grant,” says Lauren Paige, Vice President of Public Affairs & Strategic Initiatives at L’Oréal USA. “We applaud her initiative to create this program, giving students an opportunity to interact directly with scientists and experience first-hand the possibilities available to them.”

To learn more about the SURGE program at COS, please call Duane Goodwin at 559-737-6136.

 To learn more about the internship program at Adventist Health, please call Nina Cano, Lab Site Manager, at 559-537-1370, Ext. 24116.

For more information about L’Oréal USA’s for Women in Science program, please contact Lauren Riezman at 212-885-1225 or lriezman@us.loreal.com.