The annual Health Science & Technology Academy (HSTA) Summer Institute conducted by Marshall University will take place July 14-19 on MU’s Huntington campus.
This is the 20th year of summer institutes for HSTA, which was started in 1994 with 45 students from two counties. It now averages around 800 students from 26 counties throughout the state enrolled in the program each year. This is Marshall’s ninth year sponsoring a summer institute.
Officials anticipate 112 ninth-graders from southern West Virginia taking part in this year’s institute, which kicks off with a dinner at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 14, in room BE5 on the lower level of the Memorial Student Center.
Guest speakers at the dinner include Ann Chester, director of the HSTA program in West Virginia, and Dr. Chuck Somerville, dean of Marshall’s College of Science. Two former HSTA students will also speak, and cake and ice cream will be served as part of the 20-year anniversary celebration.
“We are going to expose rising ninth-graders to the activities and things that not only science has to offer, but Marshall University has to offer,” said David Cartwright, director of the event. “Hopefully, the ‘Fun With Science’ institute will help convince many of these students to choose science as a career.”
The institute is designed to give hands-on research and lab experience through Marshall’s College of Science and high school teachers. It is a highly innovative and successful initiative designed to encourage high school students to pursue college degrees in the health sciences.
The “Fun With Science” summer institute is structured to enroll a high percentage of African American youth to offset the disparity of African Americans as professionals in related fields of study.
Students from Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine will be involved in the institute again this year. Jo Ann Raines with Graduate Medical Education (GME) said medical students will help teach a suturing workshop from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday and a heartbeat workshop from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Both workshops will take place in Morrow Library.
The students will practice suturing using simulated skin and pigs feet in the suturing workshop. In the heartbeat workshop, they will listen to heart sounds from actual patients and observe simulated laparoscopic surgery.
A “speed-dating” session, in which the students have access to different medical specialists, is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Student Center room BE5.
In addition to attending classes, labs and workshops, the students also will take part in several recreational activities, such as bowling, dancing, Zumba®, attending a movie, playing kickball and visiting the Marshall Recreation Center.
