6th International Summer School
on
Biocomplexity from System to Gene


Student Panel

The academic program of the Biocomplexity Summer School culminated with a discussion forum lead by a panel of students. The four students and student moderator who comprised the panel represented the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the summer school attendees. Carolyn Sparrey, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering served as the panel moderator. The panel members consisted of: Douglas Swehla, a research technician; Gabrielle Parades, a recent graduate of biomedical engineering; Daniel Santillano a doctoral student in marine biology and Sinem Serap a master’s student in systems engineering. This forum provided the students and faculty a chance to address the research concepts presented during the week, the educational and career concerns for students in these fields and provide suggestions for future summer schools.

The forum opened with a discussion about the future of research in biocomplexity. The idea of a having a database of developed models was introduced as a means to facilitate collaboration and eliminate some of the redundancy that occurs in research. An open debate followed with students weighing the pros and cons of the concept. Students expressed concerns about how such a database would be generated and the quality control on shared models. However students were enthusiastic about the opportunity to access other models and to share their own work once it reached an appropriate stage of development. The discussion segued into how the students would apply the knowledge gained from the summer school into their own research. Broad spectrums of applications were discussed from brain/computer interfaces to modeling the spread of disease. For all students the key take-home message was that while models, by necessity, simplify the biological problem it is essential to always consider the overall context of the entire system.

Most of the summer school attendees were graduate level students pursuing research into a range of biological problems however; there were also undergraduate students and recent graduates still determining their future plans. The forum provided an opportunity for current graduate students to discuss their educational paths and share tips with fellow grad students and those considering graduate school. Students suggested trying as many opportunities as possible before narrowing one’s career path, studying abroad, getting clinical exposure and networking with peers. The professors added that PhD students need to be proactive in their interactions with others and should use their post doc as an opportunity to explore a new field.  Community of science was introduced to the students as a web resource of funding opportunities to use once their careers reach the point of requiring independent grants. Finally, students were reminded that they should consider the quality of life they will have while pursuing their education and career opportunities and that a positive and supportive mentor is essential for success.

The last topic of the discussion was an opportunity for the students to provide feedback on the summer school program and suggestions for future years. Students were unanimous in their preference for keeping the summer school on a small scale. This allowed for better interactions between students and a chance for all students to interact with the faculty members. There were requests that the opening presentation of the school be a more general introduction to the concept of biocomplexity due to the varied backgrounds of the student attendees and that support materials be made available on the website in advance for students to review. A student also suggested that a small project or assignment given at the beginning of the week would help students practice and retain the lecture information. Overall, the students were very enthusiastic about their summer schools experiences, very grateful to Dr. Akay for his efforts in coordinating the program and already encouraging their colleagues to apply for next year’s program.

The discussion forum presented the student panelists and all students the opportunity to share their opinions with their peers and reflect on the knowledge gained from the weeklong course. Students were eager to participate in the discussion and each topic required intervention from the moderator in order to stay within the allotted time. Several topics were left for informal discussion due to the limited time. At future summer schools it may be beneficial to host a short forum at the end of each day addressing a single topic such as education, career planning and opportunities, the future of biocomplexity research, and challenges faced by women and minority students. This format would allow for more thorough consideration of each topic and provide more students the opportunity to serve on a panel and lead the discussions. In traditional academic settings women and minority students are often too intimidated to share their ideas in front of a class of peers. The supportive atmosphere of the summer school encouraged many quiet students to gain their voice and share their opinions with the group.