Graduate student Peri Mason, pictured at left, presented a biology lab tour to Upward Bound students April 19 in Shanklin Laboratory. Upward Bound provides academic resources for high school students who show high levels of potential and live in at-risk communities. The event was organized by Wesleyan’s Women in Science to encourage girls to pursue careers in the sciences. Mason’s advisor is Mike Singer, associate professor of biology, associate professor of environmental studies.
Mason let the high school students from Middletown and Meriden, Conn. take turns holding a live caterpillar. She also showed them several moths and wasps. “Take a look at the biodiversity in your own backyard. Here in Connecticut, not everything is big and showy and colorful, but it’s just as interesting to study,” Mason said. The lab tour gave the Upward Bound students an opportunity to talk to other young women about the sciences. They also met with female graduate students and faculty from the Astronomy Department, Physics Department and Psychology Department. The event concluded with a pizza social with members of WesWIS.
Olivia Drake
Mike Mavredakis
Ziba Kashef
Andrew Chatfield