Terrier Volume 75, Number 1 - Spring 2011 | Page 11

Summer Science Academy Brings
Students Full Circle
As the St. Francis College Summer Science Academy embarks on its 11th season, an important aspect of
the program’s original purpose is being realized. Young people who participated in the Academy as high
school students are pursuing careers in science.
“All those field trips to the New
York Harbor Estuary, Brooklyn
Botanical Gardens, Brooklyn Bridge
Park, American Museum of Natural
History and similar places are paying
off,” said Kathleen Nolan, chair and
professor of St. Francis College’s
Department of Biology and Health
Promotion. “Knowing that students’
experiences with the Summer Science
Academy are sparking a long-term
interest in learning and doing science is Students learn how to test fat content in ground meat.
not only gratifying, but energizing—
for the students, faculty and the College.”
going to be,” said Michael Conenna ’05,
The program, which was funded originally
a member of the very first Summer Science
by a grant from New York State, requires
Academy in 2001, who as a result of his
interested high school students from New
experience enrolled at St. Francis to study
York City to submit an application with an
Biology and Chemistry. “In addition to
essay stating the reasons they wish to
introducing me to great wonders in the
participate in this free program. With the
boroughs such as kayaking on the Hudson,
end of public funding in 2010, private support learning about the significance of the estuary
for last summer’s Academy came from Con
to New York City wildlife, seining in
Edison and the Laura B. Vogler Foundation.
Jamaica Bay and discovering that turtles
For summer 2011, 30 local high school
live in Brooklyn, the Academy taught me to
students (with 150 on the waiting list) will
properly conduct research in a college and
experience a combination of field work,
professional setting while having fun.”
hands-on laboratory experiences, and reading
After graduating and working for a while
and interpreting scientific papers. Activities
as a researcher, Michael discovered a passion
described by many who have gone before
for teaching during a stint as a graduate
them, as eye-opening to the world of science
assistant and decided the classroom is where
“The Summer Science Academy was my
he needed to be. Now with a master’s degree
first exposure to anything college related;
in Education completed and a second one in
I certainly didn’t know what my major was
Administration forthcoming, Michael teaches

science at Abraham Lincoln High
School in Coney Island.
“While I really liked research,
teaching kids is really very satisfying,”
he explained.
Former participants are not
the only ones choosing challenging
science careers. For the St. Francis
College students Dr. Nolan recruits
as counselors, the direction of
their careers is often shaped by
their experience.
“When I entered St. Francis
College in 2001 as a Biology major, I had
planned to go to medical school,” said Athalie
Alexander ’04, who earned a master’s degree
in Mental Health Counseling in 2005. “To my
surprise through working with the Summer
Science Academy, I developed an appreciation
for the ways all living species influence and
interact with one another, prompting a shift
from medicine to public health and epidemiology, for which I plan to study further at the
graduate level. I credit Dr. Nolan and the
Summer Science Academy for challenging me
and helping me to become a well-rounded
science enthusiast.”
To help support the 2011 Summer Science
Academy at St. Francis College, please
contact Thomas Flood, vice president for
Development at tflood@stfranciscollege.
edu or [phone].

T h a n k Yo u

St. Francis College would like to thank Susan Messina for her years of service to the College and contributions to this
publication. She began working on the Terrier in 2004 when she served as the College’s Director of Communications and is
responsible for the transformation of the magazine into its current form. After moving out of New York, Susan continued to be
a key contributor to the Terrier, reporting and conducting interviews and writing dozens of stories each year. She is now in
charge of the alumni magazine at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina, among other responsibilities, and will no longer be
able to devote the extensive amount of work it takes to publish the Terrier. We offer warm wishes to her for the future and
another thank you for a job well done.
Susan Messina at St. Francis College in 2004

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