ECC, Roosevelt announce second class of Health Scholars

The second class of minority students taking part in a biomedical research partnership between Elgin Community College and Roosevelt University has been announced.

Jesus Flores, Daisy Soto, Andrea Fews, Emmanuella Turkson, Eneida Acevedo, Kimberly Miller and Jennifer Campos, all of Elgin; and Matthew Garcia, Yesenia Garcia and Orlando Lagunas, of Streamwood, were named 2010 National Institutes of Health Scholars in the schools' Bridges to Baccalaureate Program. All are students at ECC.

In September 2008, the schools announced a $983,786 National Institutes of Health grant to help more minority students transfer from ECC to baccalaureate programs in the sciences at Roosevelt over the next five years, and then from master's to doctoral degree programs.

A total of 50 students will participate in Bridges to Baccalaureate, which officially kicked off last fall.

Students first will take courses in the health sciences at ECC, then study with Roosevelt professors and take part in paid lab research internships during summer sessions.

One of the National Institute of Health's goals is to have at least 75 percent of program students successfully complete their bachelor's degrees in biomedical or behavioral sciences.

According to an ECC news release, the scholars will spend four weeks this summer at Roosevelt's Schaumburg campus learning about biomedical research, health disparities and different careers in science.

Along with taking health sciences courses at ECC this fall and next spring, they will participate in seminars learning about research, career options and preparing for transfer to the four-year school.

Next summer, students will work with a Roosevelt faculty member and learn about lab research methods. According to the release, an ECC faculty mentor also will be matched with each student.

Applications for the third class of students are being accepted beginning January 2011. For information, visit elgin.edu/nihscholars.