York S-STEM Program Participates in Regional S-STEM Conference

Faculty members and S-STEM Scholarship Program PIs, Dr. Thitima Srivatanakul and Dr. Radoslaw Wojciechowski (Department of Mathematics and Computer Science) along with two York S-STEM scholars recently attended the 2023 Catalyst S-STEM Regional Conference

The conference was held on March 25th, 2023, at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. It brought together S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Principal Investigators (PIs), Senior Personnel, and scholars from various colleges in the region. The goal of the conference was to provide a platform for faculty and scholars to network and gain firsthand experience from individual research projects, collaborative research projects, service projects, and other STEM-related experiences presented by the S-STEM scholars. The S-STEM scholars from York who participated in the event were Jonathan Shields and Darryl Nurse, both of whom are majoring in Computer Science. Jonathan also presented a poster on his work titled, “6G and the Next Evolution of Broad Band Networks” at the conference. Jonathan noted that "By far what made this trip memorable was all the students that gave presentations. It was nice seeing students at my academic level who gave great presentations and then had time after to speak informally about their strengths and weaknesses. Since we were more comfortable with each other, it led to constructive and uplifting conversations alongside forming new connections."

Dr. Wojciechowski mentioned that "it was great to meet PIs, faculty, and students involved with other S-STEM grants. We shared various experiences and tips for improving how to organize and run our grants. It was a very supportive experience and also a lot of fun!"

Jonathan added that “it was nice seeing a diverse representation of NSF constituents. It made being an NSF recipient feel more communal, developing a nurturing atmosphere and fostering success. I am really glad I came, and I hope for more opportunities in the future," he said.

 Darryl expressed a similar sentiment at the conference. “I really enjoyed meeting other students and seeing their perspectives, and journeys with their research and education," he said. "The connections I made were invaluable, as well as the knowledge and experiences from those within STEM.”

Dr. Srivatanakul emphasized the value of the conference as an opportunity for York scholars to network with like-minded peers and be inspired by the STEM research that was presented. The NSF S-STEM Scholarship at York College is a grant-funded program sponsored by the National Science Foundation that awards scholarships to academically talented students with demonstrated financial need. More information about the program learn  more about the S-Stem program.

Congratulations to our dedicated faculty and talented students!