Creation

The world of science careers
opens to Project SEED
students. The program
familiarizes them with the
terminology, techniques and
processes of conducting
research. Students also learn
to give presentations and
plan possible career paths
with mentors.
Take four or more high school kids from economically depressed areas. Mix with graduate students and
University faculty. Add to this “recipe” research labs and equipment, and science projects involving
complex concepts. Percolate for eight weeks.
What do you get? Project SEED.
Over the summer, another crop of students arrived on Duquesne’s campus to experience this transformative
initiative, which for the last 12 years has been opening a lifetime of possibilities for local students.
“In accordance with the University mission, we strive
to promote diversity in the chemical sciences by reaching
out to these academically talented students from
economically disadvantaged backgrounds and offering
them a hands-on chemistry research experience, allowing
them to visualize themselves among the next generation
of scientists,” says Dr. Jennifer Aitken, associate professor
of chemistry and biochemistry, who started Project
SEED—a program offered in cooperation with the
American Chemical Society (ACS)—at Duquesne 12
years ago.
Aitken has grown the Duquesne program to be
one of the largest in the area, twice recognized by the
ACS with the top honor for exemplary programs,
the ChemLuminary Award. This past summer,
Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of education, Dr. Pedro
Rivera, visited Duquesne to see the program in action.
Such recognition is wonderful—but can’t match the seal
of approval given by the 50-plus students who have
participated over the years.
The Project SEED experience can be intimidating,
program alumni say. It got them used to the idea of
being on a college campus. It gave them an opportunity
to develop critical thinking, to sharpen presentation
skills and to exhibit leadership. But the most critical
and long-term benefit was that it offered new career
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