Emerging Leaders in Biotechnology

Provided By

Through the virtual session series, students build awareness of applied biotechnology, DoW STEM careers, SMART Scholarship opportunities, career pathways traveled by STEM professionals, and durable professional skills including teamwork, collaboration, and communication. During the in-person laboratory intensive experience, they explore investigative research methods and techniques including experimental design, data collection, quantitative data analysis, and evidence-based interpretation, as well as hands-on practice in Polymerase Chain Reaction, transformation, synthetic genomics, CRISPR-Cas9, DNA sequence analysis, and agarose gel electrophoresis.

Logic Model

Program Activities

Students (Grade 9-Postsecondary)

Learn biotechnology techniques

Learn about DoD biotechnology-related careers and programs and pathways to a STEM profession

Gain awareness of alternative pathways to STEM careers beyond the traditional 4-year degree path

Program Near-Term Outcomes

Students (Grade 9-Postsecondary)

Learn biotechnology lab skills and techniques

Increase awareness of DoD STEM careers

Increase awareness of STEM career pathways

DSEC Near-Term Outcomes

Students (Grade 9-Postsecondary)

Increased student interest and engagement in STEM

Increased participant STEM competencies

Increased participant awareness of, and interest in, STEM research and careers

Participant Perspectives

Students

Disagree
Slightly Agree
Moderately Agree
Strongly Agree

ELB increased my ability to use laboratory techniques (e.g., PCR, CRISPR, gel electrophoresis)

18.3% 80.5%

n = 164 valid responses

ELB increased my ability to design an experiment in biotechnology

9.1% 33.5% 56.7%

n = 164 valid responses

ELB increased my ability to conduct an experiment in biotechnology

17.7% 76.2%

n = 164 valid responses

ELB increased my knowledge of biotechnology careers and programs in the Department of Defense

18.3% 30.5% 49.4%

n = 164 valid responses

ELB increased my confidence in identifying careers that match my interests

10.4% 32.3% 54.3%

n = 164 valid responses

ELB increased my confidence in planning my coursework to reach my career goals

9.1% 31.1% 57.9%

n = 164 valid responses

Program Data

Students

222 total student participants

Student Grade Level

Military-Connected Students

Category	Count	%
Military-Connected Student	4	1.8%
Not military connected	218	98.2%

Educators

6 total educator participants

Educator Levels

Category	Count	%
Educator High	6	100%

Educator Type

Category	Count	%
Educator Position - Teacher	6	100%

Military-Connected Educators

Category	Count	%
Not military connected educator	6	100%