Sixty-five high school students from across the state (and a few from out-of-state) will take part in the 2016 Illinois Summer Research Academy (ISRA), July 10-15, at Illinois State University.

The unique program, sponsored by Illinois State’s Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST), allows high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to spend a week with Illinois State professors working on various hands-on research projects. This year students will participate in one of four research opportunities that include molecular neuroscience, biochemistry, organic chemistry, and computing and information technology.

“The students are high school students, and will be able experience many new technologies they don’t have in class,” said Glen Sagers, assistant director of Illinois State’s School of Information Technology, who noted students will learn about cyber security, the Raspberry Pi computer, Arduino microcontrollers, as well as web design, robotics and Python programming. “They can get a feel for whether they would like to become computer scientists or other computing professionals.”

To hear stories from students in the past, check out a Redbird Scholar story on last year’s Illinois Summer Research Academy. Read more information on this year’s academy.

For more information, contact William Hunter of CeMaST at wjhunte@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-3708.

High schools participating in the Summer Academy include:
Adlai E Stevenson High School
Belvidere High School
Bloomington High School
Buffalo Grove High School
Carmel Catholic High School
Conant High School
Downers Grove North High School
Dunlap High School
Dutch Fork High School
Effingham High School
El Paso Gridley High School
Fleming Island High School
Glenda Dawson High School
Grant Community High School
Greater Lawndale for Social Justice
Infinity Math Science and Tech High School
James B. Conant High School
Lincoln Way North
Loyola Academy
Mahomet Seymour High School
Mather High School
Metea Valley High School
Mission San Jose High School
Neuqua Valley High School
Normal Community High School
One homeschooled student from Normal, IL
Osaka International School
Princeton High School
Rochester High School
Rolling Meadows High School
Social Justice High School
St. Charles East High School
St. Charles North High School
University High School
Vernon Hills High School
Von Steuben MSC