Utica University Rising Sophomore Accepted into 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Program at UMass Chan Medical School

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Utica University Rising Sophomore Accepted into 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Program at UMass Chan Medical School

Grace VanEtten '27 in black top and pink blazer, stands against a stone wall.

"I gained an incredible experience that I will always be grateful for."

Grace Van Etten '27, in black pants, black top and pink blazer, shows off her poster at the UMass Chan Medical School Summer Undergraduate Research Program.

Grace VanEtten ‘27 recently wrapped up her time at the UMass Chan medical School Summer Undergraduate Research Program.

She was chosen for the highly competitive program as a rising sophomore biology major. It’s something Adam Pack, Ph,D., Distinguished Professor of Biology, says is “absolutely amazing.”

The UMass Chan Medical School Summer Undergraduate Research Program is a non-credit, ten-week, structured research experience sponsored by UMass Chan Office of Outreach Programs. The program consists of hands-on laboratory research with an investigator serving as a mentor, role model and advisor.

“It was simultaneously the most stressful and the most fun 10 weeks of my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better lab to work in or a better cohort, VanEtten said. "The people I was surrounded by truly made it unforgettable. I gained an incredible experience (and a super cute poster to show off) that I will always be grateful for, as well as friends from all over I will never forget."

Months before her first year at Utica University even started, Grace had contacted Dr. Pack and Distinguished Professor of Biology, Tom M. McCarthy, Ph.D., to get going on a research project.

"Thanks to her dedication to research and hard work, Grace really stood out as a candidate in ways that other first-year students just can't match," Dr. Pack said.

Grace’s project during the summer research program was focused on implications for cancer. She presented “Regulation of the Spindle Pole Body Protein Cnm67 Cyclin Dependent Kinase,” which got rave reviews from the other scientists and presentation attendees.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Program is funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and UMass Chan Provost’s Office Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE). Summer Research Fellows like Grace receive a stipend of $4,000. Travel and housing are also paid for and arranged by the program.

Learn more about the UMass Chan Medical School Summer Undergraduate Research Program or Utica University’s Biology Department.