The Story of SEEK

Jean Udompanyawit

Nine years after its founding, the Summer Educational Experience at Kent (SEEK) continues to invigorate the summer calendar with exciting subjects. This program not only supports students interested in science, mathematics, and entrepreneurship but also encourages students without prior experience to explore STEM fields. The program builds a foundation for future pursuits, professions, or even daily activities involving these fields.

This year, SEEK added new programs including biomedical and biochemical engineering. Four other robust programs, held for several years, were aviation, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and pre-engineering.

SEEK provides opportunities for students to reach a wide range of resources through partnerships with a number of prestigious institutions, including UPenn’s Wharton School of Business, University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering, University of Delaware’s College of Engineering, Harvard University, Georgia Tech’s Integrated Product of Lifestyle Engineering (IPLE), FlightSafety International, and Performance Flight School.

The summer residential and day program allows students to take a closer and clearer look at new innovations and to gain insight from many honorable professional instructors who have a deep and rich understanding of their respective fields. This year, Dr. Sujata Bathia, Ph.D. from the University of Delaware and Harvard University led lectures about the technical challenge of biomedical engineering and the role it plays in enhancing the global healthcare system. According to Dr. Nadire, students “learned the attributes needed to be an engaging presenter”, as communication skills are vital skills in both technical and non-technical environments.

Along with providing academic fundamentals inside the classroom, SEEK takes students on many field trips for a more interactive experience. One trip taught students how to pilot a Cirrus SR20 light aircraft through Performance Flight, and another brought them to the University of Connecticut Health Department’s Genetics and Genome Sciences laboratory.

Enriching students in various fields, SEEK will continue to welcome students with open arms. Dr. Nadire further emphasizes that anyone can join: “I want you to really get your feet wet and see what do you want to invest more with your time and effort.”

The summer residential and day program allows students to take a closer and clearer look at new innovations and to gain insight from many honorable professional instructors who have a deep and rich understanding of their respective fields. This year, Dr. Sujata Bathia, Ph.D. from the University of Delaware and Harvard University led lectures about the technical challenge of biomedical engineering and the role it plays in enhancing the global healthcare system. According to Dr. Nadire, students “learned the attributes needed to be an engaging presenter”, as communication skills are vital skills in both technical and non-technical environments.

Along with providing academic fundamentals inside the classroom, SEEK takes students on many field trips for a more interactive experience. One trip taught students how to pilot a Cirrus SR20 light aircraft through Performance Flight, and another brought them to the University of Connecticut Health Department’s Genetics and Genome Sciences laboratory.

Enriching students in various fields, SEEK will continue to welcome students with open arms. Dr. Nadire further emphasizes that anyone can join: “I want you to really get your feet wet and see what do you want to invest more with your time and effort.”