New Student Group Provides STEM Advantage

A new student organization at Cedarville University is fast-tracking undergrads for some of the most in-demand career fields in America.

Dr. Mohan Pereira, assistant professor of physics, and seven students recently launched the Biophysics Association on Cedarville’s campus.

The group’s focus is to promote interdisciplinary participation across Cedarville’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students. “Our chapter helps to make a bridge between physical sciences and the life sciences at Cedarville through various activities,” Pereira noted. “This is the only student chapter that brings together all STEM students.

“Through our local student chapter, we want to provide opportunities to our students to convene and connect with the global biophysics community and help them to become leaders in the field of science and in other areas.”

And what a great time to develop leaders in the STEM field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1,000,000 STEM jobs are projected to be created during the 2020s, representing an 11% increase compared to less than 8% for all other fields.

Cedarville University mathematics alumna Cindy Hasselbring, now with NASA’s NextGen STEM team, stresses the importance of STEM education. “Creating opportunities for students to collaborate utilizing knowledge and expertise from across STEM disciplines equips them with tools and experiences that will make them a valuable part of the STEM workforce.”

Cedarville’s organization is just the second Ohio inductee of the Biophysical Society. “As a student chapter we share both the Cedarville University and the BPS vision, mission, and values,” said Pereira.”

Through membership in the Biophysical Society, Cedarville’s group will collaborate with other universities internationally in social and research projects.

The team has already facilitated multiple campus events, including a hot topics seminar on CRISPR, advanced technology for gene modification.

The students seek to point upward as they become more involved on campus and with other universities. “Being a Christian school, we want to have a good testimony out in the world for Jesus,” said junior Ethan Doerstling from Arvada, Colorado. “We have an opportunity to reach out to other schools and show them there are Christians doing science.”

While biophysics is not a typical undergraduate program at most universities, there are opportunities to study the discipline in graduate school. Cedarville’s Biophysics Association will prepare students studying biology, physics and other fields for further education in this field.

The group looks forward to finding distinguished speakers for campus events, collaborating on research with other schools, and promoting biophysics internationally in the near future.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,715 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Bachelor of Science in Physics, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.