Westminster Christian Academy Student Participates in STARS Program

Westminster student, Ciarra Peters, excelled in this year’s session of Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) program, held at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The six-week intensive summer science program, pairs high-achieving junior and senior high school students with top research scientists and mentors from a host of leading institutions, including the Donald Danforth Planet Science Center, Saint Louis University, Washington University in St. Louis, and UMSL.

Peters joined other students from the St. Louis metro area, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, and Greece to work as a student apprentice to expert scientists, assisting in laboratories and completing research projects.

Students also attended lectures by nationally ranked scientists from the St. Louis community, learned about the higher education admission process, and enjoyed several social events.

Peters received recognition for her paper, completed under the supervision of Dr. Ruth Okamoto of Washington University, and titled “Construction and testing of anisotropic white matter tissue mimics: a tool for the study of traumatic brain injury.”

UMSL Chancellor Tom George praised the program’s efforts to increase the number of graduates in the STEM fields, saying, “Degrees in science, technology, math and engineering are needed more today than ever by American businesses wanting to stay competitive. The STARS program is vital in preparing a future STEM workforce.”