Someday, Brice Matthews hopes he can help cure diseases. Until then, the Chatham resident is studying bioengineering downtown at Richard J. Daley College and, this summer, getting hands-on lab experience alongside scientists at the University of Chicago through a unique course at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) designed specifically for City Colleges of Chicago students like him.
Matthews is one of 15 City Colleges students from across the city participating in this year’s Introduction to Molecular Engineering course. The three-week cohort experience, which is designed to open pathways for more City Colleges students to transfer into four-year STEM degree programs, includes lectures, discussions, and interactive lab demonstrations that introduce students to topics in immunoengineering, quantum engineering, and materials systems for sustainability and health — all integral to PME’s focus on creating new solutions for issues such as energy storage, clean water, and treating illness.
Participants also receive advising around college readiness and admissions to help them prepare for transfer to four-year colleges, plus a $1,500 stipend, and connect with faculty and graduate students who can provide mentoring and advice during and after the program.
Currently a sophomore working toward his associate’s degree at Daley, Matthews plans to then transfer to the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he’ll earn his bachelor’s.
“It’s been really fun and interesting. We’ve been learning a lot each week,” Matthews says. “It’s so valuable because usually you wouldn’t get opportunities like this and we’re able to see how it actually works in the real field and how professors and scientists on the ground are working on projects and research.”
Exposure to emerging science
On a recent Tuesday afternoon in a lab on UChicago’s campus, Matthews and his City Colleges classmates peered into test tubes filled with hazy pink liquid looking for cells they’d later visualize under microscopes. Camryn Garza, the PME doctoral candidate leading that day’s lab, circulated the room, assisting each cluster of students.
“There is not a lot of exposure to fields like immunoengineering for students early in their education and we want to help spark an interest,” Garza said. “This program connects young students to new and innovative fields that are not always available in the community college setting. At PME, we strive to go beyond our research by integrating ourselves into the surrounding community, and this program directly strengthens our relationships with neighboring students who may be interested in getting more involved with our science.”
An innovative partnership
The City Colleges course, developed in concert with City Colleges faculty, is one of several ongoing collaborations between City Colleges and UChicago more broadly, with both institutions signing an official Memorandum of Understanding in 2021 focused on strengthening STEM education and career opportunities and creating a more diverse field of professionals entering the sciences.
"The PME course been proven to be an invaluable path to providing the City Colleges students with the opportunity to receive the needed exposure to cutting-edge scientific disciplines they might not even know existed and also gives them the opportunity to receive academic mentoring which in turn assists them in deciding their careers of choice,” said Mohamed El-Maazawi, professor of Chemistry and Physics and Chair of the Physical Science and Engineering Department at Harry S. Truman College. El-Maazawi works closely with PME on the course and oversees identifying candidates to participate across City Colleges campuses. “All that is made available to our students, while they’re also being financially supported, in order to help them dedicate their time to making those life-altering decisions.”
Building knowledge and a network
For Matthews, participating in the PME course has introduced him to advanced science like nanoengineering and building bioplastics, sophisticated equipment and facilities on UChicago’s campus, and, notably, a new network of academic mentors and professional peers.
“You meet all different kinds of people with different backgrounds and perspectives and that’s really interesting,” he said. “And those are also people you can network with and they can provide you with a lot of different opportunities.”
The new knowledge and network he’s gained, Matthews says, have opened his eyes to new areas of interest like materials science and, hopefully, offered a headstart toward his ultimate goal of making a positive impact on people’s lives.
