A group of students from Howard University who are majoring in STEM disciplines will be spending the summer visiting and conducting research in several countries in Africa. The program, supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, will send students to Kenya, Senegal, Cameroon, and South Africa. In Cameroon, Howard students will use wireless networks to collect seismic data. In Senegal, the research will focus on HIV resistance to antiretroviral drugs. In South Africa, Howard University students will conduct experiments with silicon detectors in nuclear physics laboratories.
Lorraine Fleming, director of the program and a professor of civil engineering at Howard University, stated, “Very few African Americans have the opportunity to travel abroad to study or do research. Our mission at Howard is to produce leaders for America and the global community. This program allows students a first-hand opportunity to practice as engineers and scientists in a global setting.” Dr. Fleming is a graduate of Howard University. She holds a master’s degree from George Washington University and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.
Other Howard University students will conduct research in Turkey, the Philippines, Mexico, and Thailand under the same program.