Leadership

Mentorship and Special Projects

OSSM’s mentorship program is a hallmark of the academics at OSSM. Through it, students gain valuable experience to take with them to their colleges and professional lives. Data shows that success at the professional level in research is predicated on prior experience.

OSSM’s mentorship program gives students opportunities to work on research projects with professional scientists and technologists, typically outside OSSM. Recently students partnered with the state’s leading research organizations, including The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) and the OU Health Science Center (OUHSC) as well as the Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory at the University of Oklahoma. Their work included researching targeted therapies for pancreatic and ovarian cancers and observing procedures conducted on the optical nerve.

Mentorships are available in students’ senior year, and some even begin in the second semester of their junior year. Details of the program are available through the Mentorship Coordinator, Dr. Amy Roberson (Amy.Roberson@ossm.edu).

In a mentorship, student performance is assessed by the student’s mentor and the Mentorship Coordinator.  A student participating in a special project is evaluated by a designated OSSM faculty advisor. A written progress report is given during the semester. The student receives a final grade and credit upon completion of the mentorship/project.