G eorgia College’s Young Scientists Academy (YSA)—a six-week program that gives high school youth from disadvantaged, rural areas a crack at university-level research—returned this summer in a big way.

It was the first YSA since the pandemic and, because of COVID, its seven high school participants had little or no lab experience. They’d only taken chemistry online.

Their first real lab experience was in Georgia College’s state-of-the-art Integrated Science Complex (ISC) with everything brand new, shiny and clean.

“Most of their chemistry experience was through a computer screen. Some of them never actually stepped into a chemistry laboratory,” said Dr. Catrena Lisse, professor of chemistry and director of the university’s Science Education Center.

“The Young Scientists Academy is a high school internship program for research. It’s designed for rural communities to give youth an extra little boost,” she said, “and get them interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).”

Georgia College’s YSA started in 2007 and operates with grant money through the American Chemical Society (ACS), as well as donations. It’s highly competitive. Each student took high school chemistry, was nominated by their teacher and interviewed by a panel of professors. This year, two high school students received ACS Project SEED scholarships to attend.

Participants come from all over Central Georgia. With more funding, Lisse would like to turn YSA into a residential summer program and recruit statewide.

“Being able to give them this opportunity and see their faces when they walk into this lab—it’s exciting,” Lisse said.

Because this group was inexperienced in lab procedures, Lisse took extra caution teaching safety techniques. The first week reinforced protocols like finding data sheets for various chemicals, using eye wash stations and picking up shattered glass or acid spills.

They moved on to break down, read and understand scientific literature. Participants researched various topics on sol gels—a chemistry process Lisse specializes in. The method is used to create solids like silicon from small molecules.

Each high school student chose a research topic that interests them involving sol gels. Projects ranged from color-changing chemicals that indicate the presence of explosive residue from bombs to ways glucose testing can be more cost effective.

“Every single one of them had to develop their own procedures by trial and error,” Lisse said.

Every morning, the group analyzes problems they encountered the previous day and brainstorms about upcoming tasks. Lisse and two Georgia College chemistry majors work one-on-one with participants, guiding and quizzing to ensure a smooth process.

Nathan Walsh of Covington is a senior at Eastside High School. He’s interested in biotechnology. Lisse helped him find a project involving sol gels that, when mixed with a certain color-changing enzyme, detects glucose.

During his project, Walsh got what Lisse called “very exciting results”—a reversal, which means his mixture can be used over and over again. This research could potentially help people with diabetes save money with non-disposable testing strips.

“I like the idea of using enzymes to figure out cures and help other people. My dad has type 2 diabetes, so it hits close to home,” Walsh said. “I came in wanting to work with biotechnology, and I feel my knowledge has definitely taken a great leap here.”

Alec Ortiz is a senior at Veterans High School in Warner Robins. He’s working with chemicals to detect explosive residue. His molecules will change color when exposed to nitrogen groups like TNT. But Lisse can’t just order TNT, so Ortiz had to first synthesize his own explosives.

His project could result in bomb detectors that react faster than anything used today.

Morgan Collins of Eatonton is a senior at Putnam County High School. He joined YSA with an interest in environmental science. He’s focusing on a way to detect heavy metals that are harmful in water.

His workstation is colorful. Each pastel represents a different metal when exposed to chemicals. The testing mixture he developed—when run through a scientific computing machine—creates a unique signature. It appears as peaks and dips on a graph.

Ultimately, his formula could be used on probes to test water.

“I found it all very interesting, because we can use sol gels, which I’d never even heard of until this program,” Collins said. “I can test water and, by color change, know there’s a problem.”

“I never really had chemistry experience, because I had to take high school chemistry online,” he said. “Being able to experience this allows me to see if I’m interested in it, so I can better prepare myself for what I want to do in the future. This research has shown me I might minor in biochemistry.”

Claire Buck of Sandersville is creating a catalyst to make chemical reactions work faster. Her sol gel particles look like small, black see-through pearls. They serve as the catalyst to speed up reactions. This could help industries with chemical processes save time and money.

Her project results might also be published, Lisse said.

“I’ve always wanted to do forensic science, which combines chemistry and biology,” Buck said. “When I was told I got in, I was so excited. Everything here is so new and so clean. This is my first lab experience, so this is the standard I’ll be looking for.”

All seven participants will present their projects at a symposium July 22 in Peabody Auditorium. They’ll be cheered on by Lisse and their Georgia College student mentors: Cole Smith and Callie Miller, both junior chemistry majors.

In 2019, Smith participated in YSA as a high school student from Jasper County. That was the last academy before COVID. Now, in the first academy since COVID, Smith is mentoring young scientists.

“After that, I chose to come to Georgia College because of the independent undergraduate research going on here,” Smith said. “I’m really good with my hands and really good in the lab, so choosing a college where I could put that to my advantage was at the top of my priority list.”

Being five chemistry classes ahead of his high school youth is a challenge. But Smith’s learning how to explain and teach science—something he may want to do after pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry.

Having mentorship experience will put him a step ahead when applying for a doctorate.

Similarly, YSA experience will help high schoolers stand out when applying for college. Many former participants won scholarships because of their time at the academy.

That’s Lisse’s ultimate goal—getting these youngsters to college.

“Every step of every process, they have learned something, and that’s what’s really exciting,” Lisse said. “Probably the number one benefit is their confidence, and I have seen it just bloom.”