09.14.05



From left, Andrea Clarke and Dr. Edward W. Inscho

Star Award winner knows "how to learn and keep learning"

Erskine College junior Andrea Clarke, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kent Clarke of Statesville, N.C., was selected as one of two outstanding students in the STAR (Student Training And Research) Program at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) this summer. Clarke, a biology major, succeeds Erskine chemistry major Jessica Martin, a winner of last year's award.

Clarke was nominated for the Outstanding Student STAR Award by Dr. Edward W. Inscho, a professor in the Department of Physiology at MCG who served as primary investigator for the renal physiology project she worked on this summer. "I studied the kidney and how it functions or loses function in hypertensive conditions," Clarke said.

STAR Program Director Dr. Patricia Cameron said the award recognizes "outstanding participation in the STAR program, demonstrated research excellence, and exceptional potential as a future biomedical research scientist."

Effort and excitement

In a letter to Cameron, Inscho said of Clarke, "I give her very high marks for her ability, enthusiasm, commitment and sincerity in this STAR opportunity." He noted that Clarke "assumed primary reponsibility for her project."

"She was excited about her research, determined to master new techniques and eager to understand what she was doing and why," Cameron said. "As the summer progressed, Andrea's enthusiasm and abilities in the laboratory blossomed and her involvement in the STAR workshops increased, reflecting her curiosity and interest in science."    

Inscho said Clarke told him she wanted to be exposed to as many techniques as possible, and in working on her project, she "made a major effort to learn and develop whole animal skills, surgical skills, microscopy skills and molecular biology skills."

Some of the activities Clarke carried out with rats, as described by Inscho, included "surgical implantation of osmotic minipumps, monitoring of blood pressure and body weight, maintenance of a dietary supplementation, collection of renal tissues and renal microvessels."

Erskine delivers on promises

Clarke admits she felt somewhat overwhelmed at first by the responsibilities given to her in Inscho's lab. "This was a topic he had been studying for over 15 years," she said. "The experiments I was to be doing were part of a much bigger picture and had the potential to be published."

But Inscho and others in the lab "were so encouraging and helpful, soon I forgot I was an undergraduate student," Clarke said. And while working almost as a graduate student would, she made a discovery about her Erskine undergraduate experience.

"It wasn't long before I realized I was well prepared, not because I had had all the right classes at Erskine and knew the material needed for this lab—I haven't even taken anatomy or physiology yet," she said.

"It's because at Erskine I've been taught how to learn and keep learning," Clarke explained. "I was told those were skills I would obtain at Erskine, but I didn't realize until this summer that it is actually true!"

Enthusiasm all around 

Clarke said she wound up in the STAR Program after she had done summer research in 2004 with Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Stefanie Baker and told Baker of her desire to do more research the next summer. "She directed me to several summer research programs and internships throughout the country," Clarke said.

"Then the director of the STAR Program, Dr. Patricia Cameron, came to Erskine to speak to (the biology honor society) Beta Beta Beta about the program at MCG, so naturally that program had a more personal touch that attracted me to apply."

Clarke is enthusiastic about her STAR participation. "Research programs like the one at MCG give you a realistic perspective of what it is like to be a graduate student, so you have a clearer idea of the process of getting a Ph.D.," she said.

"They also provide you the experiences that allow you to determine if you have the passion for investigative research that is necessary to make a career of it," she said. "Plus, it doesn't hurt that these programs let you network and make connections that will be beneficial."

Clarke believes the STAR Program worked out especially well for her because "you pick your professor to work with and collaborate with them before you even apply, so you have a better chance of having a happy summer of research."

"Dr. Inscho was wonderful to work with," she said. "He was patient, very motivating and enthusiastic, and an awesome teacher!"

Clarke also gives credit to her biology professors at Erskine for their support of her participation in the STAR program. "I received numerous phone calls and e-mails from them and even got a visit from the ones who could make it," she said. "They have no idea how thankful I am for everything they do for their students."

Envisioning the future

As she looks toward her junior year and beyond, Clarke believes that her summer research experience has had an impact on her plans and goals. She is not yet certain of the direction she will take, but her mentors at MCG believe strongly in her abilities.

"Andrea did an outstanding job in the STAR program and has the talent and promise for a future in biomedical research," Cameron said.

Inscho noted in nominating Clarke that she was eager for clinical as well as research experience, and had served as a first responder in the rescue squad in addition to working as a researcher so that she could "get a good picture of the research and clinical environments" and eventually make an informed decision.  

Inscho said Clarke "definitely has the ability, the intellect and the natural curiosity to be a successful graduate student and an exceptional investigator."

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