A few lucky undergraduate minority students from all over the country were selected this to participate in a six-week SIUC internship program to increase minority pursuit of advance degrees.

John H. Yopp, executive director of the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), said there are underrepresented groups in graduate schools.

We want graduate school to reflect the diversity of the world population, Yopp said. The aim of the program is to enhance and increase the diversity of the population in graduate school.

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Yopp said he hopes the participants’ experience with the program compels them to go to graduate school.

It will enlarge their horizons and open their eyes to various professions, he said.

Pat McNeil, director of the SROP, said the program provides participants with research experience in environmental issues.

It will introduce them to the complex environmental issues faced by society and refine their ideas about these issues, McNeil said. They will have some bona-fide skills once they are in graduate school because of the experience they are gaining through the program.

McNeil said she considers the internship to be a cradle-to-the-grave program.

In higher education, the beginning is with a bachelor’s degree and the end is with a terminal degree, she said.

There are 10 students who are taught by a team of 22 faculty members representing 13 disciplines, and there is a primary mentor for each student.

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Yopp, dean of the Graduate School, said the program gives the students the opportunity to work one-on-one with some of our outstanding faculty.

These students will work with a professor on a particular problem,

see DIVERSITY, page 6