Tommi Barrett-Greenly ’09 interns with NASA.

Students receive world class opportunities through intern­ships and research programs.Traditionally, research opportunities on college campuses, especially at large research universities, are the privilege of  graduate students or faculty. However, in recent years, institutions like Wesley have sought to engage undergraduate students in research and creative discov­ery by providing opportunities for them to work with faculty mentors or to conduct their own inquiries with the guidance of professors. In this way, what students learn in the classroom is made relevant as they work closely with those on the cutting edge of their discipline.

Students who attend Wesley are intro­duced early to the world of internships and research. For example, the College’s Science Department offers qualified undergraduates the opportunity to become research assistants and participate in a wide variety of high-level science experiments. During a typical academic year, research assistants with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher will work in a lab setting for approximately 10 to 15 hours per week, receive two aca­demic credits and get paid $10 per hour for their work. Undergraduate research provides many other perks, as students get to travel across the country and present their findings to a panel of experts at national conferences.

Being at the right place at the right time also pays off for science majors. During the summer, the College offers a 10-week summer internship program where students can earn up to $6,000 and gain valuable research experience with organizations like the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, NASA, Christiana Hospital, Quest Pharmaceuticals, AmeriCorps and the Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children.

Getting a jump start on the job market is equally important, as Wesley students can vouch for having research experience under their belts when seeking employ­ment opportunities after graduation. Dr. Malcolm D’Souza, a chemistry professor at Wesley, knows that pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries generally will not hire graduates without the prop­er undergraduate research background. “Students who have research experience are more likely to get absorbed quickly by companies and graduate schools than those without any experience,” he said. Working closely with faculty, these stu­dent researchers have an added advan­tage in getting in to graduate school or landing a job because of the likelihood of getting a strong recommendation from the professors with whom they have con-ducted research.

College officials also credit the school’s Nursing Department with providing its students the chance to develop and hone their professional skills. With a Master of Science in Nursing degree program that is nationally-ranked by U.S. News & World Report, the Wesley Nursing Department’s 225 undergraduate students and 80 master’s candidates are afforded unique opportunities for clinical and research experience across the state and in Maryland and Pennsylvania. They participate in and observe clinical interventions in a variety of health care settings such as the Crozier-Chester Burn Unit in Pennsylvania. Wesley nursing students often attend local and national conferences through professional organizations like the National Student Nurses Association, and some have even studied abroad in hospice settings in England.

Matthew McAneny, Stefan Hailey, Jordan Wheatley, Anthony Darrington and Brian Mahon

Dr. Lucille Gambardella, nursing professor and department chair, noted that the College encourages students to be connected to the Delaware community through service so that they can gain practical experience in the health care profession. One way is through a fun learning environment, where Wesley nursing students attend health fairs and provide practical information to the cam-pus community on how to stay healthy and prevent illness. Each year, they hold a depression screening on the Wesley campus to identify students who might be experiencing sadness they cannot handle on their own. For the past eight years, Wesley nursing undergraduates have screened the largest number of indi-viduals at any screening in the state and have received special recognition from the Delaware Mental Health Association for their efforts.

For many college students, the first chance to apply textbook knowledge to a real world setting can be life-changing. For the past twenty years, the History Department at Wesley has offered stu­dents the opportunity to earn academic credit through internships with local agencies and museums such as the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the Biggs Museum, John Dickinson Plantation and the Air Mobility Command Museum. Also, through an application process, qualified history majors can get an inside look at the political process by working as government interns at either the local or federal level. Students gain credit during the year by supporting legislative staff and addressing constituent concerns, monitoring news outlets for daily developments and attending political events such as town hall meetings.

Wesley professors help students start networking professionally through clini­cal experience and internships and these out-of-classroom experiences pay huge dividends for students after graduation. Students credit the hands-on learning that occurs with helping them learn to work in a team atmosphere, to multi-task and balance various aspects of their lives, and to find renewed interest in their fields. Senior history major Ross Luzey said, “My internship at Fort Delaware is giving me insight into the workings of a state or national park. Hopefully by the time I graduate, the experience will point me toward a future career.”