September 13, 2013
On behalf of the Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences (ODASIS) and the students we serve, I write to share our success at the Fall Orientation. Towards the beginning, we had opening remarks by Dr. Martha Haviland, Director, Office of Undergraduate Instruction, who introduced our keynote speaker for the evening, Dr. Jorge Reina Schement, Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. Lastly, we heard closing remarks from former ODASIS alumnus, Dr. Foluso Fakorede, board-certified Cardiologist.
During the course of the night, students situated at different information tables gave presentations highlighting their research and clinical experiences. They talked about their involvement in various programs such as Biomedical Careers Program (BCP), the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP), the Summer Pre-Medical Research Education Program (PREP), the NYU Summer Program (SURP), and the Northeast Regional Alliance (NERA) MedPrep Scholars Program. The student presentations exemplified the caliber of their research and their endless commitment to their educational endeavors.
We also had an inspiring talk from current ODASIS Access Med Phase II students, who each spoke about their undergraduate experience with ODASIS and about managing time with classes, extra-curricular activities, and ODASIS supplemental programs. Vice President Schement and Dr. Fakorede further emphasized the importance of being proactive and staying focused as an undergraduate at Rutgers. Dr. Fakorede also reminded the students and families that at ODASIS they would be able to meet a passionate and approachable group of instructors and advisers well equipped to offer them guidance and support in terms of supplemental instruction, valuable resources, and academic advice.
I thank you for your time and I hope that in the near future, you may be able to attend our other fall programs. I look forward to keeping you informed about future events held by ODASIS.
Thanks,
Dr. Kamal Khan
Director
Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences
