UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Just about a year into her Penn State experience, second-year geosciences student Grace Druschel felt she already was making strides toward her research goals. Better yet, she was working on something she believes has extreme societal importance.

Druschel has since 2021 been investigating how California wildfires later leave land exposed and vulnerable to massive, devastating mudslides. She works under the mentorship of Rudy L. Slingerland Early Career Professor Roman DiBiase.

In DiBiase’s geomorphology group, Druschel learned how to survey the land before and after fires, measuring the accumulation of soil, so that experts can perhaps predict or even mitigate the kinds of mudslides that lead to the loss of people’s homes and sometimes lives.

“What I love about this research is it takes geology, which is a passion of mine, and applies it to things like the environment, safety and public health,” Druschel said. “After learning about this research and participating in it, it really shaped my career goals.”

Druschel found the research through the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium (PSGC) Research Internship Program, which offers early research opportunities to women and other underrepresented individuals in STEM. It helps those individuals plant seeds early in scientific research.

That’s how it worked for Druschel.

She just applied for an internship — another chance to use geomorphology — with the National Park Service at Mount Rainier National Park. Researchers there are looking at hillslopes to analyze the risks of climate change on glaciers, which can break off, causing danger to tourists and damage to the parks.

“I got my feet wet working on this research at Penn State,” Druschel said. “Now I want to take this further. With this on my resume, I can say, ‘I know I’m only a sophomore. But look at the work I’ve been doing.’ ”

Erin DiMaggio, associate research professor of geosciences, said Druschel’s story isn’t unique. DiMaggio is undergraduate research programs director for PSGC and runs the internship program. This latest group of students worked on pressing problems such as the impact of wildfires on landscapes, the effect of age on language, planetary formation, the poliovirus, gut microbiomes, carbon capture in the Chesapeake Bay, and, of imminent relevance to ghost pepper consumers: the effects of dairy proteins on quelling capsaicin. (Spoiler: it works.)

The program culminated in November during a research symposium where about 40 students across Penn State presented their research — in two-minute lightning talks — to peers, faculty members and others.

DiMaggio witnesses the quick growth of students under the mentorship of top researchers at Penn State.

“We initially see students who are fairly nervous to join a lab at a top-tier research facility at Penn State,” DiMaggio said. “By the end of the program, when they present their research, they’re confident. They surprise themselves with what they have accomplished.”

The internship program is made up of three programs: WISER, or Women in Science, is available to first-year undergraduates. MURE, or Minority Undergraduate Research Experience, is available to underrepresented minority students who are first-year, sophomores or juniors. FURP, or First-year Undergraduate Research Program, is available to all first-year students; those with economic hardship are encouraged to apply.

Allison Beese, associate professor of materials science and engineering and mechanical engineering, said the strength of the program is how it pairs students with graduate students and faculty members. They work hands-on with world-class researchers, many of whom are also underrepresented.

“Through these research opportunities, these students get to be an active part of the process,” said Beese, who is a mentor herself. “They start to grow their network. They see other students at Penn State who are also traditionally underrepresented in STEM performing research in lots of different areas.”

These experiences and connections, she said, have paid off. She’s seen a number of students continue research after the program — sometimes in her lab — before earning a doctoral degree or becoming leaders in industry.

“There have been a lot of success stories out of this program,” Beese said.

Making connections was a huge selling point for Jackie Kiszka, a second-year student majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science who is also a Schreyer Honors Scholar.

Her work with Ken Davis, professor of atmospheric and climate science, led to research connections that suited her interest in marine biology. She said Davis’ ties are already leading to future research ideas and opportunities.

For the internship program, she conducted research related to climate change.

While in Davis’ lab, Kiszka watched a research project being built from the ground up. She sat in on meetings where researchers strategized about securing funding, brainstormed research questions and executed a plan to answer those key questions.

Above all, she said, working on research with tremendous societal relevance was most important.

“It was exciting to be working on something involving climate change,” Kiszka said. “Because ocean alkalinity enhancement — OAE carbon capture — is very cutting edge. It’s exciting to work on something that has the potential to reduce the effects of climate change. It was great to work on something so new and yet had the potential to make a huge impact.”