BASF Science Academy Inspires Innovative Thinking

Breanna Lima of Mississauga, Ontario, jump-started her college experience and learned the business of chemistry at the sixth annual  BASF Science Academy. Breanna, a student at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School, represented Canada among 20 high school seniors interested in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) for a career.

The two-week summer science program, developed by BASF Corporation, is held at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in Madison, New Jersey. Working in teams, students use BASF chemistry to formulate their own personal care products and develop a go-to-market plan and strategy. At the end of their two weeks, students present their product to a panel of BASF executives and FDU academic leaders.

“The Academy is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that brings together students from across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean  to explore the wonders of chemistry and how it relates to business,” said Leta LaRush, Manager of Communications for BASF Canada. “We hope to foster their interest in science, inspiring them to continue their education and pursue career opportunities in science, technology, engineering or math.” 

Following the curriculum theme, “From Molecules to Marketplace”, students gain invaluable hands-on experience in college chemistry labs while developing a marketing strategy to link their product to the consumer. Students also experience chemistry in action by visiting BASF Research and Development labs in Tarrytown, NY and meeting with cosmetic chemists and subject matter experts. Through exposure to real world chemistry, students observe how the fundamental building blocks of many every day products are comprised of chemistry.

“The partnership between business and academia is a successful model for helping students understand the practical applications of what they learn,” said Dr. Brian Olechnowski, Program Director at FDU. “I am excited to be a part of the experiences and progress the students make during the intensive two week program.”

Students graduate from the program with two transferable college credits to encourage their pursuit in a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) field. In addition, FDU offers Science Academy alumni $5,000 scholarships if they choose to attend FDU in the fall of 2017.

“The most rewarding part of the Science Academy was the people,” said Lima.  “All of the students decided to take two weeks out of their summer vacation to better themselves and learn more outside of the classroom. I was able to meet students, just like me, from across the U.S, Mexico, and Guatemala who all found value in furthering their education.”

Several Science Academy alumni have returned to BASF through the summer hire internship program and the Professional Development Program (PDP). Most notably, Science Academy class of 2011 alumni, Kevin Chao, joined BASF as a full-time PDP. Kevin will begin working for BASF in Beaumont, TX in September.

Graduates of the 2016 Science Academy are listed below:

·         Virginia Behmer, Elyria High School, OH

·         Jacob Bice, Geneva Community High School, IL

·         Karla Paola Bonilla Gomez, Colegio Indoamericano, Mexico

·         Alexander Chen, Whippany Park High School, NJ

·         Lara Dmitruchina, Roosevelt High School, MI

·         Winston Hung, West Brook High School, TX

·         Joelle Kim, Grissom High School, AL

·         Nicole LeJeune, East Ascension High School, LA

·         Breanna Lima, St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School, ON, Canada

·         Danielle Matz, Seneca Valley Senior High School, PA

·         Anthony Nepomuceno, Bradley-Bourbonnais High School, IL

·         Jacob Pate, Columbia High School, TX

·         Adithya Ramaswami, Anthony Wayne High School, OH

·         Anna Reed, Morris Knolls High School, NJ

·         Ana Paula Reyna Maldonado, Bilingue Vista Hermosa, Guatemala

·         Cody Sasser, Port Neches Groves High School, TX

·         Alana Tillery, Kings Fork High School, VA

·         Jiayuan Wang, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, VA

·         Jason Yang, The Kinkaid School, TX

·         Claire Zou, Randolph High School, NJ