Since its inception in 2013, the ENLACE summer research program at UC San Diego (https://resilientmaterials.ucsd.edu/ENLACE) aims to encourage the participation of high school and university students in research in the sciences and engineering, while promoting cross-border friendships between Latin America and the United States.  

The CDIPD participated in this program, and the Debnath lab within the Center hosted two high school students of Monterrey and Mexicali of Mexico to conduct seven weeks summer program in 2024. At the conclusion of their research, students shared the research training and findings in an oral presentation to both the CDIPD and at the ENLACE symposium.   

Since 2022, CDIPD’s Dr. Debnath has also served as a Faculty Advocate for the PATHways to STEM (PATHS; https://paths.ucsd.edu/about/index.html) through the Enhanced Access and Mentorship Program. This is a scholarship and student support program at UC San Diego that supports underrepresented scholars in their pursuit of STEM degrees. As a commitment to this program, the Debnath lab has mentored PATHS Scholars for research internships. Dr. Debnath is also a member of the PATHS Application Review Committee and interviews the final candidates for the incoming cohort. 

Finally, the CDIPD’s Debnath lab has mentored UC San Diego students from historically underserved backgrounds, under the Biology, Undergraduate and Master’s Mentorship Program (BUMMP; https://bummp.ucsd.edu/about/index.html). BUMMP was founded with the aim of creating a pathway to success for our historically underserved Biology undergraduate and Masters’ students. 

ENLACE program summer research students, 2024.