When homelessness and poverty strike, dental care often becomes a distant priority, leading many to resort to desperate measures like pulling their own teeth. Anika Phuvasate and her fellow Oregon State University Pre-Dental Club members are changing that narrative by organizing free clinics that offer compassionate, judgment-free dental services. These efforts not only restore smiles but also dignity, proving that everyone deserves access to essential care.
For five days, the students participated in the Ignite inSTEM summer camp, a groundbreaking initiative to diversify the biomedical workforce by engaging underrepresented youth in hands-on science for the first time and improving their retention in STEM.
One course stands out for its creative new approach to the age-old question, “Why does this matter?”— a three-week general chemistry laboratory on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) pioneered at Oregon State. Two members of the Department of Chemistry, Assistant Professor Kyriakos Stylianou and graduate student Karlie Bach, were interested in invigorating chemistry education and fostering student enthusiasm for research through hands-on laboratory experiences.
