Alyza Roman knew becoming a scientist would be challenging, especially as the first member of her family to attend college.

Although she had worked in a lab as an undergraduate, Ms. Roman wanted more experience. The Department of Biochemistry’s Post-Baccalaureate Program at UT Southwestern offered the exact type of research exposure she needed. Launched last year, the Program offers biochemistry and chemistry laboratory experience to recent college graduates from underrepresented populations.

“Conducting research full time for one to two years would give me a taste of what my future in this career would look like,” said Ms. Roman, one of the first participants in the Program.

The Biochemistry Department’s Post-Baccalaureate Program gives students from underrepresented minority groups support to pursue a career in science, said Uttam Tambar, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry, Director of Diversity for Biochemistry, and Chair of the Organic Chemistry Ph.D. Program in the UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The goal is to increase diversity among students and faculty involved in biochemistry and chemistry research.

“The number of students from underrepresented populations who earn a bachelor’s degree is small, but the number who seek a Ph.D. is even smaller,” Dr. Tambar said. “We hope to increase the number of Ph.D.s who are from underrepresented populations.”

Improving diversity in science

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the Biochemistry Department created the program to reach out to undergraduate students who showed an interest in becoming scientists. Participants, who receive a $35,000 annual stipend, get a taste for life as a graduate student, Dr. Tambar said.

The program is co-led by Robyn Cooper, Administrative Associate in the Biochemistry Department, and Arnaldo Díaz Vázquez, Assistant Dean for Diversity in the Graduate School. The Department received a contribution from the Chilton Foundation to fund two post-baccalaureate scholars a year for the next two years. The first A.L. Chilton Foundation Post-Baccalaureate Scholars are Grant Showell and Ms. Roman.

The program is a key component to promote the inclusion of a more diverse group of young scientists in the Department, said Margaret Phillips, Ph.D., Chair of Biochemistry.

“We are really excited about the potential of this program to provide mentorship and training to support the career aspirations of underrepresented minority students interested in scientific careers while also providing our faculty and institution an opportunity to attract these bright and motivated students to our campus,” she said. “We are grateful to the Chilton Foundation for their generous support, which has been instrumental in helping us get the Program off the ground.”

In August, three recent college graduates – including Andres Delarosa who received funding through UT Southwestern – became the first to join the two-year program. They were selected from a pool of exceptional post-baccalaureate applicants from around the country. The database was made available to UT Southwestern after it was officially designated as an American Chemical Society Bridge Partner, which highlights the University’s commitment to prepare students from underrepresented minority groups for graduate school.

“The program gives young scientists an opportunity to do research and find out what area of science they are passionate about,” Dr. Tambar said. “Seventy-five percent of what they do while they are here is research. Long term, these students will end up being successful scientists, and they’ll be able to say UT Southwestern played an important role in making that happen.”

Developing a passion for science

Mr. Delarosa, who graduated from the University of California, San Diego, said he was attracted to UT Southwestern’s program because it offered an opportunity to focus on research.

“I applied to the program because I wanted to gain more experience in laboratory research and all that entails, like lab techniques, literature research, and exposure to the kind of work one would do in pursuing a Ph.D. and running a research-driven project,” he said.

Since starting the program, Mr. Delarosa is convinced he made the right choice.

“It has made me more certain that obtaining a Ph.D. is something that I want,” he said. “The Program allows you to do research on something otherwise unknown and to hopefully contribute a small bit of knowledge to the scientific community.”

Ms. Roman said the program has strengthened her commitment to a career in research as well.

“I hope to conduct research in many areas, including microbiology and neurobiology, combating diseases and disorders disproportionately affecting underserved populations,” she said. “Programs that support underrepresented minority students, like me, are a critical step in addressing health disparities.”

The program encourages participants to pay it forward – something Ms. Roman plans to do. One of her goals is to introduce science as a career to underserved communities.

“In the future, I wish to run my own lab at one of the top research institutions in the nation, supporting and teaching underrepresented minority students, as many have done for me,” she said. “I wish to convince underrepresented minorities who suffer from imposter syndrome to believe in themselves. Ethnicity is not a measure of intelligence, but rather hard work and perseverance.”