UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State graduate student Starlette "Star" Sharp is currently participating in the Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program at the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) in Washington, D.C.
This prestigious fellowship program provides individuals with the opportunity to learn about science and technology policy and the role that scientists and engineers play in advising the nation.
For Sharp, a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction’s science education program, this fellowship program was a natural next step for her academic career, having previously completed a fellowship with the National Science Foundation’s Directorate of Biological Infrastructure, where she interacted with policy fellows from several different federal agencies.
Sharp’s graduate research focuses on interventions that foster access and retention of Black students in STEM and the systemic institutional barriers that create those challenges, specifically the issues of access for minoritized students in science education and how institutions can truly be more welcoming and inclusive.
“In a knowledge economy people can’t be socially mobile without a good education, or they can’t get a job they like or move to a place they want to live," said Sharp. "When we look forward to job outlook, science and engineering have the most vacant jobs and most opportunity for growth. That is where the work is. We should work hard at preparing our students as we move forward.
When you lack diversity in the workforce in science and engineering, you are not getting your best ideas. The country will trail behind groups that are more inclusive. It is paramount that we provide opportunities for all demographics of people to have access to science education and science careers.”
Sharp encourages current graduate students at Penn State to learn more about the Mirzayan fellowship and apply to the program. The deadline to apply for the next cohort is Oct. 29.
According to Sharp, “The NAS helps create policy for many facets of science and therefore accept applicants with diverse educational backgrounds such as anthropology, transportation, engineering, industrial psychology and math. There is room for all types of scientists in policy work. We (fellows) are all on our own boards, but we do have program activities.”
Specifically, Sharp is on the Board On Science Education (BOSE) working on the Roundtable for Systemic Change in Undergraduate STEM Education.
Sharp has always been interested in science and loved learning about nature and biology. She received a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in cancer biology from Tuskegee University. Previously Sharp served as the founding director of the Millennium Scholars Program at Penn State and decided she could be more impactful and innovative if she received her doctoral degree.
She said she is hopeful that she can continue to engage with government agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the National Academies of Science to have a direct impact on students.
“That is the next generation of people. Students have new ideas, new ways of learning new perspectives and that is where the future will be. Working with those agencies from the other side of the fence is something I would like," said Sharp.