CHHS faculty collaborate with KAMSC students
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC) offers an accelerated math and science program for high school students in the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA) area. Students attend KAMSC for half of their day to take advanced STEM classes, while the other half is spent at their home schools. A key feature of KAMSC is its emphasis on research. Students not only complete research as part of their curriculum but also can join research teams, working on projects of their choice with mentors of their choice.
Two KAMSC seniors, Sophia Barnard from Kalamazoo Central High School and David Li from Portage Northern High School, collaborated with Dr. Kieran Fogarty and Dr. Rob Lyerla from the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. Program within the College of Health and Human Services at WMU. Their project, titled "Revolutionizing Adolescent Health Monitoring: Passive Surveillance Analysis vs. National Surveys for Tracking Exercise and Mental Health (2011-2021)," involved tracking national trends in mental health and physical activity using the Youth Risk Behavior System (YRBS) National Survey and Google Trends as an alternative. Due to the extensive resources and time required for YRBS data collection, they found that Google Trends data significantly mirrored the YRBS data, highlighting the benefits of passive surveillance techniques for more efficient and timely analyses of national trends.
The research project was recently presented at the Southwest Michigan Science and Engineering Fair (SMSEF) and selected to advance to the state finals. SMSEF, held at the Western Michigan University Parkview Campus, highlights innovative high school research where students present individual or team STEM projects for regional recognition and the opportunity to win special awards. This project will next be showcased at the Michigan Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF) in April, with Grand Award winners being invited to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in May 2025. ISEF is the world’s largest international STEM research competition for high school students.
Both Sophia and David commented on their experience with IHS Ph.D. faculty.
"Working with Dr. Fogarty and Dr. Lyerla taught us a lot about the scientific process and how to complete a project. We met with them weekly and could always ask questions about our findings and next steps. They did a great job of breaking down complex ideas and helping us stay focused on our research story," said Sophia Barnard.
"Dr. Lyerla and Dr. Fogarty helped us understand what we were doing and why. They not only explained how to write scientifically but also challenged us with tough questions about our methods and potential biases. Their wisdom in this field made it a great learning experience, guiding us through analyses, implications and our theoretical foundation," added David Li.
Working with experienced researchers like Dr. Fogarty and Dr. Lyerla offers area high school students' invaluable guidance, helping them navigate complex ideas and to develop critical thinking skills. This collaboration not only benefits the students involved but also contributes to developing critical future research scholars in the fields of healthcare monitoring and emerging research practices.