Four Kishwaukee College students participated in science-based learning opportunities
during the 2023-2024 school year thanks to the Robert L. “Smitty” Smith Assistantship.
The assistantship provides hands-on learning and research opportunities under the
supervision of Kish faculty for students studying science, technology, engineering
or mathematics (STEM) programs. In 2021, Dr. Dale and Sharon Evans created the assistantship
through the Kishwaukee College Foundation with a donation honoring former Kishwaukee
College science instructor Robert L. Smith. The Evanses credited instructors like
Smith for providing mentorship and educational opportunities during their time at
Kish and established the assistantship to provide those opportunities to a new generation
of students.
“Overall, this assistantship was educational, enjoyable, and eye-opening to many different
STEM fields. I enjoyed the vastly different activities we did, which kept this experience
fresh and engaging. I am extremely thankful for the experience, skills, and education
I am taking with me after this involvement. I am especially grateful for our wonderful
donors who made this experience possible,” said Navi Ruiz, an assistantship participant
in Fall 2023.
During the Fall 2023 semester, Ruiz and Megan Radtke participated in the assistantship
under the guidance of Adam Hughes, Assistant Professor of Biology, and Dr. Elena Lineberry,
Assistant Professor of Biology. Both Ruiz and Radtke plan to transfer from Kish to
study marine sciences.
Ruiz and Radtke experienced a variety of projects during the assistantship, including
photosynthesis lab testing, testing equipment on Shabbona Lake, electrofishing with
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, grounds cleanup with the Kish Green
Team at Starved Rock State Park, exploring Shedd Aquarium, cadaver dissection and
organizing Kish’s biology specimen cabinet.
In the Spring 2024 semester, Carly Summers and Catlin Kersten participated in the
assistantship under the direction of Tania Nezrick, Professor of Biology, and Dr.
Lineberry.
Summers and Kersten contributed to X-ray image revision, developing hands-on lab exercises
for anatomy and physiology labs, examining Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District effluent,
screening tropical and local soil for antibiotic-producing bacteria, creating a circulatory
system model, cadaver dissection, Earth Day event planning, the Argonne National Laboratory’s
Bioenergy Research and Education Bridge Program (BRIDGES), frog monitoring in Russell
Woods in Genoa and Rotary Park in DeKalb, and more.
The participants expressed gratitude for the support they received and the diverse
educational opportunities available through the assistantship.
“I had so much fun. All the different experiences have opened my eyes and made me
feel better prepared for my STEM-filled future. Thank you for allowing me to have
this amazing experience. I am so excited to begin doing activities like these for
a living,” Radtke said.
For more information on the Kishwaukee College Foundation, visit www.kish.edu/foundation.