Two doctoral students are one step closer to their goal of teaching university-level science, thanks to a new UB program made possible by corporate support. Debra Burhans of Buffalo and Marc Patterson of Brooklyn have been selected as the first recipients of doctorate-level fellowships presented by UB's Increased Representation in Science (IRIS) Program.

Established by the university's Office of Public Service and Urban Affairs to expand participation in the sciences by women and minorities, IRIS is supported by a $50,000 gift from the Coca-Cola Foundation. The Office of Public Service and Urban Affairs and UB's Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics are coordinating selection of the fellowship recipients, which is based on academic performance and department recommendations.

"We have found that women and minorities do not traditionally enter the science fields in large numbers, especially at the postsecondary level," said Charles Carr, UB fellowship coordinator. "However, the IRIS program is a step in the direction of diversifying the field and getting many talented women and minorities interested in science."

Burhans, a computer science doctoral student who holds a master's degree in computer science from UB and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan, agrees that the number of women and minorities in science falls off significantly at the doctoral level. "Throughout my education, it has been clear that women and minorities are very underrepresented in science," she said. "There are ways to make education in the sciences more accessible by providing opportunities like the IRIS fellowship.

"Teaching is very fulfilling to me," she added. "A university career will offer me the opportunity to combine teaching and research; both will allow me substantial interaction with students." Burhans hopes to emulate the qualities of university professors who have inspired her, citing their "excitement about their own field and ability to convey that enthusiasm to their students."

Burhans' strong interest in improving computer understanding of natural language is incorporated into her current research on artificial intelligence. Discovering new ways to enhance a machine's understanding, adaptability and responsiveness will be highly useful in the field of robotics, she explained.

Both fellowship recipients will speak at local elementary and secondary schools as part of an outreach program to pique interest in the sciences among precollege students.

Patterson, who received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is currently pursuing his doctorate in chemistry at UB, believes that such efforts can have a positive impact. "I became fond of the sciences at an early age, but I researched on my own to find minorities in the sciences who could serve as my role models," he said. "There are prominent minorities in science, but there is not a rich history of young minorities entering science or technological fields."

Patterson hopes to one day serve as a role model himself for minority students in the sciences. "My goal is to become a tenured professor at a black college or university," he said. "Black colleges, in particular, have great representation in other fields, such as medicine and law, but not in the sciences. I would like to contribute there as a teacher in the sciences, while conducting research in chemistry."

Patterson's current research, which is funded by the Office of Naval Research, involves the analysis of coatings on steel in marine environments. He appreciates the opportunity to continue his research and studies at UB, and is grateful for the IRIS fellowship. "My original graduate fellowship has ended. It's a tremendous opportunity to have received the IRIS fellowship, especially since it was uncertain where I was going to receive funding assistance for my final year."

Burhans views continued philanthropy as the key to opening new educational opportunities to students in the sciences. "More private industry support is critical to fostering increased involvement in science-related programs," she said. "If additional support for these programs is not received, a lot of students who are now in the pipeline will miss out on completing their education."