Research experience powers relationships with historically Black colleges and universities | Virginia Tech News

The Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics and a summer research program led by David Schmale and Shane Ross have each previously provided additional funding.

The program began after Socha attended Virginia Tech’s second annual HBCU/MSI Research Summit in 2017 where he was seated beside Willie Rockward, formerly the physics department chair at Morehouse College.

The two came up with the idea for the program, and then later utilized funding from ICTAS to further develop it.

“This just came from talking to someone at lunch and them saying, ‘Yeah, that’d be a good idea,’” said Socha, the Samuel Herrick professor in the department of mechanical engineering. “And because there was this grant opportunity from ICTAS, we were able to make it happen. It was not something that I would’ve done otherwise if it were not for the efforts and structure put in place by the university.”

Socha now works with Eddie Red, the interim dean of Morehouse College’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Division, on program specifics.

Red has also collaborated with Schmale and Ross to send Morehouse students to their summer research program.

“The role of Morehouse in these collaborations is to identify physics and engineering students with interests in bioengineering and research,” Red said. “Having research experience is not a requirement. However, having an interest in learning is a must. We use this opportunity to mentor students about the importance of research with the hope that they will consider Virginia Tech for their future educational goals.”

According to Red, the history of successful collaborations has both parties hopeful of establishing Virginia Tech as one of Morehouse College’s dual-degree partner institutions.

“We both see the value of a continued relationship between the two universities in supporting the next generation of STEM leaders beyond the borders of Morehouse,” Red said.