From August 13 to September 24 three students of the Johanna-Wittum-School visited the Governors School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) in Hartsville, South Carolina.
The partnership between the JWS and the GSSM was initiated in 2009. Through the „Research Exchange Scholars Program“ three students of each school get to visit the partnerschool and do research at well-known research centers, for a time period of six-weeks. This June three GSSM students visited Germany to do research at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg.
Now it was time for the students of the biotechnology high-school to do research in the US. During our stay in the US we girls were able to live in the GSSM dorms and thus experience the school-life in an American elite high school. In the pictures we are standing in front of the GSSM with their teacher Dr. Jürgen Braun and GSSM vice president Randy LaCross.
When we arrived both students and faculty greeted us very warmly. Aside from experiencing the campus life the students were doing research at the „Clemson PEE DEE research and education center“.
Guided by mentors the students worked on projects in agriculture, foresty and biosciences. The project was great to give us students an insight on microbiological research. The PhD students Tariq Alam and Zachary Jones guided the three through all of the different kinds of lab work and supported them throughout the six week long project.
Johanna Staudacher with her mentor Tariq Alam (left) , Tina Enderle and Mina Özisletici with their mentor Zachary Jones (right).