“I was always interested in science,” Bernaldino said, “but I was not necessarily good at it.” She took remedial classes to get into the chemistry honors class at Paramount High School in Los Angeles County when that guest came in to talk about a summer program at UC San Diego that made science and math fun. He was passionate about it. “It was ironic. If I hadn’t taken the remedial classes, I wouldn’t have been in the AP Honors class and would never have heard of COSMOS that day.”
The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science—COSMOS—is a four-week summer residential program held at four campuses simultaneously: UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine and UC San Diego. Aimed at high achieving math and science students in grades 8-12, COSMOS encourages them to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers. Modeled after the California State Summer School for the Arts, participating students live on campus and attend subject specific classes taught by UC faculty and researchers. The mission according to its website is to “motivate the most creative minds of the new generation of prospective scientists, engineers and mathematicians who will become leaders for California, the nation and the world.” 
Bernaldino was hooked, and the presenter assured her it was the place she needed to go. She applied for financial assistance and was accepted. 
“It was life-changing. My curiosity was awakened.” 
More than 3,400 applied to the statewide program in 2017, said Dr. Niels Grønbech-Jensen, COSMOS statewide executive director and professor, Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics at UC Davis.
Applicants come from all walks of life with a varied skill set. “The COSMOS curriculum is not just freshmen science or engineering,” explained Dr. Charles Tu, COSMOS director and distinguished professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at UC San Diego. “My favorite thing is interacting with bright and motivated students. They are eager to learn and to explore.”  
He said among enrolled students over the last five years, Asian/Pacific Islander Americans are 50-60 percent; Caucasians, 15-25 percent; Hispanics/Latinos, 10-20 percent; and African Americans, 1-2 percent.  The Statewide Office does fundraising for financial assistance, which about 25 percent of the students receive, Tu said. 

The Cosmos Experience

Once students are accepted, they can indicate their first and second choice clusters. There are approximately nine clusters or “topics” offered each summer. Some include: Quantum Mechanics and Applications to Nanotechnology, Physics & Engineering: From the scientific method to technological applications, Introduction to Engineering Mechanics, Introduction to Astrophysics, Computers in Biophysics & Robotics, and Mathematics.
Twenty students are assigned to each cluster, led by two full-time-equivalent (FTE) faculty instructors and two assistants that can be a faculty member, researcher, technical staff or senior Ph.D. student, plus one high school teacher and two residential assistants.  
Typically one instructor teaches Monday/Wednesday/Friday mornings, Tu explained. The high school teacher (Teacher Fellow) teaches Science Communication curriculum on ethics, how to formulate problems and conduct research, and communication skills on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  Labs and projects are offered each afternoon.
At the end of the second week, students form teams and choose their projects. They work on them for the remaining two weeks, in addition to attending lectures and labs. Students return to their dorms and have planned activities, as well as study time at the end of each day.  
On the last Friday, students rehearse their projects to their peers. On the last Saturday they present to their family members.
The students really bond with one another because they study, work and live together every day for four weeks, Tu said.  On weekends there are fun trips. In San Diego, for example, they can visit La Jolla Shores and San Diego Zoo and take field trips to local companies such as Illumina, Cymer, the Novozymes, Genentech and Bodega Bay Marine Lab. There are Discovery Lectures on faculty members’ research, Women in STEM and UC Admission. 
Some participants get a first-time glimpse of a true college experience. Bernaldino had never left Paramount and her high school had been predominantly Latino. The culture shock from the diversity of the student population was incredibly eye opening. 
She found what connected them, however, was stronger than cultural differences. “We shared a dorm and had a passion for what we shared in the labs and our projects in the COSMOS Olympics. My peers were as fascinated as me. I made a family away from home. I’m still friends with some of them today.”
There are many inspiring components to this merit-based program and what makes it such a success, said Grønbech-Jensen, who not only serves as statewide executive director, but has run a COSMOS cluster at Davis since 2004.  “…A gratifying experience for me is the synergy… I gain insight to the underlying administrative and financial necessities for making student participation and instruction happen. Additionally, I experience the sincere dedication of many individuals across the campuses, in the state legislature and among the generous private donor base, which supports both instruction and student accessibility.”  

Cosmos After Effects

COSMOS is a launching pad for curious and inquisitive minds, Tu said. “What I hope is they continue to pursue one of the STEM majors in college and become a future STEM leader.”  
Many do. In 2016, they hired an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering who was among the first cohort of COSMOS-UC Irvine, Tu said. 
Bernarldino is another success story. “COSMOS opened the doors to engineering and opened our eyes to all the engineering programs that were available.” When she left COSMOS in 2008, she was certain about two things: she was more confident leaving home to attend college because she knew what to expect, and she would pursue engineering. She applied to UC San Diego, got into the structural engineering program, and as a COSMOS alum, applied for and received a scholarship. She has since earned her master’s in civil engineering. 
Ten years later, she still believes in the power of COSMOS. She urges other young women to apply to the program. “We’re underrepresented. Your strengths will shine through. Just apply. We’ll all benefit in the long run.” •

For more info visit: http://cosmos.ucop.edu
 
Photo in Table of Contents Courtesy of the University of California, Davis