Valerie Chen, STEM Scholar

Valerie Chen, WCAS, from Scottsdale, Ariz., is majoring in biological sciences. As the first person in her family working for a degree in the sciences, Valerie has set a long-range goal to become an oncologist and participate in Doctors Without Borders. Last year, she was accepted into the NU BioScientists Program, which provides opportunities for 30 incoming freshmen to do independent research in the biological/biomedical sciences. Students learn basic biology laboratory procedures and how to write a research proposal. She did research at the Robert E. Lurie Cancer Center in downtown Chicago this summer. Olive Jung, from Foster City, Calif., is majoring in chemistry at WCAS and planning an adjunct major i