The Synthetic biology Manufacturing of Advanced materials Research Center (SMARC) and the Skandalaris Center offered an interdisciplinary research, innovation, and entrepreneurship experience that gave current students hands-on experience in a local biotech company and a WashU research lab.
Summer 2024 Program
Past Students
About the Program
We provided the support, training, and experience students needed to prepare for careers in the exciting fields of synthetic biology and biomanufacturing. Students learned about start-ups, interned at a start-up company and gained lab experience.
Training Activities
Spring
- Participated in monthly meetings from March-April. In these meetings, students explored the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in St. Louis. This included site visits to local incubators and startups, professional development, and networking opportunities to assist the fellows in securing their summer internships. Fellows designed programming for summer 2024 during the seminar.
- Learned about the St. Louis area start-up ecosystem and the benefits of interning at a start-up
- Standard internship best practices
- Built their resume and applied to internships
Summer
- Moved into on-campus housing on June 2.
- Attended a Kickoff dinner on June 2.
- Completed a summer internship between June 3 and August 9. Over the summer they:
- Received a $6,000 paid summer internship stipend without on-campus housing OR $4,000 stipend with free on-campus housing during the internship
- Interned at an early-stage (generally less than 5 years old), St. Louis-based startup and a WashU research lab
- Monday through Friday, they interned half the week at a startup and half the week in a WashU research lab
- Participated in weekly programming (usually held on Wednesday afternoons)
- Write a blog and record a video about your experience that will be shared on Skandalaris channels
- Lead activities associated with the weekly programming
End of Summer Presentation
- Summer presentations and celebration of the startup and research work from the summer. Fellows:
- Met once a week with fellowship staff to discuss progress on projects.
- Spent 2-3 hours per week outside of the regular meeting time working on the presentation.
- Worked in small groups on the presentation.
Benefits
- Paid summer internship
- On-campus housing for the summer (if needed)
- Professional development (resume building)
- Hands-on work experience
- Connect with the St. Louis start-up ecosystem
- Make an impact on our community!
Who you are
- Undergraduate students (first year-juniors, or anyone who will be here January-December 2024)
- Innovative
- Creative
- Self-motivated
- Good communication skills
- Adaptable
- Dedicated
Read about the Fellowship:
- WashU The Source: A ‘choose your own’ entrepreneurial adventure
- Student Life: ‘We want the students to be able to develop networks in the St. Louis area’: Skandalaris Center launches Entrepreneurial Fellowship Program
- A Summer Full of Chocolate by Aisha Adedayo BU ’25
- No Longer Door to Door by Griffin Lovato LA ’25
- A Summer of Project Management and Coding by Chris Lopez LA ’25
- Read more blogs from our St. Louis Entrepreneurial Fellows’ summer 2022 internships here.
The fellowship is open to current WashU first-years, sophomores, and juniors from all majors. You do not need to have an interest in starting a business