The treatment for cancer can sometimes be as devastating — and even as fatal — as the disease itself. For Andrew DePass `21, a biology major enrolled in Quinnipiac’s pre-med track, that’s unacceptable.
DePass spent last summer conducting research at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He worked alongside immunologists studying ways to enhance T cell immunity in cancer patients following chemotherapy and radiation.
When he returned to Quinnipiac, DePass presented his findings at the Quinnipiac Science Technology and Engineering Program (QSTEP). He credits QSTEP and faculty in Quinnipiac’s Department of Biology for their persistent encouragement and feedback.
DePass believes that the experience and support he continues to receive has given him a major advantage, providing him the starting point on his journey as a research scientist. Andrew was recently recognized by the American Association for Cancer Research with their Undergraduate Scholar Award.
As a CAS student, not all of your learning will happen in the classroom.
Experiential learning can come in the form of an internship, study abroad/away experience, co-curricular opportunities (such as academic organizations on campus), research project with faculty, or even independent study. Experiential learning opportunities give you the chance to take your previous classroom learning out into the world and test it out, or to try something entirely new and perhaps develop a new academic interest.
This process of exploration, implementation, and reflection is central to the idea of 360 advising. Each experience becomes a point of learning that helps you evaluate your development as a student and a person; helps you understand your values, interests and goals; and helps you make informed choices about your next steps during your time here and beyond.
As your academic journey progresses, these experience become the core of your professional story as well. Employers are looking for candidates who are not only academically accomplished, but who have also exposed their skills to the real world and learned from that experience. Students entering the marketplace with multiple experiential learning experiences on their resume are not only historically more likely to get hired, they get hired more quickly and make more money!
The College of Arts & Sciences has dozens of experiential learning opportunities. Use this site to explore them and talk with your advisor about which ones interest you the most and how to work them into your academic plan!
Internships
Even if your major doesn’t require one, consider pursuing an internship (or additional internships). Real-world experience is important no matter what you do next. Even if you intend to go directly to graduate school, internship experience will enhance your application and will have appeal to future employers.
Research
Research, either here on campus in partnership with a QU faculty member, or through one of our partner organizations, is a great way to gain hands-on experience in preparation for employment or graduate study.
Service Learning
Do you want to change the world? Great things start small, and you can be an architect of change that you want to see in our world. Step up and take a Service Learning Course!
Co-Curricular Opportunities
Campus groups and activities help you build marketable skills and become part of the QU community!
Study Away
Study Away refers to any academic experience taking place away from the Quinnipiac campus. You might study abroad in London, or you might spend a semester at one of our programs in Los Angeles or Washington, D.C.
Student Research and Experiential Learning Grants
This grant-in-aid program provides research and travel support for undergraduates majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences and graduate students in the Masters program in Molecular and Cell Biology.
