Cooper Galvin remembers being inspired to become a scientist back when he was a high schooler in Alaska. Galvin, now a graduate student in biophysics at Stanford, was encouraged to follow his own interests, and was given the support and space to experiment, make mistakes, and try, try again.
At Stanford, he found that some of his classmates in biophysics also attributed their passion for science to similar self-directed, mentor-supported learning experiences -- and they all wanted to bring such experiences to high schoolers in the Bay Area who might not otherwise have such opportunities. They worked together with Patrick Allamandola, a science teacher at Andrew P. Hill High School in San Jose, to start a program there called FAST -- Future Advancers of Science and Technology -- in which Stanford graduate students in science volunteer as mentors in a Saturday program for students.
FAST is a 2018-19 Diversity and Inclusion Innovation Funds (DIF) Project. Cooper Galvin is a SPICE funding recipient and DIF funding recipient.
