Student Success
A Unique Opportunity for Emerging Scientists
RALEIGH, N.C. (November 21, 2025) – Curiosity, innovation and months of hands-on learning came to life Friday as student researchers in Wake Tech's STEM Academic Research & Training program (START) took the spotlight at the Fall Showcase.
START provides paid, hands-on research opportunities for students studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This semester, 50 interns completed 60 hours of research, training and community-building activities under the guidance of Wake Tech faculty and community mentors. The program has become a launchpad for competitive internships, transfer success and publication opportunities.
One student whose path was shaped by START is Carla Moore, a second-year student whose experience in the program set her apart when she applied for and was accepted into a competitive research internship at UNC-Chapel Hill last summer. Moore was able to work alongside Ph.D. students, gaining the unique opportunity to contribute to active doctoral research.
"I feel very fortunate to have been selected for my internship," Moore said. "It felt like a field trip every day. We worked with mice to study neurodegenerative diseases in children, and I was able to really grow my lab skills and get some helpful tips from skilled researchers."
Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls, who attended the showcase, praised the rigor and creativity on display.
"I always say, if you want to see talent on display, it's at the START Showcase," Ralls said. "Our faculty and students are incredibly impressive. I'm blown away by the research they've done."
The showcase also drew attention from the academic community. Former Wake Tech Trustee Dr. Benjamin Reese, a Duke University psychology professor specializing in unconscious bias, came to learn about the research projects.
"I am super-impressed and proud of Wake Tech and its students," Reese said. "Their depth of knowledge is vast, yet they know how to translate complex concepts into terms someone outside their field can understand."
In addition to presenting their work at the showcase, START students have opportunities to publish articles on their research in "Eureka!", the college's peer-reviewed undergraduate research journal, a rare offering among two-year institutions. The publication gives students experience with scientific writing and the peer-review process, providing a competitive edge as they pursue STEM pathways.
Combined with conference presentations and faculty-mentored research, these experiences help students stand out when applying for jobs or transferring to a university. Many START alumni have gone on to become Goodnight Scholars at North Carolina State University, earning a full-ride scholarship through the competitive program.
This fall's research projects included evaluating aquatic biodiversity in creeks and ponds on the Southern Wake Campus, collaborating with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) on photogrammetry techniques to support safer roadways and examining Pliocene-era fossils with geology faculty. Projects took place in the state-of-the-art STEM Lab on the Scott Northern Wake Campus and labs across the Southern Wake Campus, with additional collaboration from N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill, Appalachian State University and other organizations, such as NCDOT.
Funding for the START program is provided by a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, along with contributions from Duke Energy, Terracon, the Christman Company, Clancy & Theys, Brooks Pierce and DeLisa Alexander. Each intern receives a $1,000 stipend for completing the program's 60-hour commitment, which includes 15 hours of training, five hours of community-building and 40 hours of research.
The START program is accepting applications for the Spring 2026 semester until November 24. Research opportunities are available in biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, geology, astronomy and physics.
