The Student Discovery Zone Connects Life Science Students With Industry

Now in its 15th year, the Student Discovery Zone has provided over 1,500 students with the opportunity to showcase their science and connect with industry leaders as they compete for scholarship prizes.

Students from across Arizona come together each fall to showcase their science findings and make connections in the Student Discovery Zone. (Image Courtesy of Mark Goldstein, International Research Center.)

Students gain valuable insights and make industry connections in  the Student Discovery Zone. (Image Courtesy of Mark Goldstein, International Research Center.)

The AZAdvances Talent program is a key component of AZAdvances, a statewide initiative that focuses on developing the next generation of bioscience and healthcare leaders in Arizona.

The Student Discovery Zone, created in 2011, is a key component of the AZAdvances Talent Program where high school and university students submit research projects for evaluation by leading researchers. Students are then invited to join hundreds of industry leaders at the AZBio Awards each year during Arizona Bioscience Week. The students also compete for scholarship prizes that are awarded in the high school student and university student categories.

Since 2011, over 1,500 students have had the opportunity to showcase their work and make connections in the Student Discovery Zone as they network and explore career paths.

The Student Discovery Zone program is supported through donations to the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OTEF), a 501c3 public charity that has been operating in Arizona since 2005. Key funding to support the program is provided by the Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio) and leading healthcare and research organizations including Dignity Health and the Barrow Neurological Institute.

Arizona life science educators are essential partners in the success of the Student Discovery Zone by making their students aware of the opportunity, supporting them on developing and executing their research projects, and helping them to prepare high-quality presentations. The program also attracts students from the award winning KEYS program at the University of Arizona, as well as internship programs at Dignity Health and the Helios Scholars Program at TGen.

Arizona’s leading researchers serve as judges, reviewing and scoring the student applications, which include a summary of their project, results, and a 2-minute video presentation by the student. These scores form the basis for the program’s scholarship awards in the high school and university categories. 

Over the years, students from across the state have participated in the Student Discovery Zone—traveling to Phoenix from the Navajo Nation, from Flagstaff up in the northern part of the state, and from Tucson in the south.

Many student-industry connections have been made over the years that have grown into deep and supportive relationships. For example, a university student at the first Student Discovery Zone in 2011 explained in her presentation that her study of heart disease was inspired by her grandfather who had recently died of the disease. Her goal was to someday make a difference for people like him. That evening, she met a mentor who worked with her throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies. She went on to become a reviewer at the FDA, evaluating new medical devices to help people with heart disease.

As with any long-running program, there are times when things come up that force you to adapt. One of these times was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The program pivoted to a video-based challenge format so that we can continue the tradition in the safest way possible. 2020 was also the first year that the scholarship competition was added to the program.

In addition to the opportunities that the program creates for students, the Student Discovery Zone helps the community gain a view of the future as they see and hear about the work of these talented students. The program is a community favorite, and when the student procession kicks off the AZBio Awards ceremony each year, the students get a standing ovation from over 600 industry leaders.

About the Author:

Joan Koerber-Walker serves on the Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) Board of Directors and is currently President & CEO of the Arizona Bioindustry Association, Inc. (AZBio);  Chairman of the Board of the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OTEF); and a Trustee of the AZAdvances initiative.