Science Summer Camps

Camp Name: Research Intensive Summer Experience in Data Science (RISE-DS)   

Camp Dates: June 2nd – July 3rd

Camp Purpose: RISE provides students with exposure to data science, statistics and original scientific research through coursework and guided group research projects.

Camp Description: The world is filled with too much data to analyze. Yet, the work of Data Scientists is to comb through thousands and millions of data points to make sense of the information and predictions from it. You can learn the statistics behind these analyses and work on a real data science project during our RISE in Data Science summer program.

Students will be enrolled in a 3-hr introductory statistics class and will receive college credit in this class for their participation (equivalent to the AP Statistics Exam). Students will also be led by faculty in the analysis and predictive utilization of data of students choosing. Students will not only gain data science skills, but will work in a team setting to advance a project and will improve their communication skills through presentations.

Any specific requirements for participants: Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 as well as a math and science GPA of 3.0. Students are not allowed to take a vacation during the RISE program.

Can I participate again if I participated last year? The statistics course will be the same, but if you are interested in a different data science project, please email Beth Bowman (beth.bowman@belmont.edu).

Instructors: Dr. Christina Davis & Dr. Will Best

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Name: Research Intensive Summer Experience in Molecular and Cellular Biology (RISE-MCB)

Camp Dates: June 2nd – July 3rd

 Camp Purpose: RISE in Molecular and Cell Biology (RISE-MCB) provides students with exposure to statistics and original scientific research in molecular and cell biology techniques in a true laboratory setting.

 Camp Description: Students will be enrolled in a 3-hr introductory statistics class and will receive college credit in this class for their participation (equivalent to the AP Statistics Exam). As an extension to the morning statistics session, students with specific interest in biological systems will have the opportunity to perform research in the afternoon.

Cells are the smallest units of life. Though microscopic, cells are extremely complex with molecules that produce energy, build structures, store information and extract that stored information. This will be a practical laboratory experience exploring the techniques used to study cells and the molecules that function within them. Students will use scientific principles to establish methodsthat will be employed to study the inner functioning of human cells.

Instructors: Dr. Erick Spears & Dr. Will Best

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: June 2nd – June 6th

Camp Purpose: STEM Explorers will allow middle school students to explore science across all disciplines, from math through animals.

Camp Description: Do you like exploring the world around you? Do you like to understand the order and logic behind objects and life? STEM is for you! Come explore math and science with hands-on activities and learning. In this camp, we will spend a day digging into each component of STEM. If you love science in school, come get an immersive experience in a college setting!

• Math Day: We will develop mathematical strategies to solve puzzles and win games! Then we will consider how and why people's actions differ from what is mathematically optimal.
• Physics Day: We will split the day with morning sessions and afternoon sessions learning about the physics of sound with further exploration with hands-on activities!
• Chemistry Day: We will explore the world of matter through demonstrations, observations, building molecule models, and making slime! Following hands-on demos, we will discuss explanations behind our observations.
• Cells & You Day: We will be discovering everything that makes you...YOU! From your DNA up to your body, we'll be learning what makes you special.
• Animal Day: We will spend the day learning about organismal biology and animal and plant diversity! They will have the opportunity to see a variety of organisms found locally and may have the opportunity to do dissections.

Instructors: Dr. Felicity Sterling, Dr. Chase Kinsey, Dr. Krista McBride, Dr. Blake Dunshee, Jeff Gustafson

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: June 2nd – June 6th

Camp Purpose: The Pathways to Healthcare Practice Program will allow 11-16 year-old-students to explore diverse careers within healthcare.

Camp Description: Are you considering a career that changes lives? Are you interested in helping people live and feel their best, physically, mentally, and spiritually? Join us and discover the diverse impactful career opportunities within healthcare through professions like Exercise Science, Public Health, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Counseling, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and Primary Healthcare Providers. Learn from practitioners in the field through immersive, interactive,  hands-on learning and personal mentorship. Students earn a completion certificate,  engage with nationally recognized faculty, and interact with current students from Belmont University Health Sciences Programs.

Spots are limited! Sign up today and learn about the exciting pathways to a rewarding career in healthcare.

Instructors will be faculty within the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Camp Dates: June 2nd - June 6th

Camp Purpose: The participants will learn how to use creativity and logic to create their own interactive video games. The camp combines creativity and basic programming to making their own version of a computer game.

The Camp differs from other coding camps as it allows for the students to interact with computer science and programming concepts. The camp is focused on creating, developing, and coding games, not on just playing games or coding in general. Furthermore, the camp introduces concepts on how development and coding in general takes place on teams.

Camp Description: The Game Development and Programming camp will help students bridge the gap between arts and STEM as they practice creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.

All participants will learn about: creativity, coding, logic, variables, basic data structures, conditionals, sequencing, looping, random numbers, and physics-based game design.

The participants in the camp will work during the week to develop a game from scratch. Each day the participants will engage in activities to learn about coding and game development concepts followed by guided hands-on exercises that will have them apply the concepts learned to the game they are coding.

Any specific requirements for participants: HS students at the junior or senior level. Ideally, the student has taken algebra. No need for previous coursework on coding or programming experience but having it would help.

Can I participate again if I participated last year? This camp will be very similar to last year.

Instructor: Dr. Esteban Parra Rodriguez

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: June 23rd - June 27th

Camp Purpose: The purpose of this camp is to help students to gain a better understanding of the human body and how it relates to human diseases.

Camp Description: Students will explore several organ systems through microscopy and dissections. Systems will include Integumentary (skin), Cardiovascular (heart), Renal (kidneys), and Nervous (brain). In addition, students will investigate a rare or neglected condition relating back to these organ systems. These investigations will culminate in a poster presentation at the end of the camp to family, friends, and current Belmont students.

Any specific requirements for participants: All high school aged students welcome (14+)

Can I participate again if I participated last year? This camp will be very similar to last year.

Instructor: Dr. Felicity Sterling

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: June 23rd - June 27th

Camp Purpose: To show students the prominent role chemistry plays in forensic science and inspire them to see chemistry as a tool to solve mysteries and puzzles.

Camp Description: Students will explore the world of forensic chemistry all in one puzzling week! Students will spend the week solving forensics-based puzzles using practical chemistry laboratory techniques and data collection and analysis. Together we will collect mock samples for analysis with chemical techniques such as paper chromatography, flame analysis, and chemical separations. Students will also develop lab safety skills, foundational for any future lab work. Outside the lab, students will explore the job of a forensic chemist, participate in “chem-mystery investigations”, and get a taste of Belmont’s campus.

Any specific requirements for participants: Students must wear closed-toed shoes and long pants every day, even though it’s hot outside.

Instructor: Dr. Emily Moses and Jeff Gustafson

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 8^th – July 12^th

Camp Purpose: For underrepresented MNPS juniors / seniors to gain exposure to and experience with microbiological techniques to explore microbes in the environment.

Camp Description: We are surrounded by billions of microscopic organisms: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists. In the VISIBL program, local MNPS high schools students spend a week in labs at Belmont University making these invisible microbes visible.

Any specific requirements for participants: This camp is only for teacher-nominated MNPS rising juniors or seniors and the camp instructor works directly with teachers to identify participants. Therefore, individual students cannot register for this camp. However, there are occasionally a few extra spots for additional participants. Student from an underrepresented or disadvantaged background may email the instructor, Dr. Becky Adams (rebecca.adams@belmont.edu), to be placed on a backup email list. Dr. Adams will reach out by June 1 if there are additional spots for participants.

Can I participate again if I participated last year? No; this camp will be very similar to last year.

Instructor: Dr. Becky Adams

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 7th - July 11th

Camp Purpose: To expose students to sports statistics, analysis, and data science through statistical ideas and guided group projects through various sports.

Camp Description: Sports analytics has become a growing field with sports teams using data to make data driven decisions in almost all aspects of team structure and training. Through hands-on projects and interactive workshops, students will learn core concepts in data analysis, visualization, and interpretation, gaining valuable skills in Excel, R, and data visualization tools. Participants will work on real-world datasets to uncover insights and solve problems, culminating in a final presentation of their findings. Led by experienced instructors and industry professionals, this program offers a unique opportunity to discover how data shapes decisions in sports. No prior experience is needed—just curiosity and a willingness to learn!

Any specific requirements for participants: Algebra, with a grade of B or higher.

Instructors: Dr. Will Best

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 14th - July 18th

Camp Purpose: This course will introduce students to higher level mathematics (what is frequently taught after the calculus sequence) by the means of discrete mathematics. While the concepts are challenging, they require little background knowledge and are quite accessible for high school students.

Camp Description: We will practice our mathematical problem solving skills by exploring problems of many types all within the broad category of discrete mathematics. We will practice forming arguments in number theory and set theory. Then we will see how to visualize problems using graph theory. Specifically we will dive into topological graph theory and use graphs to analyze combinatorial games.

Any specific requirements for participants: All high school students are eligible. The only prerequisite is algebra. Some understanding of geometry would be helpful, but is not required.

Can I participate again if I participated last year? This camp will be very similar to last year.

Instructor: Dr. Blake Dunshee

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 14th - July 18th

Camp Purpose: Educate and expose students to microbiology and related topics with a focus on medical microbiology 

Camp Description: Students will learn foundational concepts in microbiology as well as perform various common laboratory tests to differentiate specific bacterial species. Throughout the week, students will work in groups to diagnose the bacterial species causing an infection based on a case study. These investigations will culminate in a poster presentation at the end of the camp to family, friends, and current Belmont students.

Any specific requirements for participants: No additional requirements.

Instructor: Dr. Vera Todd & Dr. Elizabeth Schoenfeld

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 21st - July 25th

Camp Purpose: Exploring the Physics of Sound in the World Around Us

Camp Description: This hands-on camp lets students explore the science of sound, vibrations, and acoustics, discovering how these concepts connect with music and everyday technology. Through interactive activities and creative experiments, students will learn how sound works and gain a new perspective on the world of acoustics.

Any specific requirements for participants: No additional requirements

Instructors: Dr. Krista McBride, Dr. Matthew Zeh, Jeff Gustafson

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 21st - July 25th

Camp Purpose: From Brain to Behavior at Belmont (BBB) is an immersive summer camp designed to spark your curiosity about neuroscience, psychology, and the fascinating connection between the brain and behavior. Through hands-on activities, interactive lectures, and creative projects, you’ll explore how the brain works and how it influences everything we think, feel, and do.

Camp Description: Are you curious about how your brain creates thoughts, memories, and emotions? Do you want to learn how psychology and artificial intelligence (AI) intersect to shape the future of human-computer interaction? If so, BBB is the perfect summer experience for you! As a BBB Scholar, you'll dive deep into the world of neuroscience and psychology through exciting hands-on activities and experiments. Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll get to do:

• Dissect a Real Sheep Brain 🧠: Get hands-on experience exploring brain anatomy by dissecting a sheep brain. Don’t worry—we’ll guide you every step of the way!
• Build Your Own Neuron 🎨: Using fun craft supplies like pipe cleaners and play dough, you'll design your own model of a neuron to understand how brain cells communicate.
• Design Human-Computer Interaction Games 💻🎮: Learn how psychology and AI come together in designing interactive experiences. You’ll create your own human-computer interaction game that reflects principles of cognition and user experience.
• Explore Neurotransmitters 🧬: Discover how chemicals in your brain affect mood, behavior, and cognition through engaging lectures and activities.
• Debunk Popular Psychology Myths 🔍: Ever heard that we only use 10% of our brains? Think again! We’ll explore common myths in psychology and reveal the science behind them.
• Create a Scientific Poster 🎤📊: Throughout the week, you’ll work on a capstone project where you’ll summarize your newfound knowledge in a professional scientific poster presentation. You’ll present your work at the end of the camp during our Poster Session & Closing Ceremony.

Along with these exciting activities, you’ll also get to tour research labs, interact with college students during Q&A sessions, and even explore AI applications in data analysis! Whether you're interested in pursuing a career in neuroscience or psychology—or just want to understand more about how your brain works—this camp will give you valuable insights that you can apply throughout your life. Plus, you'll get to collaborate with other students who share your passion for science! 

Any specific requirements for participants: No additional requirements

Can I participate again if I participated last year?  Yes, you can attend again, but this year’s camp offers new and exciting activities that build on last year’s experience! While some core elements remain the same—like brain dissection and neuron-building—we’ve added fresh, interactive sessions to keep things engaging and challenging for returning students.Here’s what’s new this year:

• Human-Computer Interaction Game Design 💻🎮: Dive into the world of psychology and AI by designing your own interactive games. You’ll learn how to create experiences that reflect principles of cognition and user behavior, blending psychology with cutting-edge technology.
• AI Applications in Data Analysis 🤖: Explore how artificial intelligence is used in neuroscience research to analyze complex data, giving you a glimpse into the future of brain science.
• New Lab Activities 🧪: This year, we’re introducing more hands-on experiments, such as vitamin shop research and exploring how neurotransmitters affect behavior.

If you enjoyed last year’s camp but want to explore new topics like AI, human-computer interaction, and more advanced psychological concepts, this year’s program will offer plenty of fresh challenges!

Instructor: Dr. Lingfei Luan and Dr. Jinhee Park

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 21st - July 25th

Camp Purpose: Introduce high school students to recreational mathematics

Camp Description: Do you take the deal on Deal or No Deal? Where should the chip be placed on the game Plinko on The Price is Right? What’s the best wager in Final Jeopardy!? It’s a little bit of a secret: with some math or statistics, we can make a pretty good guess or even have a right answer! Let’s find out those answers together!

Any specific requirements for participants: Algebra, with a grade of B or higher.

Instructor: Dr. Ryan Fox

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page