CITY ROUNDS:

Mentor de Force

Ite Laird-Offringa helps develop many important things
in her laboratory-including future scientists.
by Monika Guttman

 

What does a cell's cytoplasm have in common with a kitchen? Or DNA with a library?

Quite a lot, says Ite Laird-Offringa, Ph.D., assistant professor of surgery and biochemistry and molecular biology. The analogies are all part of the Holland native's efforts to make science understandable, interesting and fun to the many high school, undergraduate, master's and Ph.D. students she mentors in her laboratory at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Many studies suggest mentoring-a more involved level of teaching or supervising that includes role modeling, personal guidance and support-leads to higher levels of success in both

academics and the workplace. To Laird-Offringa, however, mentoring in the sciences is vital. "There is so much to know, and science can be very rigorous. Without some guidance, it can be overwhelming and you might lose some really good potential scientists." Besides, notes the mother of two young daughters, "Up to now there just haven't been that many working mothers and wives as scientific role models. I tell my female students it can be done, but you have to work very, very hard."

At any one time, Laird-Offringa will have several students in her lab. Through the Troy Tech Program with Orange County's Troy High School, a high school student may spend several weeks in her lab during the summer.

During the school year, undergraduates from USC's University Park Campus may join the master's and Ph.D. candidates in biochemistry who sign on to work for a year or more.

Aside from learning how to do experiments-Laird-Offringa's research concerns lung cancer as well as how proteins bind to RNA -the students learn how best to present their materials to each other at lab meetings and how to collaborate. She also stresses writing. "In science you write papers, and you have to write letters to people to convince them to do what you want. The challenge is to get your point of view or your science across in an enthusiastic way. It actually can be a lot of fun."

Laird-Offringa knew she wanted to be a molecular biologist as

a 14-year-old, when she read an

article about DNA in National Geographic. She credits various mentors in her own life with solidifying her interest in science, her confidence and her skills.

The key to good mentoring,

she believes, is both to teach her students about science and, at the same time, to make sure they end up doing what is appropriate for them. "My first master's student, for example, seemed to have a stronger interest in clinical cancer research, so I encouraged her to go to medical school, which she did."

Laird-Offringa's mentoring is effective, judging by the results: her last high school student won an award for the work he did in her laboratory, and another master's student went on to the Keck School of Medicine of USC. And one of her Ph.D. students is in the process of submitting her second scientific article.

For Laird-Offringa, there are personal payoffs to mentoring, too. "To take a high school student who is like a clean slate and encourage an interest in science is wonderful," she says. "To watch a Ph.D. student mature into an independent scientist with knowledge and confidence gives you enormous satisfaction." 

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