Light Sources are multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary in character, a researchers true “playground”. Our adventure starts with forefront research and our a model to develop the next generation in STEM.

The Center for Biomolecular Structure (CBMS), National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS II), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), addresses a wide range of environmental and life science questions by operating a suite of experimental facilities opening a wide range of opportunities that allows visiting researchers, partners, and collaborators to succeed in their hypothesis-driven research. In collaboration with the Office of Education (BNL), program “Student Partnerships for Advanced Research and Knowledge” (SPARK) we seek to promote the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary aspects of science today. The program provides the opportunity for high school students and their educators to become visiting researchers at NSLS II and develop their hypothesis-driven research in partnership with our scientists. This program, now in its fifth year, is an example of the importance of early on collaborations and partnerships between fore-front research facilities and educational institutions.

Acknowledgment: We wish to thank Dr Aleida Perez, for her leadership, SPARK program. We thank the CBMS team, OEP staff and scientific staff on the imaging and spectroscopy beam lines at NSLS II for making the SPARK a success. Our funding agencies, NIH-NIGMS #P30GM133893, DOE-BER #KP1605010, DOE-BES #DE-SC0012704 and BNL-BSA.

Vivian Stojanoff works at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. There, she uses x-rays at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) to study how atoms are arranged in protein crystals, because the arrangement affects how proteins function. For example, knowing the way atoms are arranged in the protein insulin has helped medical doctors provide better treatments for diabetes. Stojanoff was raised in Brazil, where she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in physics and her Ph.D. in crystallography at the University of São Paulo. Before joining the NSLS as a physicist in 2001, Stojanoff held scientific staff positions at the Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo, Brookhaven Lab's Biology Department, and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. In addition to her research at Brookhaven, Stojanoff inspires up-and-coming women in STEM fields by heading the Brookhaven Women in Science (BWIS) organization at the Lab. Under Stojanoffs leadership, BWIS hosts seminars and lectures each month, some featuring renowned women scientists from around the world. BWIS also administers two scholarships to women pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields and provides frequent networking opportunities for members to support each other's efforts on the job and encourage each other's successes.