Write A Researcher

About Us

Write A Researcher matches current Cornell scientists in STEM fields with high school students from around the world to write pen pal letters throughout the year in order to show school students what a scientist and scientific career looks like.

In the 2022-2023 school year, we:

Supported over 300 participants from across North America

Exchanged over 500 letters with scientists and STEM professionals

Saved our high school pen pals more than ~$13,000 in application fees to Cornell undergraduate programs

Our Purpose

Inspired by Letters to a Pre-Scientist, Write a Researcher was founded through Cornell Microbiology's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee as an effort to achieve representation in microbiology, which demands recognition of, and addressing, the leaky pipeline that is common amongst all STEM disciplines. Write a Researcher aims to connect STEM graduate students, postdocs, and faculty at Cornell University with high school students worldwide to show students that STEM careers are attainable by everyone as well as inspire the next generation of scientists. Additionally, Write a Researcher aims to eliminate the cost barrier to applying to Cornell University for participants by waiving the application fee for prospective undergraduates.

Our Team

Kevin England

Vice-President

Charlotte Albunio

Treasurer

Anthony Bui

President

Ian Hewson

Advisor