Each summer, Jennifer Gillette, PhD, leads undergraduate students on a journey of scientific discovery at The University of New Mexico, giving each cohort a glimpse into what it means to be a full-time biomedical researcher.
The great part of the Undergraduate Pathways Network is that I really look at it as a foundational umbrella for all undergraduate summer researchers.
– Jennifer Gillette, PhD, Professor, Department of Pathology, UNM School of Medicine & Associate Director for Education, Training and Mentoring, UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
Gillette has been the director of UNM’s Undergraduate Pathways Network (UPN) since 2013. The 10-week program brings together a group of science-focused undergraduate students who perform research under the guidance of a mentor, participate in professional development seminars and get to know each other via social activities and networking.
“The great part of the Undergraduate Pathways Network is that I really look at it as a foundational umbrella for all undergraduate summer researchers,” said Gillette, who is also a professor in the Department of Pathology in the UNM School of Medicine, and the associate director for education, training and mentoring for the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Applicants needn’t have prior research experience, she said. Gillette matches each UPN participant with a relevant scientific discipline and a mentor in that field.
Available disciplines include cancer biology, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, neurosciences, population sciences, toxicology and pharmaceutical sciences, and many more.
Grants provide most of UPN’s funding, and they have allowed the program to grow over time, Gillette said.
Jennifer Gillette, PhD, sits in her creatively decorated office on UNM North Campus. Photo Credit: Tom Szymanski
“It’s always exciting,” she said. “Every cohort has a different feel with a unique group of students that comes together. It’s always fun watching relationships develop.” The bonds can last a lifetime, she said.
Further, the program teaches students transferable skills.
“Coming in and engaging in research helps them to learn critical thinking skills and how to evaluate data, and they also experience working in a team environment that is sometimes stressful,” Gillette said. “Those are all skill sets that you could take with you no matter what career path you take. Not to mention, the more connections you have, the better you are.”
A final symposium at the end of the summer allows the student researchers to present their findings, not only to the public, but to their families and friends, she said.
“There’s a level of empowerment, not just for the student, but for the family, especially for a lot of our students, who are typically rural or under-resourced—a lot of them are first generation,” she said.
“This is a real kind of eye-opening moment. Without this experience, you probably don’t have the same level of confidence and understanding of what a career in science could look like, and the breadth of opportunity that exists in science.”
Federica Martinelli, a UNM undergraduate student who is from Italy, completed UPN in 2025.
“What really made UPN special was the sense of belonging that they managed to create, because I think it created a space where I really felt supported, included,” Martinelli said. “I think that made a big difference.”
She said her legs were shaking the morning of the research symposium, but she gained confidence leading up to her presentation to the judges.
“I was lucky enough that I had people coming prior to the judges, and so I got to warm up a little bit, and then the feeling of, ‘Oh my God, I’m doing this, I did this, I got this’—makes you really supercharged, and you feel really proud,” Martinelli said.
UNM student Federica Martinelli, left, presents her research at the UPN summer research symposium on UNM North Campus in 2025. Photo Credit: Allan Stone
She did so well, her poster won an award—a first for the research lab she had worked in that summer.
“It was a really joyful moment,” she said.
Martinelli is now working on a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and plans to go to graduate school to study research.
Banner and Thumbnail Images: UNM student Federica Martinelli, left, presents her research at the UPN summer research symposium on UNM North Campus in 2025. Photo Credit: Allan Stone. Illustration Credit: Claire Hannon.