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Indian-American professor's medical student inspiration program completes 20 years
Mentorship and practical experience in the medical sciences are two ways the SARAS program at Stony Brook University motivates students.
Srinivas Pentyala. / Image - Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Stony Brook Medicine's Science and Research Awareness Series (SARAS). The series was initiated in 2004 by Srinivas Pentyala, an Indian-American physician and medical professor.
SARAS is a three-week program designed to inspire future medical professionals. It offers expert lectures and workshops, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in fields such as physical therapy and CPR training.
After observing that numerous college-bound students lacked a clear understanding of their future career paths, Pentyala, the professor and director of translational research at Stony Brook University's Renaissance School of Medicine, launched SARAS.
“Students who were set to graduate in a few weeks were saying, ‘I don’t know what to do next,’ that made me think that maybe we weren’t adequately exposing them to the futures that were within their grasp,” Pentyala said.
Beginning with informal discussions regarding potential careers, the SARAS program rapidly gained popularity, eventually accommodating up to 125 students annually. Over the past 20 years, SARAS has positively impacted over 2,000 students.
The program's objective is to assist students in making well-informed career decisions and to provide them with exposure to a diverse array of medical professions that extend beyond conventional roles. An immersive introduction to careers in biomedical science and medicine has been offered to high school students through the initiative.
Srinivas Pentyala surrounded by participants in Stony Brook Medicine’s 20th annual Science and Research Awareness Series. / Image - Stony Brook/ Jeanne Neville.“As a physical therapist clinician and professor, it was invigorating to see the positive interest from the high school students in the SARAS program,” said Kyle Hewson, vice chair and clinical associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.
Despite challenges, Pentyala remains committed to expanding SARAS and making it accessible to students. “We need to change the system so that more funding is there for underprivileged kids,” he said.
Pentyala earned his Ph.D. from the Molecular Physiology Division at Sri Venkateswara University in India and completed a fellowship at the Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical Center. His accolades include the "Pride of India" Gold Award for Science, Education, and Research in 2004, and numerous awards from Stony Brook University, such as the Campus Life Award for The Most Influential Professor. In 2023, he was also recognized as a Distinguished Fellow at the Fraunhofer Center IMW in Germany.
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