The word “cimas” is a Spanish word that translates to “top” or “peak” in English. It reflects the high goals we want our students to achieve in their education and careers.

CIM²AS provides an opportunity to for students to gain valuable research experience and to experience a curriculum that seeks to make connections between science and culture. By combining teaching, research and meaningful programs developed by UIC’s Latino Cultural Center, we offer students a unique perspective into both their scientific identify and their cultural identity.

Every year a remarkable migration occurs for monarch butterflies between the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico to the eastern United States and Canada. The journey, which may be up to 3000-miles, serves as a symbol of migration for many Latinx communities. What drives the monarchs north in the spring, then south in the fall? The answer is survival. Monarchs are dependent on milkweed plants for reproduction, as milkweeds are the only plants they use to lay their eggs and feed their larvae. Their caterpillars are uniquely resistant to a toxin produced by the milkweed plant and by taking up these toxins, they are able to fend off their predators. So monarchs follow the milkweeds each spring and summer, but return to the oyamel fir forests of Michoacán, which provides the ideal conditions for monarchs to survive the winter.

The complex interplay between monarchs and milkweeds is a fascinating story that spans scientific fields ranging from ecology and evolution to biochemistry and physiology. This system provides rich opportunities to weave together scientific and cultural knowledge.

Please apply by February 2nd 2024  for full consideration!