Booksh said national statistics show that only about 10 percent of high school students who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) register with the Disabilities Services for Students office before arriving on campus - a vastly under-reported percentage, he said. He said that has a lot to do with a perception of social stigma related to disabilities. He has been on the front lines working to address that, as chairman of the ACS's Committee on Chemists with Disabilities.

Rozovsky said when they first decided to develop an REU team for students with disabilities, she wasn't sure how students would take to being part of it. She thought they might just stay quiet, afraid to talk about their disability.

"It has been 180 degrees different from that," she said. "They are so relieved to just talk about it and say it out loud and find a community. Diabetes may affect their concentration. There may be underlying psychological issues. But they are dedicated and motivated. We were also lucky that our faculty members were equally dedicated."

It's effort well worthwhile, Booksh said. Some of the world's greatest scientists have had disabilities. For example, Joseph Priestley, who is credited with discovering oxygen, had a speech disability. Humphry Davy was partially blind, but is credited with discovering magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium, among other elements. Thomas Edison had a learning disability and hearing loss.

There must be room for such investigators, who - with appropriate accommodations - have much to contribute.

Connecting with a team of young researchers who share such challenges can provide new support networks and strategies that help students develop resilience, resourcefulness and confidence.

Charlotte Champigny, a biology major at Adelphi University, spent the summer in the lab of Prof. Edward Lyman (physics), analyzing lipid mixtures of membranes and the molecular interactions within them.

Her disability stems from two brain hemorrhages - one in 2006, one in 2009 - that left her with paralysis on her right side.

"Of course, I was a righty," she said with a smile. Now she is a lefty.

Processing words is a challenge for her and as she considers what to say and how to say it she often uses her finger to write the words out on her leg.

"I wanted to do osteopathic medicine," she said, "but my brain works twice as slow and for med school that was going to be tough."

Research has opened other doors - and the summer at UD allowed some time for fun.

"It's great," she said. "The social world and those interactions - I love that, too. At school, I usually study and have physical therapy. When I'm done, I'm exhausted, so I can't go out. Here it has been more relaxed."

Brian Clark, a sophomore chemistry major at Virginia State, came to UD to get some research under his belt and immerse himself in studies. There aren't many chemistry majors at his school, he said, and the UD program gave him an opportunity to participate in high-level research and use the University's resources. He worked with Prof. Zhihao Zhuang and grad student Greg Davidson, spending hours in the lab each day assisting with research on generating a modified protein known as polyUb-PCNA - work that has significant implications for understanding how cells respond to DNA damage.

Clark, who hopes to pursue a doctorate and then work for the FBI, the NSA or the Department of Homeland Security, has rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's Disease. Pain has been part of his life since he was in fourth grade.

"But you battle through it," he said, and he stays active, working out, playing football, wrestling, competing in track and field. "I'm a highly motivated individual. I'm not going to let anybody define me."

The REU team was a great experience, he said, and he found Booksh an inspiring leader.

"It's tailored to people with disabilities - and we're all overcoming, all doing our best," he said.

The summer had several "firsts" for John Latkowski of Cabrini University, who worked under the supervision of Prof. Robert Opila (materials science and engineering), crunching data to help find an optimal geometry design for an inverse photoemission spectrometer.

He had his first flight while on his way to another first, presenting research at Arizona State University.

The summer experience expanded his options for the future, he said.

"Originally I was planning to go straight to industry," he said. "Now I'm leaning toward graduate school."

Kamen is thinking a lot about graduate school now, too - perhaps in art conservation, perhaps working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.