Broadcom MASTERS Rewards Top Schools and Teachers

On November 27, representatives from Broadcom Foundation and Elmer’s Products, Inc., presented awards to both the school and teachers of Raymond Gilmartin, winner of the $25,000 Samueli Foundation prize at the 2012 Broadcom MASTERS. Raymond won this prize for overall STEM excellence, mastery of STEM principles during the weeklong competition for finalists, and his project on the effect of rear spoilers on drag and lift in cars.

 

Paula Golden, Executive Director of Broadcom Foundation and Director of Community Affairs at Broadcom Corporation, presented a $1,000 check and plaque to South Pasadena Middle School. "Raymond's teachers exemplify what every parent wants for his or her child: bright, engaged, forward looking educators to assess the strengths of a student and enable him or her to achieve personal goals through hands-on learning," Golden said. "Raymond is the "Every-Child" we want our kids to be as STEM learners. He was curious about something in his everyday life, and he connected his curiosity to his school learning to apply knowledge to a subject he is now passionate about. Raymond is on his way to a STEM career - perhaps in physics or engineering; both of which he applied in his science project."

 

Dave Incao, Vice President, Global Walmart Support for Elmer’s, presented teachers Emily Hoffman and Kathleen Bellinghiere each a $500 Walmart gift card in honor of their contributions to the success of their student. “Elmer’s is pleased to recognize Ms. Hoffman and Ms. Bellinghiere for the leadership and guidance they have provided to Raymond throughout the competition,” said Incao.  “We are proud to support the Broadcom MASTERS and all those involved.” Elmer’s also offers up to $300 of savings for the classrooms of all Broadcom MASTERS nominees.

 

Awards are presented to the school and teachers of the Broadcom MASTERS grand prize winner at a school assembly to recognize the essential role that teachers and school communities play in the creative process and encourage other students to participate in hands-on independent science research.

 

In addition to the award presentations, 7^th and 8^th grade students heard a brief description of the Broadcom MASTERS program, viewed a highlights video that included Raymond’s winner announcement and clips of the hands-on challenges finalists competed in, and learned about the importance of participating in the science fair.

 

Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars), a program of Society for Science & the Public is the national science, technology, engineering, and math competition for U.S. 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, that aims to inspire and encourage the nation's young scientists, engineers and innovators. Students are nominated to apply for Broadcom MASTERS after placing in the top 10% of their regional fairs, providing a great opportunity for students to participate nationwide.

SSP Fellows Meet with Assistant to the President for Science and Technology

 

As part of the Fellows Institute, the 2012 Class of SSP Fellows met this morning with Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

 

Dr. Holdren spoke to the Fellows about the importance that the Administration is placing on STEM education, including the recent announcement of the STEM Master Teacher Corps, working with the White House Council of Women and Girls  toward more female inclusion in STEM fields, advocating for increasing math and science skills in K-12 classes, and strongly encouraging colleges and universities to address the steep attrition rate (60%) between students who enter college with the plan of pursuing a STEM career and those who actually obtain a degree in those fields.

 

Dr. Holdren also described how much President Obama enjoyed attending the White House Science Fairs and interacting with the students and their projects. Rebecca Grella, a 2012 SSP Fellow, even had a student, Samantha Garvey, an Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist who was invited to attend the second White House Science Fair in February 2012, which was an example of the prominence the Administration is attempting to put on improving STEM education in the U.S.

 

 

The meeting included a question and answer period for the Fellows where they discussed the importance of providing incentives for successful STEM teachers, improving the minority achievement gap, and successfully training new researchers in the higher education system. Dr. Holdren finished by congratulating the Fellows for being selected and “for what you have done and will do to raise the game in STEM education.”

 

The SSP Fellowship, enabled since 2009 through generous support from the Intel Foundation, provides teachers financial and training resources to support and inspire the success of their most enthusiastic science students. SSP Fellows receive an $8,500 stipend, ongoing support, and attend a week-long intensive training, known as the Fellows Institute, in Washington, DC. Earlier in the week, Fellows also had the opportunity to visit their elected officials on Capitol Hill and meet with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

SSP Fellow Richard Fox Teaches Forensics to Students and Connects the Community

Richard Fox, a 2010 SSP Fellow, is a forensic science teacher at Charlestown High School in Boston, Massachusetts. Below he describes his collaborations with the Boston-area community and the impact participating in research has on students. 

 

What is your background in science and research, including what first drew you to science?

Actually, I was a terrible student in high school. I was very bored and disinterested and had trouble  making connections between school and the real world. An introductory ecology class in college sparked my interest and I decided to be a science major. While in college, I worked a crazy job as a zoologist at Busch Gardens in Tampa where I used to do everything from pulling blood samples of African wildlife to roping ostriches! In the last twenty years I have had the opportunity to be trained at some of the finest scientific facilities in the country, including the Human Remains I.D Lab, Oak Ridge National Labs, the Human Genome Project, and the McCrone School of Microscopy.

 

How has being a SSP Fellow impacted your ability to develop a research program?

Being a SSP Fellow has provided me with the opportunity to purchase much needed data gathering equipment that our students did not previously have access to. It also exposed me to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair , which is sort of the “Olympics” of science fairs. It is quite an amazing event.

 

Can you describe the progress you have made at your school and in your community?

Boston has a very checkered past of racial division. Some of the scars from the forced bussing of the 1970’s still run very deep. Most of my students come from the city, where the police are often viewed as corrupt or suspicious. Since the development of the forensic program at Charlestown High School many of my students have expressed an interest in law enforcement careers. Collaboration with the Boston Police Department and other forensic facilities has brought together students and professionals from what was often considered “different worlds.”

 

You are collaborating with professionals to build a forensic facility in Boston that will be used to train high school students in forensic and biotechnology laboratory techniques. Can you describe what has happened with that project and how you were able to develop this collaboration?

Boston is a research town. Over the last couple of years we have received equipment donations worth vast sums of money. The idea was to develop an on-site laboratory that could be used to train students to fill a huge shortage of knowledge workers. Charlestown High School is currently undergoing a major renovation that will take 2 1/2 years. Since the plans for the lab will be frozen for at least that long, colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital and I are looking at another location.

 

You have also recently begun hosting biotech and forensic lab workshops for younger students. Can you tell us about that?

There is nothing more exciting than watching my older students work with younger students. This year we ran a month long weekend forensic workshop for middle school students at Emmanuelle College. We also sponsored a silent auction for a “CSI” birthday party. The 4^th graders that won the auction came to my lab where we took fingerprints from balloons, dental impressions from the cake, and used a thermo probe to record the temperature of the birthday candles before the kids blew them out.

 

What advice would you have for other individuals attempting to increase interest in science in their communities and nurture students through the research process?

Remember that there is always opportunity to collaborate with the community. I came from Las Vegas where there was very little interest in education. I began to reach out to everyone from casinos to the Las Vegas Police Department. You would be surprised how much support there is when folks know you are working to help kids.

 

Why do you think it’s important for students to participate in scientific research?

Research helps with the understanding of basic scientific principles. With an ever increasing technical and complex world our students need to be more scientifically literate than ever before. It may sound cliché but I believe it is a foundation of a strong democracy.

 

What are your future plans?

I am approaching the mid point of my career and I am interested in taking things to another level. I would like to create something very unique. The community lab would fit that bill. I could train some younger teachers how to teach basic forensics, teach a couple of advanced forensic courses, and arrange internships for the high school students. That would be my dream job.

 

Final thoughts?

I have been doing forensics for a long time and I am always interested in helping people get their programs started even if they are only interested in integrating a forensic component into existing curriculum. Feel free to reach out!

Value Not in Selection but in Attempt

Ling Li is a Vice President and Credit Officer at JPMorgan Chase. She submitted her original research project to the 1988 Science Talent Search in hopes of being selected as a finalist. Despite not being selected, her letter below describes the value she got out of the experience.

 

I attended New York's Bronx High School of Science from 1984 to 1988. I was among the students who chose to participate in the Science Talent Search (STS), which was called Westinghouse STS then but is now known as Intel STS. For more than a year, several times a week after school, I made the hour-long commute on subway from the school campus in the Bronx to Rockefeller University in Manhattan.

 

At Rockefeller University, I worked in a research lab with a scientist who was conducting cell research. It was a privilege to be in that lab and exposed me to knowledge far beyond high school level material. The process was extremely technical and intellectually challenging, and it wasn’t always easy to choose between being in a lab and hanging out with my friends. But with support from my teachers and the kind mentorship of the scientist I worked with, I persisted in undertaking and completing an independent research project. At the end of the year, I submitted my project to STS, but I was not selected as one of the semi-finalists.

 

In the 25 years since working on my project for STS, I have often looked back on that experience with appreciation and pride.  The act of persevering through such an intellectually challenging and time-consuming project has provided many lessons for the rest of my education, my career, and my life. 

 

The STS experience gave me the confidence to pursue a technical major in college (an engineering degree from Columbia) as well as the motivation to pursue two Master’s degrees (at Yale and UCLA).  My first job out of school was as an investment banking analyst at a major financial institution.  I believe that despite not having any prior exposure to business/finance, my proven willingness to put in the long hours to do analytical work was a key factor in getting this competitive position. 

 

I have been a corporate banker for more than 16 years, in a career where I provide financial and strategic advice to corporations. The processes of inquiring, analyzing, researching and presenting conclusions are the tools of my trade.  I have often had colleagues remark that what stands out about me is inquisitiveness and an analytical mind.  This has led me to contemplate where such habits originate and what can inspire similar tendencies in children (including my own) and in young people.

 

The reason for my deep appreciation of the STS experience is this – it was the seed for a lifetime of learning and planted the confidence to tackle any intellectual endeavor.  Doing independent research in a stimulating environment provided the chance to practice repeatedly for over a year, the tenacity and focus needed to turn inquiries into conclusions, and to translate diligent effort into results. Being selected as a semi-finalist or publicly recognized wasn’t the most important factor in that youthful but brief period.  The experience ultimately provided intangible rewards that are immeasurable and lasting throughout my career and my life. 

 

 

Q & A with SSP Fellow Sydney Bergman

Sydney Bergman, a 2010 Society for Science & the Public (SSP) Fellow, is a biology teacher at School Without Walls, her own alma mater, in Washington, D.C. Sydney has two students attending the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) this May in Pittsburgh and has successfully created multiple partnerships with area organizations.

 

What made you decide to apply to be a SSP Fellow?
I had been supporting the science fair program at School Without Walls (SWW) for a few years, but struggled with funding for student projects. I appreciated the flexibility of the grant, particularly in terms of funding all aspects of student projects, not just supplies and equipment.  In my time at SWW, we've gone from having one or two students compete in the citywide science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) fair to having 11 compete.

 

What is your background in science and research?
I got into science by working in gardens. I worked at the garden for my summer camp as a kid, and worked in a community garden before high school, teaching kids about gardening and science. I majored in biology and writing, intending to become a science writer, but was drawn into teaching instead. I've been teaching at School Without Walls, where also I went to high school, for five years.

 

Can you describe what your experience as an SSP Fellow has been like?
My experience as a Fellow has been fantastic. I had students work on extracurricular projects their first year, in conjunction with the school's senior thesis project class. This year, I taught a section of Senior Project in Science, which is an independent investigations class. I had 11 students, all of whom completed projects and competed in the citywide STEM fair. The stipend from the Fellowship, provided by SSP and Intel, as well as funding from other sources, has been crucial in making such a class possible.

 

Can you describe the progress you have made at your school and in your community?
This year, I had students compete at the citywide science fair. Six won their categories; the remaining five were competing in categories with SWW students. Three students won first, second, and third overall and the top two are going to be attending Intel ISEF this year as well. All students won special awards. Their success in the program has definitely attracted attention, as has students' pride in their own projects. I'm actively recruiting students for next year's program.

I’ve also developed major partnerships with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and with George Washington University and Chef Jose Andres. Jose and GWU approached the school about developing a curriculum centered around food. I developed and piloted lessons related to science and food, particularly looking at the evolution of lactose tolerance, protein structure, and biotechnology techniques in the context of insulin manufacturing.


Chef Jose visited class one day, and did a wonderful demo about the science of spherification and other cooking techniques. It was amazing! It was really special for students to get to see that cooking is applied science, and Jose is an extremely energetic and charismatic educator.

 

How has the support you offered impacted students and the broader community?
Students in the research class are going to college knowing that they can be successful doing long-term science research projects. Students are definitely more confident in their abilities in terms of doing lab procedures, as well as in their ability to work on projects that need a lot of attention and revision. Many of them plan to major in science or math, which is great! In terms of the larger community, the school is definitely supportive of the science program, and more and more students are expressing interest in taking upper level sciences.

 

What advice would you have for other individuals attempting to increase interest in science in their communities and nurture students through the research process?
Community partnerships are absolutely key.  I don't try to mentor all eleven students; I partnered with NIH and NOAA to provide mentors. I, of course, support students and supervise them, but it helps kids a lot more if they connect with actual working scientists.  I'm lucky that my school is in Washington, D.C., near a lot of government agencies that can provide mentors; I would encourage teachers to reach out to whoever is in their communities. Students need to see that the scientific community is incredibly diverse in terms of background, experience, and interest. They also need to learn how to work with an adult, in terms of learning business communication, punctuality, etc.

 

Do you have any advice for young students interested in pursuing science?
Science is a verb - students need to do science in order to learn it. I wanted students to experience what it's like to take a project from an initial idea to a completed set of research, and to present that research. That being said, it doesn't happen in a vacuum. Almost all of the students in my research class took or are taking an AP science, often doubling up.

That said, you don't need to be a straight-A student to do science well, nor do you have to be a 'genius' or 'brilliant.' People have this misconception that scientists are born knowing everything and that science is inaccessible to people who aren't somehow gifted. That's pretty much nonsense. So, I would tell students who are interested in doing science to do well in their science classes, but also to have a variety of experiences that they can bring to their projects. They should also know that 'soft skills' like perseverance, reliability, and communication skills, etc., are just as important as knowing the content in completing a project.

 

What are your future plans?
Right now, I'm gearing up to attend Intel ISEF for the first time, which I'm very excited about. In addition, I am working with George Washington University to arrange a forum for students with Dr. Ferid Murad, who won the Nobel Prize in medicine. I'm also actively recruiting students for next year's research class!

 

Final Thoughts?
Don't be afraid to ask for help supporting your program. I get support from NIH and NOAA, as I said, as well as part of the school's senior project curriculum. Reaching out to people in the scientific community has been a fantastic experience. You don't know if people are willing to help until you ask!

 

Q & A with SSP Fellow Dominique Evans-Bye

Dominique Evans-Bye, a 2011 SSP Fellow, is a biology and geographic information systems (GIS) teacher at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta, CA. Students from her school recently won the Lexus Eco Challenge.

 

What made you decide to apply to be a Society for Science & the Public (SSP) Fellow?

I applied to be a SSP Fellow in order to give my students the best research experience possible. I look forward to the valuable training, mentorship, and peer support that I will receive through the program. A research stipend was a top motivating factor to ensure my program is sustainable through these tough economic times.

 

What first drew you to science?
My background is in marine biology and geographic information systems science. As a child, any show on TV about animals was, for me, a source of great entertainment. I bred hamsters to predict the color variations that would be produced by different crosses. I was especially fascinated by the marine environment and could hardly wait until I was old enough to enroll in a scuba diving certification program.

 

How has being a SSP Fellow impacted your ability to develop a research program?
I value the experience I’ve had as an SSP Fellow. Project management was an area I wanted to grow in, and SSP gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge in that area and gave me the experience I needed to set up my own project management plan. Having a plan has helped me give my students research opportunities that they normally would not have until graduate school.

 

What activities have your students participated in?
My students have enjoyed the positive response their projects have garnered at community events. They have presented posters and displays at “GIS Day,” at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works headquarters, the Western Society of Naturalists (WSN) Annual Meeting, Clark Magnet High School’s o pen house, the Los Angeles County Science Fair,  the California State University, Northridge Student Research Symposium, and to the Glendale Unified School Board. They have entered their projects in competitions such as the WSN poster symposium, Los Angeles County Science Fair, Lexus Eco Challenge, Siemen’s, QuikScience Challenge, and Thacher Environmental Research Contest.

 

How has the support you offered impacted students and the broader community?
I have watched my students gain confidence in their abilities and I’ve watched that confidence grow immensely. My students’ parents have expressed their gratitude for the opportunities that have opened up for my students who are involved with the programs I have to offer.

 

What advice would you have for other individuals attempting to increase interest in science in their communities and nurture students through the research process?
Support from the school’s administration is critical. An educator must have the flexibility to structure a class or a school program around scientific research. The administrators need to allow students to take trips for field work, travel to competitions, and miss a class or two to concentrate on meeting a deadline.  Promoting competitions around environmental issues or robotics engineering seems to interest students most. You have to do a lot of marketing to bring in enough students to make the program viable to run. I’ve created a series of science elective courses with an emphasis on research. The program should be structured in levels so students get credit for a new class each year they sign up. There must be a balance between the rigor of the class and fun. I set minimum requirements, and leave it up to the student to put in the extra effort to reap the benefits competitions offer. That seems to take a lot of the pressure off the students and as a result, most will rise to the challenge.

 

Do you have any advice for young students interested in pursuing science?
Students will be more likely to pursue higher education and a career path in science if they have the knowledge, experience, and some early success in the field. My advice to students is to look past the worksheets and end of the chapter questions. Science is setting up your own experimental design, working in the field or laboratory to gather data and observations, performing your own data analysis, and then communicating your findings. Science allows you to express your creativity. In science, you can be part of a team working to solve some of the world’s most important and complex mysteries. My advice to students is to consistently push yourself. Don’t just take the easiest classes or do only the minimum requirements for graduation. Take those harder math classes you don’t think you’ll need. Set yourself up early to have an easier time in college, and then set a clear path to graduation. Plan on going to graduate school. Get experience through volunteer work and internships. Apply for lots of scholarships and keep applying every year. Build a resume as you go.

 

What are your future plans?
I will be working with the Coastal Marine BioLabs during the coming summer, to bring the “Barcoding Life’s Matrix” program to my Marine Science Research class. My students will be extracting and analyzing DNA of local marine life to upload to a growing online database of genetic information of species on our planet. This will be another component of the ongoing project mapping the abundance and distribution of marine life in the Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary using ArcGIS. 

 

Your students recently competed at the Lexus Eco-Challenge. Can you describe that experience?
My second-year GIS students were tasked to investigate an environmental issue and create a research project focusing on the issue they chose. Out of four projects submitted by my student teams, one won the regional Air/Climate Challenge, then went on to take First Place in the Lexus Eco Challenge. The winning project used spatial analysis and spatial statistics in ArcGIS on ozone smog data from the Environmental Protection Agency to analyze patterns of ozone smog pollution in California. 

 

The Lexus Eco Challenge is geared toward community involvement and environmental activism. They want students to make a difference in the environment through their actions. Students love doing that because they feel empowered when their efforts lead to positive outcomes. In the ozone smog project, students identified a problem and then promoted a solution to use less fossil fuels in order to decrease smog leve ls.

My other team did some amazing projects as well. One project used GIS to model sea level rise. FEMA’s Hazus- MH software was used to estimate economic loss in the areas flooded by a 20-foot increase in sea level. They found huge impacts in Sacramento, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, Marina Dey Rey, and Los Alamitos Bay.

 

Final Thoughts?

I have found that the team format works great for students. They enjoy the camaraderie and can progress their project much further than when working alone. A big weakness that my teams seem to fall into is that they don’t fully understand the role of each team member or how that role fits in the project. That has been a major obstacle for success in science competitions for my students. I think this can be avoided with a more equitable division of tasks. I’ve suggested this to the teams, but have taken a more hands-off approach to allow the team leader and the teams themselves to decide the details of their projects. In the future, I will have more structured requirements. People tend to gravitate towards their strengths. The main goal, however, is to encourage students to continue with their education, not just win a contest. Each team member needs to know every part of the project they have worked on.

 

About the SSP Fellowship- Each year, ten top U.S. high school science and math teachers are selected by SSP as Fellows based on their unique plans to reach students in underserved communities and inspire excellence in independent scientific research. Funded by Intel, the program includes a stipend, ongoing training and resources, and attendance at the Fellows Institute in Washington, DC.

Q & A with SSP Fellow Kathryn Hedges

Kathryn Hedges, a 2011 SSP Fellow, is a pre-college teacher at Lew Wallace STEM Academy in Gary, IN. Students from her school recently won a regional robotics competition. Each year, ten top U.S. high school science and math teachers are selected by SSP as Fellows based on their unique plans to reach students in underserved communities and inspire excellence in independent scientific research. Funded by Intel, the program includes a stipend, ongoing training and resources, and attendance at the Fellows Institute in Washington, DC.

 

What made you decide to apply to be a SSP Fellow?
I have been helping students throughout Lake County conduct research for many years, but it is difficult to help many of the less fortunate kids without funding. The stipend from the SSP Fellowship allowed me to purchase project boards, art materials, rice and arsenic testing kits, solar panels, and other assorted materials for kids to use to do experiments. It also provided materials for robotics and funds for students to attend the robotics contest.

 

What is your background in science and research?

I have loved science for as long as I can remember. As a teen in New Zealand, I went to the beach and caught an octopus in a large glass. I filled my beach bag with water and took it home on the bus.  I also had an albatross that was injured.  I splinted its wing and bought fish to feed it for a month before releasing it.  When I came to the U.S., I was fascinated with the roaches that lived in the trees in the area of Texas that we moved to.  I captured and kept them in a shed because my mother wouldn’t let me bring them inside. 

 

I participated in the science fair while living in New Zealand, and as a freshman in college got more involved with research- I actually worked on the Apollo Program in Houston.  I grew the plant tissue cultures and tested moon dust on them to be sure that they didn’t carry viruses that might destroy the earth. I graduated and continued doing research at the University of Illinois, Naylor Dana Institute, Sloan Kettering Institute, Purdue, and Indiana University. 

 

About 15 years ago, I took over joint leadership of the Calumet Regional Fair.  We have one of the most ethnically diverse science fairs in the state and generally are the only fair that sends minority students to the state fair.

 

How has being a Fellow impacted your ability to develop a research program?

Being an SSP Fellow has enabled me to convince school officials to allow me to work with students that I would not normally have access to.  I am trying to plan a summer research program and the money will help buy materials to get more kids started on research. In addition, I am trying to find a permanent place to set up a research lab for students in our area.

 

Can you describe the progress you have made at your school and in your community?

We formed a robotics and science club for middle school students and a robotics club for high school students.  This group won first place in the first outside science competition the school had ever participated in. Multiple students entered projects into the Calumet Regional Science Fair, and they won an assortment of awards. Three students were able to attend the state science fair, and were the only African-American competitors. Two students from Lake Central High School that I have advised will be attending the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) this May. In addition, I will be bringing another teacher and two of my current advisees as student observers so they can learn more about competing in science fairs.

 

What advice would you have for other individuals attempting to increase interest in science in their communities and nurture students through the research process?

It is difficult working with some groups of students, because they can be transient and have little support from home, community, or school but even a small win- a couple of interesting experiments- can change a child’s life.  To maintain a strong program, I need to find more mentors, additional commitments from local businesses, and more teachers to support students who would like to compete in science fairs.  In our area, there are few schools supporting science fairs and I am working with parents to form science clubs that offer support to local students. 

 

Why do you think it’s important for students to participate in scientific research?

I tell students and others that doing a science fair is a great training ground for almost any career.  Students learn technology, networking, and organizational and presentation skills.  These are all skills needed for any career. Students are better citizens and are able to make better informed decisions as a result of these skills. In a few cases, the results have been life changing- students stayed in school and went on to college as a result of science fair participation and changed the paradigm of a community.  They discovered that they could do what many had told them they couldn’t, and that changed their lives.

 

Your students recently competed in a regional robotics competition. Can you describe that experience?

I formed a robotics club as an after school activity. My students learned to build and operate a robot and then we entered this competition. Brenda Thomas, a teacher I partnered on robotics with, said that she would be happy if the students learned what the competition was about – and truthfully so would I, but I told the kids that I didn’t come to competitions to just play, I expect to win- and that is what they did.  I think the kids were particularly good at reacting quickly to figure out strategies of the game. Next year, I hope to have one robot for every two to three students, instead of the one to ten ratio I had this year.

 

Final thoughts?

If you are a scientist, please consider giving of your time to help a child who needs support.  Consider giving a poor student the opportunity to work in your lab for a few weeks in the summer.  If you work for a company who hires scientists, promote mentorships and donate funds to those who might help a child learn to love science by participating in research.  

 

 

Q&A with SSP Alumna Meredith MacGregor

Meredith MacGregor

Meredith MacGregor, the Intel Science Talent Search 2007 Ninth Place Winner and one of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2006 top award winners, discusses the Brazil Nut Effect, research at Harvard, inspiring girls to do science, and more.

 

What are your memories of Intel STS and Intel ISEF? What was it like to win the top award at Intel ISEF?
It is very difficult to distill all of my memories from Intel STS and Intel ISEF into a short enough response to fit into this interview.  While it may sound cheesy, some of my favorite memories from high school are from Intel STS and Intel ISEF.  Beyond that, some of my best friends are from Intel STS and Intel ISEF and I still keep in touch with many people from my year at Intel STS on a regular basis. It is truly a gift to know and have connections with such a talented group of scientists.

 

Winning the top award at Intel ISEF was an amazing experience.  I was absolutely floored when I heard my named called, so it took me a second to realize that I had to walk up to the stage. Given the incredible talent and competition at Intel ISEF, I think it is impossible to expect winning such an award.  I remember just being stunned and overjoyed at the same time. And, I definitely remember the confetti! (I saved some of it afterwards.)

 

What exactly is the Brazil Nut Effect?
The Brazil Nut Effect (BNE) is a phenomenon that occurs in granular materials.  Essentially, vigorous shaking of a container holding a granular material will cause the components to separate by size, the largest particles rising to the top and the smallest sinking to the bottom.  The name was coined because when you first open a can of mixed nuts, all of the large Brazil Nuts are on the top with all of the smaller nuts underneath, but you can also observe this effect in your morning breakfast cereal.  For my Intel ISEF and Intel STS project, I conducted a series of experiments to study the convective flow that gets set up in a shaken container of granular material and to track how larger “intruder” particles of different densities are carried in that flow.  As it turned out, air pressure plays a critical role in determining how quickly the larger particles rise to the surface.

 

How has doing research when you were young affected your career trajectory?
Doing research when I was young had a definite impact on my career trajectory.  My early research projects gave me my first tastes of the thrill of finding something new out on my own and observing something that nobody else had seen before. By the time I began college, I could not imagine doing anything else but scientific research for the rest of my life and I am still following that goal today.

 

What are you up to now?
I just graduated from Harvard College in May of 2011 and I decided to jump right into graduate school afterwards.  Currently, I am studying as a first year graduate student in Astronomy and Astrophysics at Harvard University.  It was just too difficult to leave Cambridge and all of the amazing research opportunities here. For my current research project, I am studying the disks of dust and debris that exist around young, recently formed stars. By performing observations with submillimeter interferometers like the SMA and ALMA, we hope to be able to probe the process of planet formation within these disks.

 

What got you involved with Harvard Science Club for Girls?
Science Club for Girls (SCFG) is a larger organization in the Boston and Cambridge area that aims to provide mentorship for young girls who are interested in science by running afterschool programs in science for girls in kindergarten through 6th grade.  Undergraduate and graduate women go once a week and teach an experiment-based curriculum on topics that range from Oceans to the Human Body to Rockets.  I heard about SCFG over an email list when I was a junior in college and I knew that I wanted to get involved.  I remember how much my mentors meant to me when I was first beginning my path towards a career in science and I love having the opportunity to fill that role for today’s aspiring scientists.  Most physical sciences are still vastly male-dominated fields and I think that it is critical that we continue to encourage and inspire young girls and women to pursue careers in these fields.

 

After I had been involved with SCFG for two years, we began the process of forming a Harvard Science Club for Girls student organization.  Having this new organization makes it much easier to reach out to other Harvard undergraduate and graduate students and get them involved in the program as well.  The more mentors we have, the more girls we can reach!

 

Do you have any advice for young students who are interested in science?
First, I would say that it is important to have a goal.  Think of what you ultimately want to be doing (and, don’t worry about the fact that it might change in the future) and then go for it! Having a target in mind makes dealing with the day-to-day challenges a little easier.  Second, jump into research.  Sitting in a classroom is one thing, but there is no better way to get excited about science than to start getting your hands dirty.  It is also a really good way to figure what areas of science you are particularly excited about.

• Visit the Intel STS 2007 Alumni Page
• Volunteer at the Intel ISEF 2012 in Pittsburgh, PA

 

 

 

SSP Alumnus Micah Toll Builds on his Intel ISEF Experience in Pittsburgh

SSP Alumnus Micah Toll with his PEVO

Micah Toll (DCYSC 2000, 2002; Intel ISEF 2006 and 2007; STS 2007 semifinalist) invented a building material that could revolutionize the way we build buildings. He recently shared his thoughts on Intel ISEF, his project, and what he is up to now at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

What are your memories of Intel ISEF?
I attended two [Intel] ISEFs, the 2006 in Indianapolis and the 2007 in Albuquerque. Both were incredible experiences for me in terms of shaping me as a scientist and engineer. The ISEF is an almost overwhelming collection of the brightest students in the world, each sharing their own specific research and fields of study. While I enjoyed viewing the other projects in my category of Engineering, I also loved walking around the other categories and learning about things I never knew existed. Students my age were doing research in every possible field imaginable and it was such an amazing experience to get to see all of this intellectual capital brought together in one place.

 

Oh, and being at trackside for the qualifying for the 2006 Indianapolis 500 wasn't too bad either...

 

Can you tell me a little bit about your project?
For my project I worked on research and development of a portable construction beam that could be used to build life-saving, rapid deployment shelters for remote areas of the world. The idea was to design a new type of material that could be quickly and easily shipped all over the world after natural disasters or used in refugee situations. My solution was a new type of construction beam made of plastic and foam that was light enough for children to use, easy enough to cut and build with so that it didn't require power tools, but could support thousands of pounds. I eventually founded a R&D company, Disaster Rebuilding Solutions, to continue work on the beams.

 

How has doing research when you were young affected your career trajectory?
It has defined my career trajectory and helped me to be a better engineer. I work with fellow engineers all day, and have found that many engineering students these days have made it through their education without learning or utilizing the scientific method. This means they are often missing important results because they haven't learned how to structure their experiments. By doing research when I was young I was able to learn valuable skills that have helped me to better comprehend and analyze my own engineering innovations by ensuring that I can control variables and really understand what my experiments and data are telling me.

 

Can you tell me a little bit about what you are up to now?
I recently founded an electric vehicle startup, Pulse Motors, with two of my classmates from the University of Pittsburgh. We are currently manufacturing a fleet of the first vehicle we have designed, the two wheeled Personal Electric Vehicle Zero, or PEV0, as we like to call it. The vehicle is similar to an electric motorcycle but with functional pedals that allow someone to pedal it as well, if they wish. We are building vehicles here in Pittsburgh and seeking funding to expand our operations and continue R&D on our next generation vehicle slated for release in 2013.

 

Final thoughts:
I think the biggest benefit I've had from [my] early scientific and engineering background is how to think outside the box and be creative. Sometimes things simply don't work; that's life. Those who know how to adapt their procedures or find creative ways to solve problems and fix experiments are innovators in every sense of the word and have the skills to be very successful at what they do. I never take for granted that I had great teachers, mentors, and parents that taught me the value of science, technology, and education from a young age and have helped me to achieve the success I have today.

 

• Get involved with the Intel ISEF 2012 in Pittsburgh
• Learn more about the SSP Alumni Program

 

GE Energy Sparks Students’ Innovation with Intel ISEF Special Awards

Intel ISEF 2011 GE Energy winners

 “GE is very interested in promoting science and engineering to the students of the world because we need innovative and imaginative scientists to sustain our company,” says David O’Connor, Principal Engineer at GE Energy, who has been working with SSP to provide special awards at Intel ISEF for the past three years.

 

GE Energy awards are presented to projects that best display creative or efficient generation or usage of energy with special consideration of the GE Ecomagination commitment. “We are looking for imaginative, impactful ideas that affect the use, generation, and storage of energy,” David says, adding that GE judges especially look for projects that can make business sense.

 

David, who serves as a special awards judge for GE Energy, says he has enjoyed going to Intel ISEF and seeing that much excitement for science and engineering among youth.  “I am often surprised at how young some of the people are,” he says. When he started judging, he figured it would be all high school seniors, ready to go off to college.  But this year, their top winner was a 15-year-old freshman, which the judges were surprised to learn after picking her as the winner because her project was so impressive.

 

David also values the judging experience because students are “always full of enthusiasm, excitement, and ideas,” and they are eager to learn from the judges how they can improve their project.  He has also enjoyed seeing the innovative ways some students get around their lack of technical resources. “We are very supportive of the mission of Intel ISEF,” David says. “It’s an amazing collection of talent in one spot.” 

 

Intel ISEF 2011 GE Energy Awards

 

First Award of $2,500
Reducing the Cut-In Wind Speed of Wind Turbine Blades by Redirecting
the Boundary Layer Airflows
Lauren Heather Reid, 15, O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Oshawa,
Ontario, Canada

 

Second Award of $1,500
Modeling Wind Power Generation Using Polynomial Chaos Expansion
Ryan Thomas Baker, 17, Hillcrest High School, Midvale, Utah

 

Third Award of $1,000
Increasing the Efficiency of Solar Tracking Systems
Michael Anthony Cerabona, 17, Yorktown High School, Yorktown Heights, New York