G
reetings and welcome to the eighth edition of The Nucleus, our yearly newsletter designed especially for people who love
NUCLEUS THE
Available online at gcsu.edu/science
and support science.
We couldn’t be more excited to have made it to this point. Please take some time to get to know the layout of our newsletter. We hope that you find it to be entertaining and informative, but above all useful. Inside you’ll discover a mixture of news and features on a wide range of science-related topics.
Inside this issue For anyone new to the Science Education Center of Georgia College,
STEM NEWS .........................................................................3
let me introduce myself. As a professor of chemistry and director of the center, let me say that I am a STEM enthusiast, a junkie, who from my earliest school days, has been obsessed with why and how things happen in science. I truly believe that no matter if STEM is delivered to
WONDERS OF THE GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE ...................................................6
your doorstep or to your classroom, it is foremost an engaging and meaningful experience that captivates and fosters the students’ natural curiosity. This edition of The Nucleus is devoted to “Youth in STEM.” Almost all career fields today require a solid STEM foundation. That’s precisely
FINDING THE FUTURE OF STEM....................................................................................8
why these are the fastest growing areas of study and the reason STEM professionals are in high demand around the world. Early exposure to STEM fields can set today’s kids on a path to success by giving them the tools needed to make informed decisions about the future. In this edition, we have highlighted some of the university’s efforts to enthrall our youth in STEM. We are honored to share the scientific work of so many
Steve Dorman, President Kelli Brown, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Ken Procter, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Joseph Peters, Dean, John H. Lounsbury College of Education Omar Odeh, Vice President for Strategic Communications, University Communications SCIENCE EDUCATION CENTER: Catrena Lisse, Director Patti Veal, Administrative Assistant Martin Alcantar and Samoya Pentecost, Magic Show Coordinator Kathryn Johnston, Information Manager EDITORS: Catrena Lisse and Aubrie L. Sofala NEWSLETTER DESIGN: GC Printing Services PHOTOGRAPHY: Anna Leavitt, Aubrie L. Sofala
“The Nucleus” is a Science To Serve newsletter published annually by the Science Education Center and University Communications at Georgia College. Science to Serve is supported, in part, by generous donations from the kaolin industry. The newsletter is available online at gcsu.edu/science. 349 Herty Hall • 478-445-7531 • Send us your science news: science@gcsu.edu
committed people with you. We appreciate your support and are so happy to have you as a reader of The Nucleus. With warmest thanks, Dr. Catrena Lisse Editor
Biology student earns a spot as a Fulbright finalist
STEM
Georgia College alumna Audrey Waits was recently
IN THE NEWS
awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant. Waits received the grant in biology to research pathogenic bacteria in reindeer with researchers from the Thule Institute at the University of Oulu in Finland.
Waits is one of more than 1,900 U.S. citizens who Waits said she wouldn’t have felt confident enough
will teach, conduct research and provide expertise
to apply for the Fulbright without Biology Professor
abroad for the 2017-2018 academic year through
Dr. Kenneth Saladin’s encouragement and her
the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, U.S.
experience in the lab with Dr. Indiren Pillay, chair of
Department of State and the J. William Fulbright
biological and environmental sciences. Working
Foreign Scholarship Board. Recipients of Fulbright
toward a career in medicine, Waits is one of several
awards are selected on the basis of academic and
Georgia College students to discover a new bacte-
professional achievement as well as record of serv-
riophage through microbiology research.
ice and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.
In Finland, she hopes to explore how temperature affects pathogenic bacterial populations found in
Waits is only the second student to win a Fulbright
reindeer herds. Waits will take classes in Arctic
at GC in the past several decades. Thirteen stu-
Health and study Finnish, while learning about
dents and recent graduates applied this year.
challenges Sami reindeer herds face in a changing climate.
Ebb and flow of science lands first patent for Georgia College It took 20 years of false starts, outright failure and bureaucratic delays - as well as 30 students, a 256-inch pipe, 128 microphones, 512 cables and financial support from Georgia College for McGill to realize his dream. U.S. Patent #9,441,993 was issued Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, giving Georgia College ownership of McGill’s new theory: the “Conduit Bound Propagation Separation Model.” The method will lead to constructing a better flow-meter to measure fluids in interstate pipelines worth trillions of dollars a day. The patent brings a new level of distinction to the university, showcasing success in its science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs, said Kenneth J. Procter, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Things go wrong. Ideas fail. And, sometimes, somebody else finishes first. But if you’re Dr. Kenneth McGill, that’s when you go with the flow. And, along the way: Disprove a 139-year-old science theory. Build a better flow-meter and get Georgia College its first-ever patent. “I’ve come up with something that’s really a fundamental discovery in acoustics that hasn’t changed in over 100 years, and so that’s crazy exciting,” said McGill, chair of chemistry and physics.
Over the years, undergrads constructed “bits and pieces” of the flow-meter, pushed buttons when directed by computer code and got “just a glimmer of how things work” by graduation. Five students currently collect data. They’ll help write findings in science publications and co-author anything McGill publishes. “Everyone expects patents and research start-up companies to spin off from big science and engineering doctoral universities. Dr. McGill’s patent demonstrates that ground-breaking science is a vital element of the Georgia College liberal arts mission,” Procter said. “Our students are the big winners” working with “great faculty like Dr. McGill in exciting, hands-on labs.”
NUCLEUS | 3 | gcsu.edu/science
STEM IN THE NEWS
GC biology students make unique discoveries There are tiny bacterial cells exploding all around us. Only we can’t see them. It’s like an invisible battlefield – a super microscopic world where bacteria are infected by even tinier viruses called phages. They get inside, feed and multiply until the bacterial cell – well, yes – explodes. Only, in science, it’s called lysing.
Center receives recognition for STEMing into the Community outreach
In a world where antibiotics are becoming less effective, science has turned to the relatively-unknown phage for answers. There are many different kinds – a very abundant but understudied culture because most have yet to be discovered.
Science Education Center Director Dr. Catrena Lisse recently received the
Three Georgia College biology students participated in an international research proj-
Society for Science & the Public
ect based at the University of Pittsburgh. Each has uncovered new bacteriophages
Community Innovation Award for the
unknown to science – until now.
Center’s STEMing into the Community™ initiative. The program began in summer 2015 to spark students’ curiosity in STEMrelated fields and features hands-on
And they got to name them. •
“Waits” is a 20-sided phage with a tail, discovered by biology graduate student Audrey Waits of Charlotte, North Carolina. The harmless bacteria it feeds upon is
experiments and take-home activities.
found in small quantities on human skin. But, in rare cases, the bacterium creates an
“We’re bringing the fun to them,” said
outer-layer “biofilm” that sticks to long-term catheter tubes. This can cause infec-
Lisse. “What better way to introduce and
tion in patients with weak immune systems. Waits’ phage is a natural predator of
continue to pique our next generation of
this bacteria – making her research valuable.
science, technology, engineering and mathematics leaders than putting on inter-
•
active magic shows in their community?”
covered in some “really nasty soil” by junior biology major Shea Morris of Byron. It destroys a harmless but potentially-important bacteria within the family of infectious
The award is given to organizations that
microbes that causes tuberculosis. Morris hopes her phage may someday help sci-
help ensure that more underrepresented
entists develop a cure.
students, and their community, are exposed to creative problem-solving and hands-on learning, and are educated about future career opportunities available to them.
“Adonis” - meaning “handsome, strong man” in Greek - is a fairly large phage dis-
•
“SheaKeira” was discovered by sophomore biology pre-med major Keira Stacks of Peachtree City, who was working with Morris when she took bacterial soil samples at Lake Laurel in Milledgeville. Stacks is just beginning to characterize her phage and hopes the hexagon-headed, long-tailed virus will also hold implications for science. NUCLEUS | 4 | gcsu.edu/science
Gearing up for the Great American Eclipse Dr. Donovan Domingue, professor of physics and astronomy, worked with local educators to help them engage students about the Great American Eclipse. The workshop was part of the partnership between Georgia College and Project ASTRO, which promotes astronomy education in local classrooms and community events.
Georgia College hosts 40th annual Regional Science & Engineering Fair From learning about clean fuel sources and magnetic energy, to explor-
Magic shows travel from Georgia to Florida
ing whether or not age affects memory, to discovering which drinks cause tooth decay – these are just some inquiries young scientists investigated.
Dr. Catrena Lisse, director of the Science Education Center, and five undergraduate chemistry majors trav-
Elementary, middle and high school students shared their findings during
eled from Georgia to Florida performing science
Georgia College’s 40th annual Regional Science & Engineering Fair in
magic shows during Georgia College’s spring break.
February 2017. Students competed from 10 counties in Central Georgia:
The crew made their first stop at the GoSTEM Latino
Baldwin, Bibb, Hancock, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Putnam, Twiggs,
Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. The magic shows aim to
Washington and Wilkinson.
introduce science in engaging, fun activities that K-12 students can easily do at home. NUCLEUS | 5 | gcsu.edu/science
Wonders of the
Great American Eclipse Georgia College professor Dr. Donovan Domingue has
viewed partial eclipses, an area nearly 65 miles across the
spent the better part of the last year in public schools across
U.S. saw a path of totality. Among these locations in the
Baldwin County.
path of totality is northern Georgia, being the state’s first time in the path of eclipse totality since 1970.
“I have visited each Baldwin County Public School and GMC Prep to give a workshop on the eclipse including an
“They are an example of a repeating astronomical event that
overview and ties to teaching standards along with a guide
often gets viewed by a relatively small number of people
to best view the event,” said Domingue. “Each of these
due to location and narrow path, but the Aug. 21 eclipse
schools are receiving a supply of solar eclipse glasses for
was visible as a total solar eclipse to a path within the U.S.
each student.”
from west to east coast and as a partial eclipse in most of North America,” said Domingue. “The eclipse is occurring in
The Great American Eclipse was visible to the entire conti-
a time where the interstate system allows interested viewers
nental U.S. on Aug. 21. Domingue says the importance of
the ability to quickly travel to this path in ways previously
this solar eclipse is in the path. While most of the U.S.
not possible.”
A Guide to Total Solar Eclipses
Phases of the Eclipse FIRST CONTACT Moon travels across the face of the Sun
Umbra (Total Eclipse)
SECOND CONTACT Happens a few minutes before totality. Towards the end of this phase, you may observe Bailey’s Beads, which are caused by the sun shining through craters on the surface of the moon
Penumbra (Partial Eclipse)
Total solar eclipses happen when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, casting the darkest part of its shadow (Umbra) on the Earth. Places where the Penumbra falls, see a partial solar eclipse.
TOTALITY Moon covers the entire surface of the sun
THIRD CONTACT Skies lightening and transitioning back to partial eclipse
FOURTH CONTACT Last stage of the eclipse as the moon completely leaves the face of the sun
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38 | years
APRIL 8
| 2024 7:32
|
This was the first solar eclipse in the continental U.S. in 38 years.
65 | MILES
Path of totality reached nearly 65 miles wide across the U.S.
2:40.2
The next solar eclipse in the U.S. will be April 8, 2024, which will be visible from Texas to New England.
Totality lasts a maximum of 2 minutes and 40.2 seconds
The longest possible duration of the total phase of a solar eclipse is 7 minutes and 32 seconds.
First Contact Government Point, Oregon at 10:15:56:5 a.m. was the first contact.
Atlanta, Georgia
97% TOTALITY
Nashville, Tennessee Experienced 2+ minutes of totality
NUCLEUS | 7 | gcsu.edu/science
NUCLEUS | 8 | gcsu.edu/science
Finding the future in STEM How the Science Education Center prepares younger generations for careers in STEM fields There’s a young boy and girl working together to build a solar eclipse replica. They don’t quite understand what a solar
eclipse is or why it’s important, but they do know it’s fun to make.
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are
all growing fields that challenge today’s students to think critically and solve existing problems. The Science Education
Center’s main mission is to educate youth across the state on
the importance of STEM in a way that is fun and entertaining. “Our purpose at the Science Education Center is to inform and inspire individuals through science learning, stimulate curiosity in everyone and encourage interest and excitement around
STEM education and careers,” said Dr. Catrena Lisse, director of the Center.
NUCLEUS | 9 | gcsu.edu/science
5Baldwin High School Senior Alexis Roberson participated in the Young Scientists Academy during summer 2017.
Lisse, along with other GC faculty, staff and students who do
activities dealing with biology, chemistry, physics, the envi-
outreach in the community, understands that many students
ronment and other areas of the sciences. This year’s theme
don’t get exposure to the wonders within the industry of
for the camp was “Art and Architecture.”
STEM outside of the classroom.
“We’ve had some days where it’s a lot more art than archi-
“Our STEM programs targeted for youth at the Science
tecture,” said Cayla Sheehan, a Science Camp Jr. counselor.
Education Center are meant to give students the opportunity
“But we’ve also had days where it’s a lot more architecture.
to see real scientists,” said Lisse. “Especially in the under-
We try doing a lot of hands-on things that teach a broad, sci-
served areas of Georgia because these children might have a
entific concept but doesn’t really feel like learning because
teacher share a science book with them and that’s the extent
it’s fun.”
of their science experience. We’re giving them a real-world, relatable experience in their neighborhoods and communities.”
Younger campers also share Sheen’s sentiment; it doesn’t feel like learning. From building houses to making their own paint, they’re learning to think like scientists long before they
Through this year’s summer programs, Lisse and her team gave underserved areas in the state of Georgia a chance to see exactly what STEM is about and how far it can take them.
will be required to. “They’re also building life skills required to navigate life,” said Nathan Mitchell, a former camper and now camp coun-
One of those programs is a summer science camp for rising
selor. “I was a camper for eight years. It taught me how to
students entering grades three through nine. During week-
work with other people – other campers and people older
long sessions, students participate in hands-on and outdoor
than you.”
NUCLEUS | 10 | gcsu.edu/science
Students in high school also benefit from the Center’s pro-
Roberson is majoring in chemistry in college. She said her
grams. The Young Scientists Academy is a six-week program
time spent in the program has helped her become more
that allows participants to conduct independent, scientific
independent in the lab—all of which will help her in her
research under the guidance of Georgia College faculty
future career as a pathologist.
members. At the end of the program, the students present their findings. This year, five students from Baldwin, Jasper and Hancock counties researched projects ranging from the synthesis of hydrogels to building vapor chambers.
Roberson’s knack for science also led her to helping Lisse with the Center’s hallmark program STEMing into the Community™. The event revolves around experiments posed as a magic show that includes deflating Styrofoam, explod-
“I like that I’m learning things most people won’t think
ing Alka-Seltzer tablets, geyser of elephant toothpaste and
about,” said Tre Banks, a 2017 Young Scientist and senior at
more. Lisse and her crew of students and GC faculty/staff
Baldwin High School. “For example, when I started, I had no
travel across the state and into some parts of Florida to pres-
idea what a hydrogel was. Now, I’m attempting to synthesize
ent a fun-filled, educational experience. Marci Thackey, a
it.”
recent GC graduate and academic outreach mentor, found a
Young Scientist participant Alexis Roberson, a senior at
home in the program.
Baldwin High School, spent her time in the program working
“It was always just fun for me. It was a great way to get my
with sol-gels, encapsulating H2TPP porphyrin, a common
mind off of school, and I loved doing the experiments.”
molecule that some link to autism.
That love of STEM is what Lisse hopes younger generations
“I’ve always wanted to be in a program that challenged me,
will take from not only the summer program—but also all the
so when I found out about the Young Scientists Academy, I
outreach the Center does year-round.
knew I wanted to apply,” said Roberson, who was also a recipient of the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED award. “I was never a big fan of science in middle school or elementary school, but once I was in high school, I started having hands-on lab work. That’s when I started to fall in love with it.”
5GC Assistant Professor of Art Matt Forrest instructs science summer camp students how to use homemade dyes for screenprinting.
“Almost all career fields today require a solid STEM foundation,” said Lisse. “Early exposure to STEM fields can set today’s kids on a path to success by giving them the tools needed to make informed decisions about the future. It’s all about looking toward the future.”
5A young participant helps with a STEMing into the Community magic trick.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2017-2018 Visit gcsu.edu/science for more events. FALL 2017 Events Sept. 1 . . . . . . . .Regional Science and Engineering Fair (RSEF) request for entries Sept. 30 . . . . . . .STEMing into the Community show Briar Patch Festival, Eatonton, GA Oct. 11 . . . . . . . .National Fossil Day at the Natural History Museum Oct. 13-14 . . . . .The Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) Regional Meeting – Pensacola Beach, FL Oct. 14 . . . . . . . .STEMing into the Community show Okefenokee Festival, Folkston, GA Oct. 22-28 . . . . .National Chemistry Week (Family Fun Night on Thursday) Oct. 23 . . . . . . . .Mole Day Oct. 23-24 . . . . .The Georgia STEM Forum – Athens, GA Nov. 7-11 . . . . . .Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society – Charlotte, NC Nov. 16 . . . . . . .Georgia Gives Day Dec. 1 . . . . . . . . .RSEF Online Registration Opens Dec. 9 . . . . . . . . .STEMing into the Community show Christmas in the Briar Patch, Eatonton, GA SPRING 2018 Events Jan. 3-6 . . . . . . . The Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) International Meeting – Baltimore, MD
SPRING 2018 Events Jan. 12 . . . . . . . .Regional Science and Engineering Fair Registration deadline Jan. 19 . . . . . . . .Regional Science and Engineering Fair Paperwork/Fees deadline Feb. 2 . . . . . . . . .Regional Science and Engineering Fair Centennial Center at Georgia College Feb. 10 . . . . . . . .STEMing into the Community show Fire and Ice Festival, Eatonton, GA March 1 . . . . . . .Science Camp Registration opens March 14 . . . . . .Pi Day March 15-18 . . .National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Meeting – Atlanta, GA March 17 . . . . . .STEMing into the Community show at the GoSTEM Latino Festival – Atlanta, GA March 18-22 . . .American Chemical Society National Meeting New Orleans, LA March 22-24 . . .Georgia Science and Engineering Fair Athens, GA March 31 . . . . . .Young Scientists Academy – Application opens April 14 . . . . . . .STEMing into the Community show – Location TBA April 22 . . . . . . .Earth Day April 28 . . . . . . .Young Scientists Academy – Application deadline May 13-18 . . . . .Intel International Science and Engineering Fair – Pittsburgh, PA