2024 People Newspapers STEAM Special Section

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The first total solar eclipse to pass directly over Dallas in 140 years will influence classroom instruction before blotting out the sun on April 8. PAGE B6

2024 SMU’s Guildhall about more than fun games

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Sports Analytics course puts math skills to work

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Booster clubs go beyond athletics at Parish Episcopal

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PIXABAY.COM, SCIENCESTOCKPHOTOS.COM, ILLUSTRATION: MELANIE THORNTON

FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT, GOT TO WEAR THESE

B2 STEAM 2024 | peoplenewspapers.com

SUPER RARE ECLIPSE JUST ONE SIGN OF DALLAS STEAM SUPERIORITY

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etired astronomy teacher Donna C. Pierce was packing canned food at the North Texas Food Bank in October when she urgently needed to go outside.

The octogenarian dynamo hadn’t gotten tired enough to need a break, nor did she plan to depart for the State Fair.

Pierce wanted W I L L I A M TAY LO R to see the sky. She wanted to see the partial eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023.

Soon, she had her fellow Rotary Club of Park Cities volunteers following her example.

They became her latest batch of students as Pierce pulled from her pocket a handful of the foldable solar glasses needed to view an eclipse safely and insisted everyone take turns having a look.

She’s even more enthusiastic about April 8, 2024, when, as perotmuseum.org describes it, “Dallas will be the largest city in the path of totality for the once-in-a-lifetime Great North American Eclipse.”

See what Pierce says about that on Page B6 in a story about how schools will prepare for the occasion.

While the upcoming eclipse will make Dallas the center of astronomical focus for a day, industries and institutions of higher education demonstrate daily how central STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education is to the area.

Add an A for art and get STEAM because the technologies that power the future must look good and, perhaps, should be fun.

For example, SMU established the Guildhall through the Linda and Mitch Hart eCenter when the Texas gaming industry asked the university to train its future leaders.

Editor’s note: If you occasionally focus your lenses on Park Cities and Preston Hollow happenings and would like to share, please email your high-resolution images with your name and an explanation of your pictures to editor@peoplenewspapers.com.

1. Episcopal School of Dallas ESD AP Physics 2 students were tasked with creating a seaworthy watercraft out of recyclable materials and then raced their creations in the school’s quarry in October.

The requirements: Using cardboard, aluminum, or plastic, the rafts had to support at least 150 pounds of weight while being as small of volume and as buoyant as possible.

2. Dallas ISD Students at DeGolyer Elementary School recently integrated technology in a lesson with Merge EDU cubes. The cubes displayed holographic imaging when technology, like a phone, passed over it, allowing students to see those images through a computer or phone and interact with the hologram through their device.

With a highly experienced faculty and specializations in all four cornerstones of game development, the Guildhall has helped hundreds of SMU students achieve rewarding careers in the gaming industry. COURTESY SMU

SMU’s premier graduate-level video game development program celebrated its 1,000th graduate in May and 20th anniversary in November. Students study such specializations as art creation, level design, production, and software development.

But the benefits of the Guildhall go well beyond fun and games.

In collaboration with other university departments, the program leveraged video game technologies to enhance data-driven research in biological sciences and human trafficking. Other campus partnerships resulted in gaming tools to engage students with math outside the classroom and an app

3. Shelton School During the fall semester, sixthgrade Shelton STEM classes built bows and arrows to 1. practice the engineering design process. Students brainstormed, built, tested, and modified their designs until they were ready. They then went to the football field and competed to see whose arrow could reach the furthest distance and who could make a field goal with their arrow.

4. Trinity Christian Academy Heidi Aiken, a TCA lower school STEM teacher, tasked her thirdgrade class with building a floating soccer field.

The idea came from the book The Floating Field, which Aiken turned into a STEM project to teach her class about tides, a different culture, and building the actual project. Students worked in teams to create a field that would float in a 2-by-4 plastic container filled with water. Materials included sliced pool noodles, cardstock, craft sticks, straws, and other materials.

— Compiled by Maria Lawson

to foster adult literacy.

What else is happening?

Khaled Abdelghany, a civil and environmental engineering professor, aims to use artificial intelligence to enhance traffic safety and efficiency at intersections.

And the federal government tapped SMU to lead one of 31 Tech Hubs and focus on expanding and fostering innovation in the semiconductor supply chain.

The campus could pony up plenty more examples.

Elsewhere in Dallas, a Dallas Love Field and JetWind Power Corporation pilot program captures and converts aircraft-generated

wind into sustainable energy.

Preston Hollow’s Tom Luce works for Lyda Hill Philanthropies on the transformation of North Texas into a growing biotech hub.

So much more could be said.

Find in the pages of this annual STEAM section just a sampling of the ways area schools are turning your students into the alternative fuels innovators (Page B7), future doctors (Page B9), medical researchers (Page B10), and robotics technicians (Page B11) we’ll need tomorrow.

And don’t forget to reserve plenty of viewing time to enjoy April’s eclipse.

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COURTESY SHEL TON A COURTESY TC

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B6 STEAM 2024 | peoplenewspapers.com

From Classrooms to the Sky Solar eclipse anticipation inspires astronomy lessons

By Heather Aldridge People Newspapers

Every 20 years, the moon travels directly between the Earth and the sun, darkening the skies for a few minutes and revealing stars and planets.

For 2024, the rare event happens over Dallas.

“You want to see the moon move across and the sun start appearing again.

It’s magic.”

Donna Pierce The total eclipse, where the moon completely covers the sun, will begin in Dallas at 1:40 p.m. on April 8 and end at 1:44 p.m., with the partial eclipse being seen from 12:23 p.m. to 3:02 p.m.

“I want people to realize this is a treasure to see one,” said Donna Pierce, retired director of Highland Park ISD’s planetarium. “I’ve had to travel all over the world, and it’s going

to go right over my house.”

Dallas schools are using the eclipse as an opportunity to teach their students about astronomy.

The Winston School plans to dedicate a month of learning to the eclipse with high school science teacher Charlene Olson as the curriculum’s head planner.

“I worked as a teacher intern at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) at Kitts Peak National Observatory in Arizona, a collaborative effort between NOAO and NASA,” Olson said.

Olson received a grant from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, so she will take the Eclipse Stars Workshop to get the most up-to-date information.

The grant gives her equipment and activities she can use with her students.

“Their materials are just amazing, and I’m excited to see what activities they will be teaching me and that I can take to fellow teachers to use in the classroom,” Olson said.

Olson plans to meet with K-8 teachers to see what they need to incorporate activities best suited for their classroom.

For high school students, she may offer leadership opportunities with the lower grades or partner with Preston Royal Branch Library to teach children about the eclipse.

“The culmination of all of the learning and

the materials is being able to watch (the eclipse) together as a community,” said Rhema Jones, the director of advancement and communications at Winston.

Area private schools, including Parish, Greenhill, Alcuin, Shelton, Ursuline, and TCA, will also host watch parties and provide equipment for students to watch the eclipse safely.

HPISD plans to incorporate eclipse viewing into the city of University Park’s centennial celebration. Many Dallas ISD students will view the eclipse with glasses donated by the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

To watch the eclipse, wear solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes and prevent potential blindness. If you can’t get ahold of the glasses, you can also look at the ground through a leafy tree, a piece of welder’s glass, or a hole poked through an index card and watch the eclipse on the ground.

“Don’t go in halfway though,” Pierce warned. “You want to see the moon move

across and the sun start appearing again.

It’s magic.”

DON’T MISS IT April 8, 2024, brings a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for North Texans: the first total solar eclipse to pass directly over Dallas-Fort Worth in 140 years.

It won’t happen again for another 300 years. Visit totaleclipsedfw.com for information about obtaining ISOcertified safe solar eclipse viewing glasses, safe viewing practices, and the best viewing locations.

Source: Total Eclipse DFW

Students Get Their Moment in The Sun

Solar Car Challenge inspires success for young scientists

By Daniel Lalley

Special Contributor Problem-solving, ingenuity, and teamwork are tools that extend far beyond the confines of any classroom.

“When they finally get to the race, the students know that they’re already winners.”

Lehman Marks Whether studying to be an engineer, artist, or entrepreneur, a solid foundation rooted in real-world challenges and rewarded with actual accomplishments is essential for students.

An element of excitement makes

Students prepare a solar car in mid-July 2023 for race day in Fort Worth. COURTESY

SOLARCARCHALLENGE.ORG

things that much more inspiring.

That’s what Lehman Marks, a former Winston School teacher, had in mind when creating one of the most exciting events in STEM education.

He founded the Solar Car Challenge in 1993 to help encourage students in science and engineering while increasing alternative energy awareness.

“This is a 15-month education program,” Marks said. “We work with students around the country to teach them how to come up with a plan, including what they want to do, how to set up a budget, and how to go out and meet the community so they can fundraise for their project. Then, we teach them how to engineer it. We also

help them learn about project management.

Finally, they get a chance to display their work by driving it, either at the Texas Motor Speedway or in a cross-country race.”

After noticing a lack of engagement from several of his students, Marks created this project to bring an exciting tactile component to illuminate complex applications in science.

“In around 1989, I was trying to get physics students interested in what we were learning,” Marks said. “They found a lot of the material very difficult to understand by just reading textbooks or even engaging in labs. So, I had some friends at the University of North Texas who invited us to see a solar car they built for the 1990 Sun Race. I took nine students up there, and they kept asking, ‘Why couldn’t we do something like this?’”

Shortly thereafter, Marks decided to create the Solar Car Challenge. Combining elements of physics, engineering, and critical real-world

skills has been an incredible way to reimagine traditional teaching methods.

“It’s been a remarkable way to get kids to take ideas that they learn and actually apply them,” Marks said. “One of the philosophies we strongly promote is that this is not a competition; it’s a cooperation. When they finally get to the race, the students know that they’re already winners. Whether they exceed on the track or simply build a car that passes scrutinization, they’ve already won by working as a team and completing this project together.”

AT A G L A N C E In July 2023, teams of high school students from across the United States gathered in Fort Worth to show off the solar cars they designed, engineered, and built. Many of them then departed on a 1,400-mile trek to Palmdale, California. Visit solarcarchallenge.org to learn more and get involved.

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New CEO Aims to Take Museum to New Heights

Frontiers of Flight plans include more technology, permanent women’s exhibit

By Heather Aldridge People Newspapers

The Frontiers of Flight Museum is still here and has a new CEO who plans on reimagining the museum as a comfortable space for those who love aviation.

“The museum after COVID was a little bit quiet, and I think folks forgot we were here, so one of the things we are focusing on is revitalization,” CEO Abigail Erickson-Torres said.

Her team is focusing on the visitor experience by improving accessibility, adding a dinein space, and bringing in new exhibits.

Advancements in technology will help enrich the experience for guests and create “interaction between the museum-goer and the exhibit itself,” Torres said. That also includes accommodating people who are hard of hearing or speak a language other than English.

“Our exhibits are going to look a little different both in the technology we bring in and design because I want people to feel something when they walk in that says, ‘I belong here,’”Torres said.

Plans include partnering with Southwest Airlines to redo the insides of the Southwest planes in the museum.

A new children’s area will ensure kids have fun, while the bookstore will be reimagined along with the front so visitors feel welcome during arrival.

“One of the things I’m hoping to do is bring the woman’s perspective into the museum, so that means a permanent women’s exhibit,” Torres said.

“The museum after COVID was a little bit quiet, and I think folks forgot we were here.”

Abigail EricksonTorres She envisions a new program to help girls learn about aviation career opportunities, such as becoming pilots, mechanics,

and astronauts.

Torres’ goals include a “women and girls membership connect” to help girls decide what path to take in aviation. The girls will meet one-on-one with “people from aerospace industry.”

She also plans on establishing a membership group where “every quarter folks get together to talk about” their love for aviation and raise money for the Jan Collmer scholarship fund.

Amidst all this change, Torres emphasized traditions she wants to keep, including annual events celebrating the landing of the moon and honoring veterans.

Special events happen throughout the year, and in April, the museum plans on hosting about 5,000 people to view the eclipse. The event will include food trucks, entertainment, and educational displays and activities.

Want to help the museum?

“There’s a great opportunity for people to come in and adopt a plane (to) make sure

it’s being well taken care of,” Torres said.

“It’s the people who really are the heart of the museum.”

AT A G L A N C E What: The Frontiers of Flight Museum, with 18 galleries in a 100,000-squarefoot facility, has more than 35 space vehicles and 35,000 historical artifacts on display.

Where: 6911 Lemmon Ave. is on the southeast side of Dallas Love Field Airport, north of Mockingbird Lane.

When: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission: Adults $12; seniors (65+) $10; youths/students (3-17) $9, and children under 3 are free.

More information: 214-350-3600; flightmuseum.com.

The Frontiers of Flight Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate that provides aerospace STEM education through exhibits, including airplanes and spacecraft, is planning a new children’s area, a bookstore upgrade, and expanded use of technology. COURTESY FRONTIERS OF FLIGHT MUSEUM

B8 STEAM 2024 | peoplenewspapers.com

Racing, Trades, and Rankings Give HPHS Math a Sporting Chance Formula 1 visit revs up learning

Analytics course draws plenty of fans

By Rachel Snyder People Newspapers

Highland Park High School has a Sports Analytics waitlist in the Moody Advanced Professional Studies program – not for any game, but for a spot in the class.

The waitlist when it started could have filled three classes of 32 students, said Dr. Geoffrey Orsak, the Moody Innovation Institute executive director.

Sports Analytics, which uses statistical and data analytics skills to study questions and challenges f rom sports, was one of two new MAPS classes Highland Park ISD trustees approved last December for the 2023-2024 school year. The other was modern media.

“Having to present football data to a room full of football players, I’ve definitely gained a lot more confidence in my presenting skills.”

Ava Marie Price With the crowds at Scots games at Highlander Stadium and professional teams like the Rangers’ recent World Series win drawing thousands to their victory parade in Arlington, it may not come as a surprise that the class would be popular. It’s not all for fun, though.

Sports analytics is also a math credit.

Ava Marie Price, a senior in the class, plays softball and says she’s considering going into sports management.

William Haney, a senior who’s played football, said he hopes to use the analytical skills developed in his future as an aspiring investment banker.

“I am infatuated with analytics and

ABOVE, FROM LEFT: HPHS seniors William Haney, Praneel Cherukuri, and Ava Marie Price.

AT RIGHT: In October, the Moneygram Haas F1 team made an educational “pit stop” at Highland Park High School.

RACHEL SNYDER

how it can affect the real world, and I also want to be an investment banker,” Haney said.

Praneel Cherukuri, a senior who runs cross country, said he’s always been interested in sports and hopes to use some of the skills developed in the class to go into aerospace engineering.

One of the favorite class projects involved acting as NFL team managers.

Students determined the best trade for their team and presented their decision and reasoning.

“You had to look and find what your team needed work on, what players were good to trade with,” Price said. “It was a difficult project for me personally, but I really enjoyed it.”

Another project involved ranking the top 10 sports towns in the country by

coming up with an equation to rank the cities based on factors like playoff appearances and championship wins of local teams.

“It’s always cool to see how … you get one data set, and people look at it in different ways,” Cherukuri said.

“Having to present football data to a room full of football players, I’ve definitely gained a lot more confidence in my presenting skills and talking to people,” Price added.

Colin Stringer, who teaches the class, is a Highland Park alumnus, football coach, and math teacher.

“The kids are really excited about it,” he said. “It’s really cool seeing them so passionate about class, which doesn’t happen in my other math classes.”

Exercising analytical math skills by studying auto racing – that’s fun.

Having a U.S. Formula 1 team make an educational “pit stop” on campus – that’s even better.

“I’ve always been fascinated with cars, and just seeing like a multimillion-dollar car just sitting there was pretty cool,” Highland Park High School senior Praneel Cherukuri said.

Moneygram Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner, MoneyGram CEO Alex Holmes with chief marketing officer Greg Hall, and drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg brought the F1 car to campus ahead of the U.S. Formula 1 Grand Prix Oct. 20-22 in Austin.

Moody Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) program experience on Oct. 18 included a conversation moderated by Nicole Briscoe of ESPN. Hall’s son, Ellery, studies brain science and health in the MAPS program.

“We have designed and raced our own (model) F1 cars, explored the corporate benefits of sponsoring an F1 team, delved into the brains of F1 race drivers, learned about F1 efforts to be carbon neutral within a decade, and discussed the challenges in effectively marketing an F1 team across the globe,” Ellery said. “The breadth of our learning has been simply incredible.”

Ava Marie Price, a senior taking Sports Analytics, also considered the F1 visit a family affair.

“My mom is from Indianapolis,” Price said. “We went and saw the Indy 500 every year. We’ve always been a racing family.”

Price’s mom came to school that day, too.

“She was so into it.”

– By Rachel Snyder

Application Deadline Jan. 5

Learn more by visiting www.ursulinedallas.org/admissions What can Ursuline be for you?

All-Girl, Catholic, College Prep, Grades 9-12 4900 Walnut Hill Lane | Dallas, Texas 75229 www.ursulinedallas.org Ursuline Academy does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin.

URSULINE ACADEMY OF DALL A S

Would-be Doctors See Future More Clearly

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Scottish Rite-hosted program introduces teen girls to orthopedic surgery

By Karen Chaney

Special Contributor Those prone to think, “My doctor looks like they are still in high school,” could have encountered a confirming sight at Scottish Rite for Children in October.

But the 40 scrubs-wearing youthful females walking the halls weren’t actual doctors.

They were high schoolers participating in a Perry Outreach Program introducing girls to orthopedic surgery via handson experiences.

Scottish Rite hosts the program annually.

“I feel like my path to orthopedics was like braille, just finding my way in the dark.”

Dr. Amy McIntosh Pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Amy McIntosh estimated that 100 girls apply for the free educational program, but only 40 are accepted.

Applicants write short essays about their interest in participating in the program and their long- and short-term goals.

Program participant Nichole Ayodele, a 17-year-old high school senior, plans on becoming a biomedical engineer.

“Being here is confirming that for me, and I’m also learning about more things in the

CLOCKWISE: Nichole Ayodele (fourth from left) uses power tools during a surgical simulation with guidance from Dr. Amy L. McIntosh (second from left). Girls learn proper suturing techniques from female Scottish Rite medical professionals. Participants perform mock surgical simulations, including attaching an external fixator. KAREN CHANEY

medical field,” Nichole said.

McIntosh recalled how when she was 18 years old and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine, an orthopedic exam course proved pivotal in determining her career path.

“I wish there had been a program like this for me when I was in high school or medical school,” she said. “I feel like my path to orthopedics was like braille, just finding my way in the dark. There wasn’t a lot of

O PP ORTUNIT Y KNOCKS Visit perryinitiative.org to find a schedule and learn more about programs for girls.

guidance or mentorship. I’m hoping to change that for future women.”

Throughout the day-long program, the gir ls rotated through various stations, including suturing lacerations on

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pigs’ feet, mock surgical simulations using bones made of sawdust, ultrasound technology, and more.

“They were cutting the bone with an oscillating saw; they were drilling just like we do in the operating room,” McIntosh said. “A lot of young women have never held or used a power tool before. We’re trying to get them more comfortable with the uncomfortable and opening their mind to a lot of different career paths in medicine.”

Upon completion of the surgical simulation station, Nichole confirmed that the goals McIntosh stated were achieved.

“We just … fixed a f racture temporarily,” she excitedly said.

“It was interesting seeing the mechanical engineering that went into that. We used drills and saws. I had never used those tools before; it makes me happy to say I’ve used them now.

I didn’t know they used those tools in surgery.”

Female orthopedics and engineering experts shared their history with the students during the program.

“I don’t understand why 50% of medical students are women, but only 6% of practicing orthopedic surgeons are women,” McIntosh said. “If you can see someone you are like in some way, you can open your mind to the concept that maybe you can be that person.”

Although Nichole is still determining which direction her career path will take, she is looking forward to being the first person in her family to pursue a career in a STEM field.

“I really just want to see what is out there,” she said. “No knowledge is wasted.”

B10 STEAM 2024 | peoplenewspapers.com

Move Over Sports; Parish Boasts STEM Booster Club

Parents organization provides volunteers, raises $50,000 in first five years

By Maria Lawson

maria.lawson@peoplenewspapers.com

Parish Episcopal School’s sySTEMs Booster Club brings parents together to enhance science, technology, engineering, and math programming through fundraising and volunteer work.

Booster club president Andy Mahtani got involved in the group four years ago because his senior daughter is involved with STEM, specifically on the rover team.

SySTEMs works with the school to help with programming — such as the annual STEM speaker series — and provide grants to teachers for learning materials.

“There’s a real culture of philanthropy here at Parish, and it’s not just monetary.”

Kristen Twomey “Bringing in kids, especially girls who might otherwise not think of STEM as their field, it’s a great way to get them exposed to it to figure out STEM can be fun,” Mahtani said.

The booster club recently provided the anatomy and physiology department with a model leg and funded a model arm a few years ago.

“The anatomy teacher felt that the kids will learn a lot more seeing this item with the veins and all that,” Mahtani said.

Kristen Twomey, assistant director of development at Parish, said the boosters fund “things above and beyond what is naturally built into the budget.”

SySTEMs also has a scholarship program where faculty and staff select one junior and one senior each year to earn a $1,000 scholarship.

Parish’s sySTEMs Booster Club provides learning materials and volunteer efforts to help the Episcopal school’s science, technology, engineering, and math program.

COURTESY PARISH EPISCOPAL

With sySTEMs, Parish has three stakeholders in the world of STEM. “It creates an interaction between the teachers and the sySTEMs membership because now, as parents, we’re sort of aware of what the teachers’ needs are,” Mahtani said.

“The faculty know who they can reach out to outside of the administration as well. It just brings about a very positive environment for

the school, all the stakeholders.”

SySTEMs, now in its sixth year, has a board of 16 parents and two faculty members. The group raised about $50,000 in its first five years.

“There’s a real culture of philanthropy here at Parish, and it’s not just monetary,” Twomey said. “It is a gift of time as well, and our parents enjoy volunteering. … They

want to be here and help in any way (to) help enhance the experience.”

Parish STEM coordinator Megan Williams said the booster club supports school programs by providing supplies and help to students in class and at home. During the pandemic, when students were learning remotely, sySTEMs provided 100 robots for students to learn the robotics curriculum from home. “(The parents) are all completely supportive,” Williams said. “Everyone on that sySTEMs board and just involved in the organization altogether is just ready to help in any way they can.”

Greenhill Senior Researches Stem Cells To Aid Leukemia Studies

By Maria Lawson

maria.lawson@peoplenewspapers.com

Greenhill School senior Pooja Sanghvi is researching how hematopoietic stem cells – the ones that give rise to other blood cells – metabolize glucose, specifically in bone marrow.

“To learn more about leukemia, we have to learn more about the stem cells,” Sanghvi said. “I just thought their whole relation to a cancer that we know very little about was very interesting, so I wanted to continue that over the (school) year.”

Sanghvi got involved in this research when she was a summer intern at UT Southwestern Medical Center, assigned to study stem cells. Now, her senior capstone project focuses on how these cells break down glucose through the glycolysis pathway as opposed to other metabolic pathways.

“We’re kind of studying how that happens, which enzymes are necessary for the breakdown of glucose and which enzymes these specific cells rely on because they seem to be different than other cells in the body,” she said.

The capstone is for credit at Greenhill.

However, research is conducted through UT Southwestern as part of a series of projects to learn more about what leukemia relies on and how those cells vary from healthy hematopoietic stem cells.

Her research has included three main experiments. In the first, she measured antibiotic activity by isolating a specific enzyme in mice and looking at its function through different acids.

The second one used flow cytometry – a technique involving lasers – to analyze cells in the bone marrow, the heart, and the liver.

“From that, we can compare survival rates when we apply different conditions to the mice so we can find out the survival rates of these different cells and how well they’re growing,” she said.

The third experiment is called metabolomics, a technique Sanghvi’s lab uses to look at how various blood cells break down into different blood cells in the body. “We look at all the different blood cells, and we look at which metabolites are peaking in those blood cells. For example, glucose or lactate, so we can measure which medical lights are necessary and therefore figure out which pathways

are necessary for these cells.”

Sanghvi’s plans for publication depend on what she discovers. She will present her findings at the end of the school year as part of her capstone but also wants to consolidate it into a project, whether that’s a paper or another medium.

Her career goal is to become a doctor and conduct research on the side.

“I think it’s important to focus on the patient aspect of it but also to get into the science of it, which not everyone is able to do,” she said.

“I don’t know exactly what kind of doctor I want to be, but this

has really helped show me what the research world looks like because I think it was really mystifying for me before this.”

Sanghvi describes the lab as a different environment from what she’s experienced in the past: “School is a very holistic view on education, and in the lab, everyone knows so much about a very narrow topic.”

Pooja Sanghvi is conducting research with UT Southwestern for her senior capstone project. COURTESY POOJA SANGHVI

peoplenewspapers.com | STEAM 2024

What Does $2,500 Buy a Dallas ISD Teacher?

Emma Grace Lloyd adds STEM Station for Withers pre-K

Pre-kindergarten teacher Emma Grace Lloyd won a Junior League of Dallas Grant to spend on her Withers Elementary School classroom. COURTESY DALLAS ISD

By Amelia Taylor

getting the kids involved is how they learn, so I really wanted to bring in part of the STEM aspect to get their wheels turning.”

Technology is everywhere today, and Emma Lloyd aims for the project to continue for many Grace Lloyd of Withers Elementary School wants years, with the station available to future pre-K to ensure her students are prepared for it. classes and becoming a part of the The pre-K teacher won a Junior class’s daily routine.

League of Dallas Grant for Innovative She said the stations would allow for Teaching this fall. She plans to use the a more involved learning that helps stu$2,500 to create a science, technology, dents absorb information and enables out-of-the-box STEM learning relevant engineering, and math station for her students. to the modern world.

One of eight different stations, the “I feel like this is a crucial push in education and the world right now benew STEM area will include everything from measuring tapes to items Emma Grace Lloyd cause everything is so heavy on tech, for building racetracks. The station will science, engineering, and everyday also incorporate literature with situations for the math skills,” Lloyd said. “I just think being able to students to solve, many set in fairy tales. problem-solve is the main aspect, and using differ“I saw this need for hands-on learning,” Lloyd ent tools to get them there. Problem-solving is a explained. “I can read a book about STEM, but huge lifelong skill.”

People Newspapers

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Virginia Ross: Sensors will upgrade W.T. White robotics

By Amelia Taylor

“This grant will help (the students) immensely with learning how to code and just being more comVirginia Ross, the robotics teacher petitive,” she said. “When I went to at W.T. White High School, strives my first competition, which really to get her students the resources compelled me to write this grant, I needed to be successful in robotics. realized that our students were beAs one of the Junior League of hind in coding and basic electronic materials.”

Dallas Grant Ross unfor Innovative derstood Teaching winners, Ross has that her students needed put the $2,500 a deeper untoward three derstanding of types of robotic sensors: how their robots worked, inertial, vision, and distance. not just how Inertial to build them.

“The kids sensors will could learn measure acceleration and how to build angular veloca robot, but ity, vision senthe more valsors will detect Robotics teacher Virginia Ross is ready to see ue-added skill colors, and how new sensors will upgrade coding instruction is how do you distance sen- at W.T. White High School. COURTESY DALLAS ISD both build sors will deit and think termine how far the robots are from about the complexity of how you’re their starting point. going to make the code and how As head of the robotics club, you’re going to make the electronics Ross saw a need for more complex all work together,” she said. “That incomponents. spired me.”

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