Videoconferencing Materials Science to High Schools

1. Videoconferencing Materials Science to High Schools Shu Yang and Dan Gianola, MSE, Matt Lazzara and Daeyeon Lee, CBE, Jorge Santiago, ESE,Eric Schelter, Chemistry, and Andrew McGhie, LRSM The Penn MRSEC has expanded its educational outreach activities by entering into a collaboration with the MAGPI, Mid-Atlantic Gigapop in Philadelphia for Internet2, group at the University of Pennsylvania to deliver a series of materials-based programs to high school science classes. These hour-long presentations can be given interactively to five high schools simultaneously and cover specific areas of materials research. These programs can also be web streamed, if desired, and archived then podcast. Since 2009, MRSEC affiliated faculty have given 8 lectures on such diverse subjects as ‘Swellable, Gelable Polymers’, ‘Cell Signaling and Targeted Therapuetics for the ‘Color, Light and a Sustainable Future through Solar Energy’, ‘Cell Signalling and Targetted Therapeutics for the Treatment of Cancer’, ‘Synthesis, Characterization and Electronic Properties of Electrospun PZT and Carbon Nanofibers’, ‘Size Matters-Smaller is Better’, and ‘Wetting in Nature’ to over 100 students at a time. The lectures incorporate Powerpoint presentations, short videos, and experimental demonstrations with the occasional assistance of graduate students. These programs have been well received by their audience and we plan to make this a monthly series. Professor Dan Gianola, Materials Science and Engineering, presenting ‘Size Matters- Smaller is Better’ using MRSEC Video Conferencing equipment. High schools participating in this video conference: Hamburg Area S.D, Kutztown Area S.D., Montgomery County I.U., Mannheim Township HS, and West York Area H.S.