Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

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  • Publication
    Genetic Modification of Plants
    (2014-01-01) Cheung, Alice; Wu, Hen-Ming
  • Publication
    How to Build and Teach Case Studies in Science
    (2015-01-01) Auerbach, Scott M; Fermann, Justin; French, Hannah; Haley, Erin
  • Publication
    Interdisciplinary Science Connections
    (2015-01-01) Venne, Fred
  • Publication
    Producing Electricity with Solar Cells
    (2015-01-01) Emery, Chris; Snyder, Rob
  • Publication
    Plants, Pipettes and PCR
    (2022-01-01) Vierling, Elizabeth
    Plants are amazing organisms that provide us with food, building materials, the pleasure of gardens, as well as providing the foundation of critical world ecosystems. Although they may look like they are just stuck in one place and doing not more than growing, they have many, many complex ways in which they respond to the environment. The goal of this STEM Ed session will be to discuss ways that plants can respond to the environment with hands on exercises and exploration of possible classroom activities. Participants will engage in state-of-the art methods of testing plant DNA composition using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as well as learn and "scheme" how these and other experiments on plant responses to the environment that have been integrated into both middle school and high school curricula can work for you. Please see https://sites.biochem.umass.edu/vierlinglab/ for some of the resources that can be discussed in this workshop.
  • Publication
    From LCD to living liquid crystals
    (2022-01-01) Zhou, Shuang
    Liquid crystals are a family of materials that can flow like a liquid, while having orientation order, like a crystal. Traditional liquid crystals are formed by small rod- or disk-shaped organic molecules that spontaneously align with each other. The orientation direction of the liquid crystals molecules, or the director, is sensitive to external fields. For example, a few volt of electric field can cause the director rotate 90 degrees and completely change the optical property of the sample. The susceptibility to external fields made liquid crystals an ideal material for optical switching applications, the best example of which is the liquid crystal display (LCD). In this workshop, we will first explain some basic concepts of polarizing optics and test some daily birefringent materials. We will then look into how liquid crystals work as a central component in LCD. We will further characterize the opto-electronic performance of a one-pixel LCD using simple electronics and image analysis software ImageJ. At the end, I will introduce a new direction of liquid crystal research on water-based liquid crystals. By mixing microorganisms into them, we demonstrate a collection of new out-of-equilibrium phenomena that were not seen before in traditional liquid crystals. With this new “living liquid crystals”, we show application potential of “domesticating” microorganisms such as bacteria and parasites, and many more.
  • Publication
    Birds in an Ecological Web
    (2022-01-01) Podos, Jeff
    One great way to learn about nature and biology is to study birds. There are many species of birds, both resident and migratory, and they all have their own habits, colors, songs, and ways of life. The popularity of birdwatching has skyrocketed in the US, especially during the pandemic. This seminar will describe one way to look at birds, and to learn about their ecology, evolution, and diversity. We start by focusing on birds’ feeding habits and food preferences. Many birds have to eat and forage constantly, in order to stay alive and to feed their offspring. From this starting point we can then trace and understand all sorts of additional aspects of birds, including (but not limited to) their beaks, their colors, their songs, and their mating systems. We will talk about bird species both local and from South America, particularly from Brazil and from the Galapagos Islands.
  • Publication
    Spring 2022 Saturday Seminars Agenda
    (2022-01-01) Tewari, Shubha
  • Publication
    Materials for Clean Energy
    (2022-01-01) Ramasubramaniam, Ashwin; Abdelrahman, Omar A.
    The need to transition to new and cleaner forms of energy has never been more imperative in the face of climate change. At the same time, the twin pressures from increasing global demand for energy and the scarcity of critical materials needed for new energy technologies impose additional challenges in making the transition to clean energy sources. In this workshop, we will explore how theory, modeling, and experiment are rising to the challenge of designing inexpensive, earth-abundant materials to enable the next generation of clean energy technologies. The goals of this workshop are: 1) to integrate concepts from chemistry, physics and engineering for materials design, and 2) explore through hands-on activities how alternative clean energy sources can be utilized in day-to-day applications.
  • Publication
    Spring 2022 Superhydrophobic Materials
    (2022-01-01) Liu, T. Leo
    Many natural surfaces, such as lotus leaves and a water strider’s leg, have shown striking water repellency so that they remain clean and dry even in “dirty” habitats. Such water repellency is called superhydrophobicity, which has stimulated lots of science and engineering imagination for self-cleaning windows, never dirty clothes, drag-reduction swimming suits, etc. In this workshop, we will use superhydrophobicity as a model to guide an integrative teaching and learning experience through hands-on experiments, critical thinking, basic science, as well as a lecture on state-of-the-art research discoveries. The objectives of this workshop are to (1) stimulate student curiosity and imagination through simple hands-on experiments to reproduce a superhydrophobic surface with simple resources like candles or sandpapers with dishes or glass slides, (2) link diverse daily life phenomena to superhydrophobic science and demonstrate how high-school physics plus critical thinking can be used together to advance fundamental science even today, (3) establish lesson plans for STEM education with a wide range of activities that can be adopted by different education levels (K-12), in different classes, and on different subjects. This superhydrophobic surface model can be easily extended to various bioinspired designs to further the interdisciplinary education on biology, chemistry, mechanics, etc. In general, this workshop will foster a life-learning habit that encourages students to keep their eyes open on daily observations and correlate them to the fundamental concepts they learn in the classroom.
  • Publication
    Bits, knits, and knots:Using knitting as a tool to teach STEM concepts
    (2020-01-01) Lee-Trimblee, Mary Elizabeth; Atkinson, Daria; Berry, Michelle
    Knitting is an ancient technology as well as an enjoyable pastime that is often overlooked as an object of scientific study. However, knitting can be used as an accessible, low tech tool to teach coding fundamentals, higher level mathematics, and even concepts in physics. In this seminar we will do all three, as well as teach you to knit. We will divide this into 5 modules: 1. Overview of knitting as technology 2. Learning to knit (and teaching it too!) 3. Knitting as coding 4. Tangles, knits, and knots: the knot theory of knitting 5. Recent developments in the physics of knitting Accompanying each of these models we will provide brief sketches for lesson plans and discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with their implementation in a classroom setting
  • Publication
    Invasive Species
    (2016-01-01) Harrington, Robin
  • Publication
    Agenda, Revised
    (2020-01-01) Tewari, Shubha
    Materials from the seminars. The agenda was revised to include online sessions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Publication
    Modeling Epidemics, An Introduction
    (2020-01-01) Tewari, Shubha
    Group discussion of videos watched – Mainly focus on 3Blue1Brown videos Discussion of known facts about Covid-19/SARS-CoV-2 Joint look at news articles and websites – Discussion of exponential growth Introduction to SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) model Excel demonstration of SIR model Other models: SEIR, others Modeling using python (time-permitting)
  • Publication
    Bubble Lab Exercise
    (2020-01-01) Beltramo, Peter
    The cell membrane is a ubiquitous component in mammalian cells which control many vital biological functions. It consists of a phospholipid bilayer with embedded protein molecules which serve to transport molecules between the interior and exterior of the cell. Understanding what makes cell membranes so important and how they function requires concepts from physics, chemistry, and of course biology, but it is difficult to learn and conceptualize the structure and function of membranes due to their nanoscopic size and dynamic nature which can’t be properly appreciated in a static textbook. This activity draws analogies between the chemistry and structure of soap films, which are essentially the inverse of the cell membrane, to create a macroscopic model that illustrates many important concepts in biology. Concepts emphasized include membrane fluidity, flexibility, amphiphilicity, passive/active transport, and membrane fusion/division processes. Using materials entirely available at a grocery store, students explore cell membrane structure and function using the more tangible and accessible soap film.
  • Publication
    STEP UP workshop
    (2020-01-01) Wadness, Michael J; Lodge-Scharff, Savvy
    Did you know that teachers are the reason that most undergraduate women in physics chose that degree? That's right. You are key to encouraging women to pursue prosperous careers in physics! The STEP UP project provides access to downloadable research-based lessons about physics and a nationwide community of teachers engaged in changing the future of physics. This insightful and interactive workshop invites participants to join a national movement designed to empower teachers with resources specifically focused on leveraging high school physics teachers' pivotal role in influencing the career choices of women and contributing to the culture change needed to inspire more women to pursue physics as undergraduates. Workshop physics materials are online at STEPUPphysics.org
  • Publication
    From Soap Bubbles to Cell Membranes
    (2020-01-01) Beltramo, Peter
    Have you ever blown a soap bubble and wondered - what causes the bubble to be so stable and produces those colorful reflections of light? The answer lies in a class of molecules known as surfactants, and they have remarkable similarities with the molecules that comprise the cell membrane of all living organisms. In this workshop, we will use the analogy of a soap bubble to describe cellular membrane properties such as chemistry, structure, membrane transport, and ion channel formation. The goals of this workshop are to 1) link initially intractable concepts in biology like intracellular transport to the intuitive soap bubble to spur student interest and inquiry, 2) impart critical thinking and group collaboration skills through hands-on activities designed to reinforce and extend student comprehension and 3) establish lesson plans for learning activities that can be adapted to a wide range of classes (physics, biology, chemistry) and educational levels (K-12). By demonstrating membrane processes using the tangible and familiar soap film, this workshop is highly accessible and has the added advantage that all materials can be purchased from a grocery store. In addition, new developments in cutting-edge experimental techniques for studying membrane processes and fabricating biomimetic materials will be discussed to link fundamental concepts to current research at UMass and elsewhere.
  • Publication
    Agenda
    (2020-01-01) Tewari, Shubha
    Abstracts for six Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars.
  • Publication
    Arduino Microcontrollers in the Classroom: teaching how to phrase effective science questions and how to answer them with original data
    (2020-01-01) Dinsmore, Tony
    Arduino microcontrollers in the classroom: teaching how to phrase effective science questions and how to answer them with original data. Prof. Tony Dinsmore, UMass Physics This workshop will develop course modules that address a challenge in the science curriculum: how do we teach basic problem-solving and curiosity-based research skills in a classroom setting? The standard science curriculum teaches concepts and theory quite well but leaves rather little opportunity for students to take the lead in designing and implementing their own investigations. The workshop will use the Arduino, an inexpensive microcontroller that is simple to set up. A huge range of student-led projects are possible, taking advantage of the recent explosion of inexpensive, small-scale sensors that are available on-line for costs ranging from about $1-20. As part of the workshop, we will work with Arduinos and a few basic sensors. The workshop will focus on developing an iterative process by which students define their own science question, set up a device (controlled by the Arduino) to collect data, and then answer the question. We will go through these steps during the workshop. I will also share my approach, based on a new course for first-year physics majors at UMass that takes students through these steps. For many students, such a course provides a first experience working with the hardware-software interface, designing algorithms, and programming. For workshop attendees -- and for the students that we are planning for -- no prior experience with computing or hardware is needed. Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop computer. If time permits, you might wish to install the "Arduino IDE" controlling software, located at https://www.arduino.cc/en/main/software. If you cannot bring a laptop computer, you will have access to one at the workshop.
  • Publication
    Supporting Diverse Learners in STEM
    (2019-01-01) Pearson, Joshua
    After first issuing 1:1 iPads, Chromebooks and laptops, many k-12 schools are now implementing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs that provide more choice for educators and learners. Some are “Going Google” with Chromebooks and G Suite, while others are using iPads and tablets. How do you support diverse learners on all devices, using free and low cost Apps and Assistive Technology (AT) solutions? These AT (Assistive Technology) solutions (many of which are free or low cost) personalize the educational experience, as well as engage and include ALL learners in a Universally Designed environment across the curriculum. AT has the potential to foster engagement, as well as support access through personalizing learning by providing multiple options for how learners can engage with and produce information. With ever-changing technology and advancements in learning tools, this often leaves educators feeling as though they are underprepared in terms of knowledge and skill regarding the most effective way to support all students, including those with disabilities. These AT solutions are being utilized in K-12 schools, colleges, as well as the workplace environment and support successful transition to post-secondary options.