News - United States of America
2018 Midwest Student Research Symposium Highlights
Murphy at the 2018 Midwest SRS
The Midwest U.S. GLOBE Student Research Symposium took place on 18-19 May 2018, hosted by David Bydlowski (Wayne RESA, AREN Project) at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI. 53 Students and 9 GLOBE teachers from MI and OH attended, with the students presenting a total of 31 GLOBE research projects in a poster presentation session. Student projects were reviewed both by their peers and by local scientists.
After checking in at the Wayne State University dorms on Friday May 18th, students, parents, and teachers boarded a bus and were taken to the Wayne State School of Medicine for a pizza dinner. Anil Aranha, academic associate director in the School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and Herbert Smitherman, vice dean of Diversity and Community Affairs, welcomed all to Wayne State School of Medicine. Both created an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation for the Symposium. John Haynes, NASA’s Program Manager in Health and Air Quality Applications, provided a keynote presentation entitled Earth Observations Applied to a Changing World: NASA Health and Air Quality Applications. After dinner and the keynote, participants visited the Detroit Institute of Arts to explore the numerous exhibitions. Highlights included Making Home: Contemporary Works from DIA; Play Ball!; Drawing in the Galleries; and Friday Night Live! Music by the Corn Potato String Band.
Bright and early on Saturday May 19th, the students left the dorm to set up their posters and eat breakfast. The morning kicked off with welcomes from the following: David Bydlowski, AREN Project/Wayne RESA; Anil Aranha, academic associate director in the School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Tony Murphy, GLOBE director; Haley Wicklein, U.S. GLOBE; Brian Campbell, NASA Wallops; Lisa Perez from the USDA Forest Service; and Kevin Czajkowski, GLOBE scientist for the University of Toledo. Scientist reviewers and students reviewed the posters in two sessions. Reviewers were composed of NASA and professional scientists and science educators. While the students had conversations about their research with the scientists, Haley Wicklein, University of New Hampshire Leitzel Center, led teachers and mentors in professional development using the GLOBE Carbon Cycle material.
After the poster session and lunch, groups of students rotated through four workshop sessions. In Kites and the AREN Project, David Bydlowski and Andy Henry for the AREN Project helped students build and decorate frustrationless flyer kites. In Medical/Health Careers in Medical Schools, Joseph Weertz explained the process and courses the students would take in medical school. In NASA Earth Science, GLOBE and Citizen Science, Brian Campbell connected NASA Satellites missions to the data students submit to the GLOBE Program. In US Forest Service and Citizen Science, Lisa Perez from the USDA Forest Service explained where the service is housed in the U.S. government and what its responsibilities are.
GLOBE GIO Director Tony Murphy, GLOBE Mission EARTH Partners Kevin Czajkowski, Sara Mierzwiak, and Janet Struble from the University of Toledo, David Bydlowski and Andy Henry from Wayne RESA and Brian Campbell and John Haynes from NASA, assisted in making the event a success.
See the list of student projects here, the agenda here, and check out the SRS media page for links to photos of the event.
STUDENT QUOTES:
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“[Before the SRS I thought] I hated science and I was bad at it, [but now I know] I am intelligent and I love science!”
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“The event provided a chance for me to communicate with scientists and other students about research and scientific projects.”
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“[I thought] NASA didn’t really care for our research, [but now I know] NASA actually uses our data to verify their own data.”
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“It is good to learn from other students that we don't already know and just meet and talk to people of different backgrounds.”
News origin: United States of America