s t s i t n e i c s Growing your own with STEM t “what on earth do we do with that?” Melody Lawson asked her organic chemistry tutor, Stephanie Savage. Soon, they had a solution, and high-fived the small success.
Stephanie Savage ‘13 (left) and Melody Lawson ‘13 appreciate the convenience of the STEM Center in Porter Hall.
The center also hosts peer-led learning workshops and supplemental instruction sessions, with student tutor and instructor wages funded by the STEM grant. Peer-led team learning consists of weekly workshops related to specific courses for groups of 6-8 students. Students lead the workshops under faculty direction. “These workshops are related to the courses, but more demanding, to foster high-order thinking,” Bervig explained. Students may also drop into supplemental group instruction sessions to review coursework in math 106, general chemistry, and general biology. More individual assistance is available through tutoring. Student tutors and supplemental instructors are recommended by faculty.
reaching out to future scientists The STEM grant also supports outreach activities to build interest in STEM among youth and the community. The Zacheis Planetarium was identified as the locus for outreach and was refurbished with new equipment and presentations. last summer. The grant also funds guest lecturers on astronomy, such as the presentations in January by Kobie Boykins, a mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who works on the Mars Exploration Program. Bervig is also organizing the second annual Summer STEM Academy, to take place in June, for students entering tenth through twelfth grades who demonstrate academic talent and interest in scientific fields. Up to 20 San Luis Valley high school students will live on campus during the Academy and explore a range of scientific areas and career opportunities. Last year’s Academy featured a geological field trip and robot building workshop. By Julie Waechter
aStater update
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They and a third student were huddled in a small study room of Porter Hall’s new third floor STEM Center. The 2,800 square-foot facility is the centerpiece of a $3.6 million grant from the Title V Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM program, intended to help more Hispanic and lowincome students earn a degree in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). President David Svaldi cut the ribbon on the new facility February 7. It didn’t take long for students to gravitate to the center. It’s a place to study, conduct research, get academic help, talk with professors, or just hang out and rest the brain. “It’s really nice to meet up here, instead of having to go way over the library,” said Lawson, a senior biology major. “It’s already getting a lot of use. Students may be just hanging out between classes, and an impromptu study session will arise,” said Cindy Bervig, STEM activity director and outreach coordinator. “The building previously had no space set aside just for students. It belongs to them.” The goal of the STEM Center, constructed at a cost of $125,000, is to better support and retain students majoring in STEM fields. Professors spend some of their office hours in the center, making them more visible and available for students. The facility includes four small study rooms, a large study room, lounge area, and a new lab for interdisciplinary STEM research projects. Touch screen computers and lab equipment are on order. It’s also a comfortable meeting place for student organizations such as Adams Atoms, Tri-Beta, and Women in Science. “I love the white boards. We use them all time,” said Savage, a senior organic chemistry major. “It’s good to use the larger room, too, because it has a long board. Some mechanisms are really long. That also really helps in physical chemistry with quantum mechanics.”
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