The Nucleus | 2022-2023

Lighting the

SPARK

of scientific interest

Fire, explosions and putting a spark of curiosity in the hearts of onlookers are regularities for the Science Education Center, Georgia College & State University’s arm for STEM outreach.

CONTENTS

STEM News................. 3

- GCSU Students and young scientists mentor even-younger science campers

EDITOR’S LETTER

- Senior studies cancer drugs at Chapell Hill - High school scientists and engineers win nearly $9 million at international science fair

S

cience, technology, engineering, mathematics and art (STEAM) are the building blocks of our world. STEM and STEAM-centered education is a holistic approach that promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and creativity while making connections between schools, the community and the workplace.

We invite you to read through our 2023 Impact Report and see how the Science Education Center is moving full STEAM ahead as we continue to bring science to life and lives to science!

Together we have worked to inspire curiosity, expand access and strengthen connections with our community. This past year, STEMing into the Community, Summer Camps, Science under the Stars, Young Scientists Academy, Career Days, Science

Competitions and a myriad of other programs encouraged thousands of young curiosity seekers to follow in the footsteps of scientists.

While we continue to raise funds in support of current programming and new endeavors, we are humbled by the generous support given to date.

We have an important job to do, all of us—educators, community leaders, GCSU faculty, staff and students, donors, volunteers—which is to come together and create an environment that supports creative learning. Together we make a difference!

I look forward to continuing to inspire science learning in everyone in 2024!

Dr. Catrena Lisse Editor

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Advancing the interest, engagement and understanding of science at GCSU and beyond by people of all backgrounds.

“The Nucleus” is a Science To Serve newsletter published annually by the Science Education Center and University Communications at Georgia College. Science to Serve is supported, in part, by generous donations from the kaolin industry.

The newsletter is available online at gcsu.edu/science.

349 Herty Hall • 478-445-7531 • Send us your science news: science@gcsu.edu Available online at gcsu.edu/science

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COVER STORY ...................6 Lighting the Spark of Scientific interest HIGHLIGHTS..................... 10

- Project SEED scholar the first at GCSU - GCSU visits S-STEM Summit for the first time - NASA DAY Dames Ferry - Paying forward: inspiration . Q&A with Science Education Center volunteer SCIENCE EDUCATION CENTER: Catrena Lisse Director Ashley Garcia Outreach Coordinator Patti Veal Administrative Assistant EDITORS: Catrena Lisse and Kristen Maddox NEWSLETTER DESIGN: Creative Services PHOTOGRAPHY: Anna Leavitt, Kristen Maddox STEM STUDENT VOLUNTEER LEADERS Nicole Snyder Cole Smith Ashley Garcia Zachary Taylor Heather Vincent Callie Miller AJ Jenkins Tyler Walters STEM Faculty Volunteers Dr. John Trombley Dr. Wathsala Medawala Dr. Peter Rosado-Flores

STEM NEWS

GCSU STUDENTS AND YOUNG SCIENTISTS MENTOR EVEN-YOUNGER SCIENCE CAMPERS Science Education Center in partnership with Academic Outreach For Science Camp this year, students had a mystery to solve. Rising sixth through ninth graders investigated and forensically analyzed a mock crime scene.

They didn’t work alone. High schoolers in the university’s Young Scientist Academy and student volunteers from our Science Education Center supervised and supported pupils from local middle schools.

Christopher Townsend, a seventh grader at Georgia College’s Early College, is excited by marine biology and anatomy. He jumped at the chance to attend Science Camp.

“I feel grateful for this opportunity and to be mentored here,” Townsend said. “I just like science.

It’s always been my dream, and this event is really memorable.”

His mentor, Ayesha Patel, is a rising junior in Early College and a veteran of the Young Scientist Academy.

“It’s an interesting thing, because I’ve never mentored before,” Patel said. “But teaching them is really fun and it’s making me more interested in chemistry, as well. It’s a good opportunity for both of us to learn.”

Science Education Center student volunteers organized the event. They supervised and assisted both groups of students, as well.

“We fake-murdered people at the crime scene, flung fake blood everywhere, set up all the evidence and then arranged the evidence so people could be rolled out one-by-one to each station,’ said rising Georgia College senior and chemistry major, Cole Smith.

“We’re always doing stuff like this,” he said. “The Science Education Center does a lot of outreach, spreading the love of science. We’re always running around volunteering with Dr. Catrena Lisse.”

Science Camp is the collaborative effort between the Science Education Center and Academic Outreach. The two-week camp concluded in July, making 2023 their 20th year engaging local students excited by the subject. _____________________ “They’re already curious, and any opportunity to foster that and keep it going — get that analytical mind working on those critical thinking skills regardless of what they end up doing — is super important,” said Ruth Eilers, director of Academic Outreach.

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STEM NEWS

SENIOR STUDIES CANCER DRUGS AT UNC CHAPEL HILL Nicole Snyder, senior chemistry major and dance minor, spent her summer working toward cancer solutions at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

She studied in the lab of Dr. Jeff Aubé, professor in the UNC Department of Chemistry, within the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery. She worked directly under Ryan Sherrier, her graduate student mentor, as part of a Research Experience for Undergraduates or REU. “We were working on synthesizing something being studied right now as a potential treatment for cancer,” Snyder said. “I spent the whole summer making molecules, purifying them and sending them off for biological testing.”

“By the end of the summer, I made 20 different compounds, so it was a lot of work,” she said, “but it was so fun, and I learned so much.”

The NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site is a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in research programs of a host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where they work closely with faculty and other researchers.

Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Nine students from around the country were selected for this prestigious REU at UNC Chapel Hill in 2023.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Monday through Friday, she felt the experience of being a graduate student of chemistry, solidifying her aspiration to enter graduate school.

“Sometimes research is trying something and watching it just go so wrong and saying, ‘Well, I didn’t expect that to happen,’” Snyder said.

“It was cool to get an inside peek into what it looks like,” Snyder said. “We had a cohort and planned social events. At the end of the summer, we had a mini poster session and shared the work we did throughout the year.”

The growth she experienced was accelerated by her mentor, Dr. Catrena Lisse, director of the Science Education Center and professor of chemistry—someone Snyder has worked with since her freshmen year.

“It made me more comfortable with analysis and purification techniques in the lab,” she said.

“I could sing her praises forever,” Snyder said. “She’s an incredible mentor and an incredible woman, and it’s been really amazing to follow in her footsteps.”

Between lab work, visiting museums, cheering at baseball games and Friday night dinners with her cohort, Snyder developed more than technical skills.

“It forced me to face my opinions and beliefs and stand up for them, which I didn’t expect,” she said. “I thought this was going to be all about chemistry, and here I am—I’ve changed as a person.”

“I was on my own, and I really had to be confident in who I was and confident in the decisions I was making,” she said.

The reality of research shifted for her, and she realized how much of it is thinking critically about what went wrong.

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Following graduation, Snyder intends to pursue graduate school— hopefully at UNC. After that, she said, she sees a doctorate and the workforce in her future.

“There’s something scary about entering the workforce, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve been well prepared by GCSU, my mentors and colleagues here, and incredible family support,” Snyder said. “I didn’t think I’d be sitting here with all the things I’ve done these past four years—so I’m excited to see where it takes me.”

We are too.

p The GCSU Science Fair Delegation at the Atlanta airport prior to departure

STEM NEWS

HIGH SCHOOL SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WIN NEARLY $9 MILLION AT INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FAIR Four high school students traveled alongside Dr. Catrena Lisse to The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas, Texas this year.

After winning the top prize in GCSU’s Regional Science and Engineering Fair, Morgan Collins, Putnam County High School and Nicholas Jackson, Washington County High School were invited to attend. Rising sophomore students Remiya Stephens and Hannah Liles from Rutland High School in Bibb County attended as observers to learn from the experience.

They attended panel discussions, heard from former ISEF winners, and attended college and career fairs.

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair—a Society for Science program—is the world’s largest global science competition for high school. Through a global network, millions

of students are encouraged to explore their passion for scientific inquiry.

Each spring, a group of these students is selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to compete for approximately $9 million in awards and scholarships.

Kaitlyn Wang, 17, of San José, CA, won first place and the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award for finding an efficient way to identify certain exoplanets. Natasha Kulviwat, 16, of Jericho, New York, received the Gordon E. Moore Award and $50,000 for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations for her search for biomarkers to help prevent suicides. And Yuyang Wang, 16, of Shanghai, China, received the Craig R. Barrett Award for Innovation of $10,000 for his development of an inchworm-style stick-climbing robot.

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Lighting the

SPARK of scientific interest Literally.

Fire, explosions and putting a spark of curiosity in the hearts of onlookers are regularities for the Science Education Center, Georgia College & State University’s arm for STEM outreach.

Led by Dr. Catrena Lisse and powered by college student volunteers, the center is singlehandedly bringing interactive science, technology, engineering and math to Middle Georgia counties.

They call it: STEMing into the Community.

It’s at STEMing events and activities where Lisse and her team of enthusiastic volunteers bring science to life. Sometimes it’s presented as magic, like at Lakeview Academy in Milledgeville.

After pushing a Styrofoam cup into pure acetone (what makes nail polish remover), a fifth-grade elementary school student was amazed to find only a ball of white slime remained.

Lisse asked the group what they thought must’ve happened.

In a ruckus of raised hands and shouting, some yelled, “It melted!” Others said the cup dissolved, while mimicking their favorite super villain.

With each guess, Lisse led her spellbound students through the complex process of critical thinking. It couldn’t have melted, she said, because that’s when something turns into a liquid—which clearly hadn’t happened.

It couldn’t have dissolved, they agreed, because something was still left behind.

A few guesses later, it was revealed the cup simply deflated. Right then, each student learned that Styrofoam products are made from this goo, which is puffed of air and shaped.

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“”

At the heart of our work is the GCSU student -Dr. Catrena Lisse

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Just like that, every student in the room was enchanted by science.

“We’ve all heard the expression ‘it takes a village,” and science is no different,” Lisse said. “We encourage students, their parents and members of the community to embrace their natural curiosity and offer them resources at each of our programs to help.”

“Whether it’s setting up our STEM Marketplace on the basketball court of a housing authority or the community room of a church, we bring STEM to a community’s home turf,” she said.

That village is Lisse and her many volunteers—Georgia College students across many STEM disciplines. Magic Shows, Family Fun Nights, one-off community outreach events and school assembly displays—they help her manage it all.

“At the heart of our work is the GCSU student,” Lisse said. “Every program, idea and initiative is designed to engage our students in extraordinary ways.”

“Programs, like STEMing into the Community, that increase the social responsibility of our GCSU students, directly impact and enhance our broader community’s access to STEM,” she said.

Students like Nicole Snyder, Cole Smith, Morgan Collins, Heather Vincent and many more.

The Science Education Center wants to pay special respect to Sarah Fix, ’23, (bottom right) recent pre-med, biology graduate and someone instrumental in the center’s success last year.

For a year, Fix interned at the center and organized many of 2022’s STEMing into the Community events.

Among all her opportunities to engage in giving, working with the Science Education Center was her favorite.

“I love our STEMing shows, because we focus on the most rural and underserved schools in the area,” Fix said.

“That might mean us loading into a van, driving to perform a science show and seeing kids who never get to engage in the lab experience.”

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“There’s so much empowerment and opportunity that can come from education,” she said.

Nicole Snyder, a senior chemistry major, continues Fix’s work and has been with the center all four years of her undergraduate experience.

“I’ve seen the audience grow, as we moved from online during COVID to on front campus,” Snyder said. “I’ve slowly seen the number of volunteer opportunities we’re involved in grow exponentially.”

When kids at a given event can’t contain their excitement, Snyder thinks of why she does it—and what it was like to be in their shoes years ago.

“The excitement in the room, coming from the kids, is almost palpable,” she said. “It’s incredible

to think that, okay, not all of them are going to become chemists, but there are a few who definitely discovered that this is something they’re really interested in.”

“To think I could have played any part in helping them find that passion leaves me speechless,” she said.

Everything they do at the Science Education Center is free for anyone willing to take a dive into scientific exploration. But the center does accept donations.

Scan here to donate to the Science Education Center

To amplify their impact, gifts can be donated online, or by check to the GCSU Foundation, F20808 – Science Education Center.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Project SEED scholar the first at GCSU Morgan Collins, a first-year chemistry student, is the first from Georgia College & State University to receive an American Chemical Society Project SEED Scholarship.

The indicator should change colors to find which metals are present in water or soil. In college, Collins’ goal is to make an indicator that is reusable and efficient at identifying metals.

This year, this competitive research funding opportunity was awarded to 45 students nationwide with Collins the only recipient from Georgia. The Eatonton, Georgia, native was awarded the scholarship’s maximum amount of $5,000, which covers his tuition—leaving him to conduct research.

He wants to speed up the process for identifying what is contaminating water or soil, finding that contaminant, and reversing its effects while preventing it from happening again.

The Project SEED Scholarship assists Project SEED Program participants like Collins in their transition from high school to college. Project SEED also funded two years of Collins’ summer research with the Georgia College Young Scientist Academy beginning in 2022.

According to their website, the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED mission is to “provide sustained STEM research, learning, and growth opportunities for high school students with diverse identities and socioeconomic backgrounds…”

With the funds, Collins started creating a heavy metal indicator alongside Dr. Catrena Lisse, director of the Science Education Center and professor of chemistry.

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“I’m really interested in water and soil quality because I want to be an environmental chemist,” Collins said. “That’s my career path and being able to use a heavy metal indicator for water samples will boost my goals and help me along the way.”

Out of Georgia’s three selective institutions, Collins chose Georgia College precisely for this opportunity to conduct undergraduate research.

“I’ve always loved nature—hiking, fishing, camping—I’m an Eagle scout, so this is my passion,” he said. “Being introduced to chemistry was mind blowing because I understand it, it’s fun and hands-on.”

“That’s what drives me: my love and passion for environmental science, for nature and for chemistry,” Collins said.

GCSU visits S-STEM Summit for the first time In September, nominated Georgia College & State University scholars presented their undergraduate research at the S-STEM Scholars Meeting in Washington D.C. It was the first time GCSU had been invited to participate. The event placed senior chemistry major Nicole Snyder, junior Richard (AJ) Jenkins and sophomore physics major Joel Saucedo amongst hundreds of scholars nationwide.

S-STEM primary investigators and research mentors nominated each student to attend the event. Dr Catrena Lisse, professor of chemistry, nominated Nicole Snyder and AJ Jenkins. Dr. Hasitha Mahabaduge, assistant professor of physics, nominated Joel Saucedo.

The meeting included informative plenary sessions, workshops and guidance on topics like summer research programs, graduate school preparation and career planning. Scholars participated in targeted activities to connect with other scholars in similar disciplines, education levels and career pathways.

The National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program at GCSU aims to increase the STEM workforce by recruiting and supporting academically talented, low-income students majoring in chemistry or physics in the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy.

Dr. Lisse attended on behalf of the GCSU NSF S-STEM program and served as a mentor and career panelist at the meeting.

HIGHLIGHTS NASA DAY Dames Ferry

The Science Education Center supported STEM education and awed audiences of elementary schoolchildren at Dames Ferry Sept. 7.

We arrived in rare form for their STEM Day, where we managed one of three GCSU stations. Our moon-themed activity for first graders was made of four parts: our favorite moons poster, a baking soda and dish soap moon painting station, infrared lighting exploration and a moon globe depicting topography taken through infrared.

Dr. Lisse (left) and senior Cole Smith (center) at Dames Ferry

“It’s really fun,” said first-year chemistry major Emma Lazarz.

“I like being with the kids and seeing their faces light up when they discover something, like when Dr. Lisse was explaining the eruption theory.”

After having fun with science, students watched as NASA astronauts on the International Space Station answered their questions live.

Emma Lazarz (center) mans the moon painting station

“

I like being with the kids when they discover something...

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”

- First-year chemistry major Emma Lazarz

HIGHLIGHTS

Paying forward inspiration Q&A with Science Education Center volunteer Her fascination with science started small, in elementary school.

Heather Vincent, junior biology major, was inspired by her neighbor. Her neighbor raised chickens, and when chicks’ eggs were incubating, she would share the experience with Heather and her sister.

They ooh-ed and awed at developing embryos, tadpoles and the various biological processes they were exposed to.

All the way from Jasper, Georgia, that inspiration has carried her to today, where she’s a pre-med mentee and Science Education Center volunteer with dreams of becoming a doctor.

“We can show younger students what a plant looks like, and what makes it green—a lot of students find that really interesting,” Heather said. “I get to work with them hands-on and see their excitement and curiosity.”

“It’s a really great experience,” she said, “and I want other students to share that love and have those same opportunities.”

Q: What are some of your favorite things to volunteer for?

Q: Why is it important for you to give back as a volunteer?

A: I really love it when we go beyond Milledgeville—like when we went to Savannah last year for a community science event. They won NASA’s James Webb Telescope competition and we got to bring our nice telescopes from the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy. We showed students the moon up close, Venus and a couple of stars.

A: I think it’s important to give back to people because here at Georgia College, no one’s alone on our journey.

There’s a lot of people supporting us, whether it be your professors or your family. We’ve been given an opportunity by being on a campus that lets us give so much back and have all these experiences.

It was great to show students astronomy, which a lot of schools don’t offer.

The students were so excited and lining up to look through the telescope. I just love it when we go to local elementary schools.

It helps you broaden your perspective and worldview of things that you may not be exposed to by staying on our couple blocks of campus.

All these younger kids just want to be like a part of science and just really love these activities we do.

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FAMILY FUN NIGHT

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Science Education Center Campus Box 082 Milledgeville, GA 31061 Phone 478-445-7531 Fax 478-445-1092 science@gcsu.edu

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Visit gcsu.edu/science for more events.

Spring 2024

Jan 1................................. Georgia College State K-5 Science Fair – Registration Opens

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Jan 10-13............. Association for Science Teacher Education International Conference – New Orleans, LA

SCOUT PROGRAMS

Jan 15.................................Regional Science and Engineering Fair - Registration Closes Feb 2......................................................................Regional Science and Engineering Fair

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

March 1.................................................. Young Scientists Academy – Registration Opens March 1.....................................................................Science Camps – Registration Opens March 29............................................................... State K-5 Science and Engineering Fair March 9-23...................................................................................... Atlanta Science Festival March 14.......................................................................................................................Pi Day March ...........................................GoSTEM Latino College and STEM Fair – Atlanta, GA March 17-21.............. American Chemical Society National Meeting – New Orleans, LA March 20-23...... National Science Teacher Association National Meeting – Denver, CO April.................................................................................................. Citizen Science Month

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912

Feb 15-17........American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting – Denver, CO

4,092

IMPACT: STEM BY THE NUMBERS Participation by Program CY23

STEMing into the Community Programs

Summer Camps and Programs

612

Science Competitions

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April 11-13...................................... Georgia Science and Engineering Fair – Athens, GA April 22................................................................................................................... Earth Day

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

May 1..................................................Young Scientists Academy – Application Deadline May 11-17....................... International Science and Engineering Fair – Los Angeles, CA

Summer 2024

June 3-4................. International Conference on Environmental and Science Education – New York, NY July 6-10..................... American Association of Physics Teachers meeting – Boston, MA June 10-14....................................................................Science Camp Junior – Grades 3-5 June 17-21..............................................................................Science Camp – Grades 6-12 June 10-July 19........................................... Young Scientists Academy and Project SEED June 23-26......................... American Society for Engineering Education – Portland, OR

Fall 2024

Sept 15-21...................................................................... National Forensics Science Week Oct 16.....................................................................................................National Fossil Day Oct 20-26............................... National Chemistry Week (Family Fun Night on Thursday) Oct 23..................................................................................................................... Mole Day Oct 23-26................ Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society – Atlanta, GA Nov 8....................................................................................... National STEM/STEAM Day Nov 14-17.....................National Biology Teachers Association Meeting – Anaheim, CA Dec 1.................................Regional Science and Engineering Fair – Registration Opens

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t the heart of this work is the Georgia College & State University student. Each idea, program, project or initiative was designed around engaging the student in ways they might not be familiar with in science and related fields. Each activity offered GCSU students opportunities for increasing their participation in STEM. Our students functioned as STEM club officers, camp counselors, worked alongside teachers to deliver classroom activities, coordinated filed trips, facilitated on-campus activities, community shows, family nights, planetarium events, engineering design challenges, evaluated science & engineering fair projects, functioned as supplemental instructors, laboratory assistants, tutors, and much more.

Activities that increased the social responsibility of our GCSU students also increased our broader community’s access to STEM in a seamless intersection of public stewardship and civic engagement.