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STUDENTS OF SCIENCE DO RESEARCH IN CMU LAB
By Bartley Griffith Jr., Post Gazette Staff Writer
Andrew Haridis had planned to work at McDonald's this summer. But thanks to a new mentorship porgram, the Creative and Performing Arts junior is spending his summer vacation on the forefront of scientific research.
"It sure beats flippin' burgers," Haridis said. He's participating in the CMU/Pittsburgh Public Schools Summer Outreach Program, which pays Pittsburgh Public School students $4.50 an hour for a 40-hour work week while they gain experience as part of Carnegie Mellon University research teams under the direction of faculty mentors at the Mellon College of Science.
The eight-week program is funded by local foundations and is designed to entice females and members of minority groups to pursue careers in science, said the program's director, Michael Shore, who has taught physics at Allderdice High School for 28 years.
"These students jump right in and make thier own contribution. They are not working as dishwashers; they are active in research."
Shore said students were selected on the basis of thier interest in science and academic credentials.
Tami Hills, who will be a senior at Carrick High School this fall, is one of 10 students spending the dog days of summer in a Carnegie Mellon laboratory.
"I am working to make cobalt molecules, which are real magnetic, as small as possible," Tami said. Reducing the size of cobalt molecules aids in the production of computer software.
"Sometimes the students themselves don't realize the importance of what they are doing, said Steve Garoff, associate chairman of Carnegie Mellon's department of physics and the program's coordinator. "they get so involved with the small details of their work that they lose sight of the contribution they are makinf to science."
Ulysses Coto, a senior at Westinghouse, quickly cleaned laboratory glassware from his work staion before explaining his role in the chemical research of Stuart staley, who is Coto's mentor.
"I am helping Dr. Staley to make what are called Bucky Balls. Buck Balls are carbon-60 molecules shaped like soccer balls that help batteries and fossil fuels run longer."
The carbon molecule was discovered by scientists in 1985 and has proved useful in enhancing the performance of batteries and fossil fuels. Eventually, the molecule will be used to aid in space propulsiona nd cancer therapy.
Coto said he thought viewing the world through foggy lab goggles for eight weeks was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"I wanted to get out of my old job, and I like science, so I jumped at it. I know that this will open doors for me."
He sighed heavily when asked what his friends were doing on their vacations. "Nothing. It's hard to spend time in the lab and with my friends. They want to go out at night, but I gotta get up and work in the morning."
Julia Sero walked briskly across the cold biology laboratory floor in order to show the microscope she uses to examine the cells of mice embryos.
"This summer I am studying cells of different sizes to see how they grow. I am trying to determine if cell size is hereditary or random."
Shore and Sero briefly discussed her class schedual for next year.
"I have to take both chemistry and biology. I don't even have time to eat lunch," she said.
Shore responded, "You don't have to eat; you only have to graduate."
After a summer of mice embryos and buckyballs, this seems like a modest goal.
The program began June 25 and will finish August 18. Garoiff said he considered such outreach programs to be among the many responsibilities of a major university.
"CMU realizes its role in the community and has always put a significant amount of time and money into outreach programs like this one," he said. "We know there is a definite cultural diversity lacking in the sciences."
I would just like to comment briefly on this article. First of all, the quotes from the students make us sound inarticulte and stupid. I assure you, this is not true. I would also like to add that I, Julia Sero, was never in any danger whatsoever of not graduating--I took both bio 2 and chem 2 in my senior year because I wanted to, not because I needed either of them to graduate. The two classes happened to be schedualed in such a way that they conflicted with the lunch period I wanted, a problem which was easily remedied by the start of school. Mr. Shore was joking. The students interviewed in this article are not as backwards as Bartley Griffith Jr. makes us out to be. Other than that, it was a fair article, good for publicity of our program.
Contact: Pat Crawford
Ten Pittsburgh High School Students Paired With CMU Professors In Eight-Week Summer Mentoring Program
Pittsburgh, PA, July 17, 1995 . . . Ten students from eight of Pittsburgh's public high schools have been paired with Carnegie Mellon University professors/scientists in a paid mentoring program this summer.
The Mellon College of Science Mentoring Program matched Pittsburgh students, who have just finished the 10th or 11th grades, with a mentor from the Mellon College of Science. These mentors guide students through forefront research projects with exposure to up-to-date equpiment, facilities and support. Each student will recieve exposure to scientific research at a level not usually encouraged untill graduate school. In addition, students are paid $4.50 per hour for a 40 hour week.
Andrew Haridis, a junior at C.A.P.A. who is studying the violin, will be working with his mentor on a n experiment to discover what exactly how a violin bow works and how different kinds of rosins (tacky substances applied to the bow strings to make then stick slightly to the violin strings) affect the sound quality and playability of the violin.
"They paired me up with my partner because he saw that I play [the violin]," Haridis said. "He wanted someone with previous violin experience, and I ahve it. I also think it's a great way for me to get more private lessons."
Other program participants include Jay Artz, a senior from Peabody; Ulysses Coto, a senior from Westinghouse; Leontyne Daffin, who is also a senior from Westinghouse; Carrick High School senior Tami Hills; Brashear senior Timothy Howe; Peabody senior Katherine Minshall; Allderdice senior Julia sero; Langley senior Erin Shortt; and South High Shcool senior Tamika Piper.
According to project coordinator and Allderdice physics teacher Michael Shore, one of the purposes of the mentoring program is to entice females and African-Americans into pursuing careers in science.
Participants in the program are selected on the basis of interest in science, scholastic ability and the amount of research facilities available at CMU. Students are nominated by their teachers and undergo an intensive screening process prior to being accepted into the program.
At the end of the summer, students will report on their research at a meeting of all participants and their mentors, as well as with fellow students at their home schools at the beginning of the school year in September.
Participating students will also be advised of science competitions such as the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Competition, the Pittsburgh Science and Engineering Fair, the Charles Drew Science Fair, and the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, for which their work is appropriate. They will also be given assistance in completeing the necessary application material for the contests.
Note: They had a little trouble with our program's name and Mike Shore's title. But a very nice write-up.
ABOVE AND BEYOND: COMMUNITY OUTREACH
CMU/Pittsburgh Public Schools Summer Outreach Program
A new program this year, the Pittsburgh Public Schools Outreach Program is designed to provide high school students with a viable alternative to the typical high school summer job. Students are paid $4.50 an hour for a 40 hour work week spent doing research in a Carnegie Mellon science lab.
Co-directed by Steve Garoff, Associate Chair of CMU's Physics Department and Michael Shore, a physics teacher at Allderdice High School, this program matches 10 students with Carnegie Mellon faculty mentors.
Students are chosen on the basis of their academic records, test scores, and personal statment. Students from underrepresented populations are ncouraged to apply.
In addition to their research, stsudents attend weekly seminars and present a summary of their experience both at an end of program symposium and in thier science classes in the fall.
Bob Murphy, Fred Lanni and Dan Farkas of the STC each mentored a student this summer, as did two Chemistry professors and five Physics professors.
This program is funded by the Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Program.
I would just like to comment briefly on this article. First of all, the quotes from the students make us sound inarticulte and stupid. I assure you, this is not true. I would also like to add that I, Julia Sero, was never in any danger whatsoever of not graduating--I took both bio 2 and chem 2 in my senior year because I wanted to, not because I needed either of them to graduate. The two classes happened to be schedualed in such a way that they conflicted with the lunch period I wanted, a problem which was easily remedied by the start of school. Mr. Shore was joking. The students interviewed in this article are not as backwards as Bartley Griffith Jr. makes us out to be. Other than that, it was a fair article, good for publicity of our program.
Contact: Pat Crawford
Ten Pittsburgh High School Students Paired With CMU Professors In Eight-Week Summer Mentoring Program
Pittsburgh, PA, July 17, 1995 . . . Ten students from eight of Pittsburgh's public high schools have been paired with Carnegie Mellon University professors/scientists in a paid mentoring program this summer.
The Mellon College of Science Mentoring Program matched Pittsburgh students, who have just finished the 10th or 11th grades, with a mentor from the Mellon College of Science. These mentors guide students through forefront research projects with exposure to up-to-date equpiment, facilities and support. Each student will recieve exposure to scientific research at a level not usually encouraged untill graduate school. In addition, students are paid $4.50 per hour for a 40 hour week.
Andrew Haridis, a junior at C.A.P.A. who is studying the violin, will be working with his mentor on a n experiment to discover what exactly how a violin bow works and how different kinds of rosins (tacky substances applied to the bow strings to make then stick slightly to the violin strings) affect the sound quality and playability of the violin.
"They paired me up with my partner because he saw that I play [the violin]," Haridis said. "He wanted someone with previous violin experience, and I ahve it. I also think it's a great way for me to get more private lessons."
Other program participants include Jay Artz, a senior from Peabody; Ulysses Coto, a senior from Westinghouse; Leontyne Daffin, who is also a senior from Westinghouse; Carrick High School senior Tami Hills; Brashear senior Timothy Howe; Peabody senior Katherine Minshall; Allderdice senior Julia sero; Langley senior Erin Shortt; and South High Shcool senior Tamika Piper.
According to project coordinator and Allderdice physics teacher Michael Shore, one of the purposes of the mentoring program is to entice females and African-Americans into pursuing careers in science.
Participants in the program are selected on the basis of interest in science, scholastic ability and the amount of research facilities available at CMU. Students are nominated by their teachers and undergo an intensive screening process prior to being accepted into the program.
At the end of the summer, students will report on their research at a meeting of all participants and their mentors, as well as with fellow students at their home schools at the beginning of the school year in September.
Participating students will also be advised of science competitions such as the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Competition, the Pittsburgh Science and Engineering Fair, the Charles Drew Science Fair, and the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, for which their work is appropriate. They will also be given assistance in completeing the necessary application material for the contests.
