23rd ‘Expanding Your Horizons’ for Middle School Girls Explores Math, Science Careers
Contact: Leslie Blanchette (207) 581-1259; George Manlove, (207) 581-3756
ORONO – Hundreds of Maine middle school girls will spend a day at college on Thursday, March 12, learning about math- and science-oriented careers historically pursued by males.
Coming from throughout the state, nearly 400 girls will attend the University of Maine’s 23rd annual “Expanding Your Horizons” program to get a look at more than a dozen math-science career fields. With fun, hands-on experiments, students will learn about: model bridge-building using popsicle stick trusses; the many surprising uses for fungi; creating a computer-generated aquifer model and see how groundwater can be contaminated; how to spot an imposter website created by a bully or stalker; how to put a stop to “sexting”; and how to use geographic information systems to monitor wildlife migration and behavior.
“Expanding Your Horizons” has been coordinated for the past 12 years by the University of Maine Women’s Resource Center with support from the Office of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. It is a one-day event designed to increase the interest of girls in mathematics and science through hands-on experiences in university classrooms and laboratories with positive female role models active in math and science careers.
Women in math and science careers have been significantly underrepresented both nationally and in Maine, and the university is trying to balance the scale by exposing young women to both the university and its opportunities, and also to female math and science faculty members and students.
This year, as some schools have cut back on student field trips, more parents than before have volunteered to drive students and their teachers to Orono, according to Sharon Barker, director of the Women’s Resource Center.
“They said, if the school can’t do it, then we’re going to do whatever we can to help,” Barker says. She also has noticed a larger number of home-schooled girls making plans to attend the day’s events.
Barker suspects that as the tight economy changes the nature and availability of jobs, parents are taking note, and are aware that math and science careers pay well.
“Parents want to make sure their daughters are doing things that they love and they don’t want anything left out,” Barker says. “They really want their children to be all that they can be and not restricted by gender.”
The day of career-field exploration begins with registration at 8:45 a.m. and a keynote address by a panel of UMaine women students majoring in science or engineering at 9 a.m. at Hauck Auditorium.
“I love having the women faculty involved, but I get particularly excited about the college women getting involved,” Barker says. “This is all done by volunteers, including college students who show up during their spring break, and professional women coming from off-campus to participate.”
After the keynote discussion, workshop sessions are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., with a lunch break from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Ceremonies reviewing the day’s activities are from 2:30-3 p.m. in Hauck Auditorium.
Workshops and presenters are as follows:
“Cat-A-Pult” with Victoria Abbott
Teams of three girls work together with the “cat-a-pult” device. Using measurement and data collection, teams will determine which settings will create the most reliable and consistent launch of the cat. The whole group’s challenge is then to create a chain reaction of cats!
105 D.P. Corbett Business Building lobby, 12:15-1 p.m. and 1:15-2 p.m.
Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology (LASST) with George Bernhardt
A tour of the LASST lab will be provided during which students will learn about what surface science and technology is as well as what research goes on here at the University of Maine.
ESRB -193 Barrows Hall, 1:15-2 p.m.
Lumpy Liquids and Squishy Solids, with Alice Bruce
Students will explore the fascinating properties of polymers and suspensions. Come make slime, find out what makes diapers work, and play with “oobleck.”
462 Aubert Hall (lab on the 4th floor), 10-11 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Occupational Safety Engineering, with Adela Cifelli
Hands on workshop working with personal protective equipment such as safety glasses and gloves and the importance of safety on the job. Students will perform a risk assessment of current work activity they perform daily and some potential hazards.
201 Shibles Hall, 1:15-215 p.m.
Using Geographic Information Systems to Monitor Wildlife Migration and Behavior, with Stacy Doore
Workshop uses industry standard GIS software and extensions to track seal migration and behavior after rehabilitation and release-introduces technology of GIS and how to represent movement of objects over time and space.
SIE Computer Lab (1st Floor Boardman), 12-1 p.m. and 1:15-2:15 p.m.
Is it Strong Enough? with Barbara Fleck
Students will design and test a bridge using a computer model. Materials will be tested to see how strong they are. Students will see how engineers use their knowledge of the strength of materials to make an efficient design.
318 Boardman Hall, 10-11 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 1:15-2:15 p.m.
Women in Nontraditional Professions, with Wynne Guglielmo
This workshop will discuss safety/OSHA/DOL regulations. Students will learn about how OSHA programs are composed of departments primarily populated by male employees and the trades (carpentry, electricians, plant operators, mechanics, etc). Students will learn about tasks involving lockout/tagout, confined space entry, cranes, hoist, slings, ladder use, forklifts, machine shop and machine guarding issues.
202 Shibles Hall, 10-11 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 1:15-2:15 p.m.
Bridge Building, with Lib Jamison
Design and build a popsicle-stick truss bridge using 4 ounces of materials. The bridges will load tested to determine the most durable design. Bridges will be weighed prior to testing, so the strongest bridge will win. There will be prizes for the winning designs.
201 Shibles Hall, 10-11 a.m. and 12-1 p.m.
Kristen McGovern
Fun with Fungi – Students will begin with a brief presentation describing fungi and their role in our lives. Afterward, small groups will move through the stations of activities to explore more about fungi. Examples of station activities include: making a mushroom spore print, eating some fungal food, identifying parts of a mushroom and using a dissecting microscope to examine mushroom parts.
203 Hitchner Hall (with a tour of Room 305), 10-11 a.m.
How to Stop Imposter Websites, with Vinitha Nair
Learn how to stop bullies from using a social networking profile as a weapon by creating a fake website or profile, such as on MySpace, about the victim, while getting bystanders to add content or comments. You can learn to identify the tactic and stop imposters in their tracks.
111 D.P. Corbett Business Building, 10-11 a.m.
And, How to Stop “Sexting” (sex text-messaging), with Vinitha Nair
With so many girls owning cell phones, learn about this national trend and what it can cost girls who naively take provocative photos of themselves with their cell phone cameras and send them to friends or boyfriends. This workshop will help teen girls protect their sisters, their friends, and themselves.
111 D.P. Corbett, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Sisters on Submarines, with Denise Nemeth-Greenleaf
Participants will become familiar with some non-traditional careers at the Department of Defense. This will include discussion of submarines and industrial environments, as well as hands-on experiments with glove-bags, acidity testing and submergence exercises.
100 D.P. Corbett, 10-11 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 1:15-2:15 p.m.
Are you ‘Gel-in”?: An Introduction to Biotechnology and Genetics Research, with Renee Rioux
Instructors will discuss genetics/biotechnology research happening on campus, and introduce the girls to some basic techniques used, particularly gel electrophoresis but hopefully also some bio-informatics on the computer, and making/pouring of media.
102 Murray Hall, 10-11 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 1:15-2:15 p.m.
How do they know how strong that is? with Olivia Sanchez
Participants will tour the AEWC Center testing and manufacturing laboratory, with a demonstration on how structural products are made and tested.
AEWC Building, 10-10:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1:15-2 p.m.
Nanotechnology, with Rosemary Smith
A 30-minute presentation on nanoscale science and engineering with illustration followed by two or three demonstrations and show and tell.
263 ESRB, 10-11 am and 1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
Awesome Aquifers: What is in your drinking Water, with Teresa Thornton
Students will design and construct an aquifer model. Once completed, students will “contaminate” the soil and discuss the effects of land-use on the quality of well water supplied by a groundwater source.
203 Hitchner Hall or TBA, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Polymer Slime, with Helen C. Watts
Students will get a chance to play with some fun polymers.
101C Deering Hall, 10 a.m.-10:45 a.m., 11 a.m.-11:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.-2 p.m.
Engineering is Fun, with Faye Woodcock Murray
An overview of women in engineering ad types available at UMaine, including some experimentation
Soderberg Lecture Hall, Jenness Hall, 10-10:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-12:15 a.m. and 1:15-2 p.m.
Exploring the Secret World of Phytoplankton, with Ashley Young
In this workshop, students will get a brief introduction to oceanography and what oceanographers do. In particular, students will learn about the diversity of phytoplankton and the importance of these microscopic marine plants in marine ecosystems. After talking about their unique adaptations to obtain light, the girls will become scientists with the mission of finding out which shapes and sizes are best at keeping phytoplankton afloat. Students will have an opportunity to observe live samples under the microscope and will then create their own phytoplankton using modeling clay, testing the models in a large settling tank at the end of the session. 488 Aubert Hall, 10-11 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 1:15-2:15 p.m.