June 16 2010
IB Students Visit Union College
May 24, 2010 

On Monday May 24, thirty six students from Ms.Horowitz’s Theory of Knowledge classes and eight students from Mr. Phillips Physics class/lab traveled to Union College for an introduction to the sciences. One of the goals of the trip was to have the science professors conduct informal discussions on their particular area of expertise, or Area of Knowledge. Another goal was to explore the question of what science is and how do we trust what we know? 

The morning began with a presentation by Dr. Jan Grigsby, Professor of Sociology and mom of former IB Student, Chris Grigsby (2007). She explained the history of sociology and how it is defined as “the Scientific Study of Human Social Behavior.” She referred many times to sociology as being “a passion, not a pastime.” One of her specialties is the sociology of disasters and she explained the differences between the myths and realities of disasters. Elisabeth Cecil said, “because of Prof. Grigsby’s presentation on Sociology, I have become more interested in this field.” 

Our next presentation was by Joanne Kehlbeck, Associate Professor of Chemistry and her student Zachary Smith who is a senior at Union. Using her own experiences growing up in a small town, she emphasized to the students that it is possible to pursue many other avenues of science in addition to becoming a medical doctor. There are many careers in research and application that a student can pursue. She gave two valuable pieces of information to the students – one, that students should not be discouraged by the cost of colleges. Qualified students can obtain full-tuition scholarships to Union College and other institutions. Second, students who attend graduate school to pursue an advanced degree in sciences will be paid while studying.  

 Prof. Kehlbeck referred to this scholarship program. (This information was taken from http://www.union.edu) The Union College NSF - STEM Scholars Program is an academic scholarship program funded by the National Science Foundation for students with a broad range of interests who are planning to study in one of the Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) fields. The scholarship provides selected students with additional financial aid for all four years so long as they remain in the program. NSF/STEM Scholars are strongly encouraged to participate in one or more of Union's interdisciplinary STEM initiatives to enhance their educational experience. The objective of the program is to attract and retain talented students, especially from groups traditionally under-represented in STEM fields, who can become innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Union has received funding from the National Science Foundation to support students in the classes of 2014 and 2015. The Union College NSF STEM Scholars program is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. 

Completing the morning presentations at Old Chapel was a presentation by Ashraf Ghaly, Professor of Engineering. He gave an overview to more than twenty of the disciplines of engineering including his own specialty, civil engineering. He shared with us that his interest in engineering was sparked when he was a child as he enjoyed making and destroying sand castles. Parbattie Chetana enjoyed Prof. Ghaly’s presentation because he showed “how engineers such as civil engineers can help to improve the environment and poor living conditions.” Geevanie Telhu added that she “especially liked Prof. Ghaly’s presentation because she is considering going into the field of biomedical engineering as a major in college.”

After lunch at the Reamer Campus Center, we divided into 4 smaller groups for tours of the science buildings and center. Tamana Bismallah said that, “overall, the labs taught me that Union College has great equipment and machines, and the best part is that students get to use them.” In the Mechanical Engineering Lab, Professor Ronald Bucinell demonstrated how materials failed and explained the applications of his research in medical science. Professor Rebecca Cortez and her student Bernadette Pease demonstrated Atomic Force Microscopy. Professor Scott LeBrake explained the practical applications of his Particle Accelerator and Professor Michael Vineyard and his student explained the telescope/observatory to us. Adam Weisse explained that “out of all the lab tours, I found the particle accelerator to be the most fascinating. Prof. LeBrake helped to enhance my knowledge and provided us with an easy grasp of the machine.” 

After the tours, the groups re-convened in the auditorium at the Olin Center for a presentation by Professor Chad Orzel, author of the book, How to Teach Physics to Your Dog (Scribner, 2010). Prof. Orzel introduced the group to quantum physics with a presentation entitled, “What Every Dog Should Know about Quantum Physics.” He explained that there are three things that we wouldn’t have without physics: computers (semi-conductor chips), telecommunications (lasers and fiber optics) and sunlight (quantum physics allows the sun to shine).  

The last presentation of the day was by Dr. Carol Weisse, Director of Health Professions Program on Neuroscience (and mom of Adam Weisse, IB DP candidate 2011). Her presentation was a “field trip through the brain.” She informed the audience that the teen brain is “wired to take risks.” She posed the following questions: How does the brain allow us to communicate? How does the brain allow us to remember? Does your brain control you? Her presentation was an attempt to answer these questions and others in a brief, but very engaging overview of the history and behavior of the brain. According to Sarah Nechamen, “Dr. Weisse was very engaging because she incorporated topics that are relevant to the audience.” 

Reflecting back on the trip, Nick Hyson said, “The information I received altered my outlook of the sciences. I also learned that the disciplines of science overlap. They are all intricately woven.”  Suleiman Noor adds these final comments on the trip – “the information I received from the trip has changed my ways of thinking about sciences because now I am aware of more scientific fields of study which gives me more options in college.” 

The event was coordinated at Union College by Don Austin, Assistant Director of Community Outreach at the Kenney Community Center.