CELL-MET visits East Boston High School to discuss engineering with future college students
Amanda Dillingham participated in the first cohort (Summer 2015) of the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Teachers (NSF RET) Site in Integrated Nanomanufacturing at Boston University. Through her involvement that summer, she started to develop “case study” curriculum and implementing it in her classrooms. Her piloted curriculum has also been used in several other schools in the Massachusetts area. With the start of the ERC CELL-MET, Amanda was top choice of teachers to engage and begin the RET portion of the ERC. From her participation this past summer, back in the lab conducting research, she designed new curriculum for her Biotech class and gained access to new technologies for educating her students at East Boston High School. On Monday, December 17th 2018, a team of CELL-MET participants visited EBHS to discuss the study of Engineering with Amanda’s students, a group of biotech-advanced seniors who all plan to attend college next year.
Culture of Inclusion Director Helen Fawcett organized the visit and opened the classroom presentation by sharing background information about the ERC and introducing the other visitors. Then, Imaging Thrust Area Leader Thomas Bifano and Task Area 3 Professor Jeroen Eyckman gave brief summaries of their work. They were joined by graduate students Christos Michas and Greco Song of Boston University, as well as Ivanna Corzo and Domenica Passariello, undergraduate researchers from Florida International University who participated last summer in a Research Experiences in Mentoring supplemental program at CELL-MET. After their introductions, the team spent 5 minutes per table, conversing with the students for the rest of the class period.
Discussions covered a range of topics from potential courses of study and future career aspirations, to undergraduate research opportunities and PhD programs. The undergraduates and graduate students offered relatable perspectives to the high schoolers, while the professors provided valuable guidance from their professional experiences. The students were fully engaged as they learned about engineering and the doors it can open for them as they graduate high school and seek to continue their education.
“My ‘Period 1’ class did NOT want you to leave,” said Dillingham, expressing her thanks after the conclusion of the classroom visit. Conversations had continued enthusiastically until dismissal by the bell.
Left to Right: Domenica Passariello, Jeroen Eyckmans, Christos Michas, Thomas Bifano, Greco Song, Ivanna Corzo, Helen Fawcett.
