Of Instructors and Kits
The heart of Science from Scientists is its scientist instructors - it is they, who touch the hearts of the students in the classroom and guide them through the hands-on lessons that inspire them.
The lesson kits - lovingly built from scratch out of everyday materials and stacked on shelves in the office - contain the ingredients, which, when mixed with instructors, students, and sometimes water, create the inspired learning.
I dedicate this post to both - instructors and kits.
Just yesterday, in a classroom at Battle Creek Elementary School in St. Paul, the students spontaneously cheered when we introduced two new scientist instructors to them. The scientists feel like rock stars.
From left to right.....
Daniel Stroik
Dan grew up in sunny San Diego, California, where he spent his time swimming at the beach and doing science experiments. He received his Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of San Diego with an emphasis on enzymology and metal-binding proteins. Afterwards, he performed research at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Torrey Pines, California developing therapies for a rare genetic disease called cystic fibrosis. He is currently working to complete his doctorate degree at the University of Minnesota where he is using pulsed lasers and spectroscopy to study the molecular dynamics of the muscle proteins responsible for contraction and relaxation. In his free time, he loves going for walks with his golden retriever Bella and being outdoors as much as possible. He also enjoys music and playing guitar in an improvisation rhythm-and-blues band. Dan volunteers for the Muscular Dystrophy Associate and the Association of Multicultural Students.
Alexander Gilman
Alex grew up in Irvine, California but spent most of his adult life in Chicago, Illinois. Alex studied Mathematics and Physics at Loyola University Chicago and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Physics at the University of Minnesota. Alex’s current studies are focused in particle physics. In his spare time, Alex likes to bike around Minneapolis and explore the local theater scene.
Deborah Brophy
Debbie is a native of Minnesota and grew up surrounded by animals of all kinds. Wanting to make caring for animals her full time job, she went back to school and received an Associates degree in applied science in veterinary technology. Now, she does all aspects of animal health care including lab work, radiology, and anesthesia. In her free time, she rides and competes her horse in eventing. She lives with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
Susanna Huggenberger
Susanna grew up loving nature and all things related to the world around us in eastern Nebraska. She received her Bachelors degree in biochemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a minor in chemistry. She is currently working on her PhD in the Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics Department at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. H er research focuses on genetic modification of human cells to study DNA repair and replication, as well as telomere maintenance. In her free time, Susanna enjoys traveling and being outdoors with her puppy! She loves exploring some of the 10,000 lakes Minnesota has to offer, as well as traveling to see new bodies of water.
Lesson Kits
The lesson kits are usually made from simple household items and toys. Take this earthquake kit, which is made of a three-ring notebook cut in half, two blocks of foam, four elastic balls, a tray of marbles, two rubber bands and a rubber pad.
With the shake-table assembled, the students can test their prototype foundation to create an earthquake resistant building. This prototype shows an example of base isolation as a manner, in which to protect buildings from earthquakes.