Oak Ridge Today

STEM Stories inspires budding scientists, mathematicians

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Erin Webb, agricultural engineer at ORNL, answers a question from a student at ORAU Stem Stories on Thursday, April 20, 2017. (Photo by ORAU)

Erin Webb, agricultural engineer at ORNL, answers a question from a student at ORAU STEM Stories on Thursday, April 20, 2017. (Photo by ORAU)

 

Real-life scientists discuss their work, share advice with students interested in pursuing STEM careers

Be kind and show up every day.

That’s the advice Erin Webb, an agricultural engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory gave to young people during ORAU’s second STEM Stories event on Thursday, April 20. STEM Stories gives students interested in STEM careers the opportunity to learn from and interact with scientists working in the region.

Webb works in bioenergy, specifically focused on finding solutions for transporting and storing large quantities of biomass like feedstocks for commercial use so it can be converted to energy. She was joined by Jibo Sanyal, a computer scientist at ORNL whose work focuses on geo-computing, which he described as using computers to solve problems like long-term weather concerns, the resilience of environments and more.

Webb told the 30 students and their parents gathered for the event that while STEM careers are all about math and science, they should never forget to factor in the people they work with. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. [Read more…]

USW, UCOR offer hazardous waste response training to local high school students

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Students from three Morgan County high schools receive certificates after completing 40-hour HAZWOPER training. Also pictured are Joseph Miller, Director of the Morgan County Career and Technical Center, and Sarah Seavers, counselor. (Photo by UCOR)

Students from three Morgan County high schools receive certificates after completing 40-hour HAZWOPER training. Also pictured are Joseph Miller, Director of the Morgan County Career and Technical Center, and Sarah Seavers, counselor. (Photo by UCOR)

 

Students from three Morgan County high schools are now trained in hazardous waste emergency response thanks to a 40-hour class offered by the United Steel Workers in partnership with URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, or UCOR, a press release said.

Participants in the class, commonly called HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response), were from Coalfield High School, Sunbright School, and Wartburg Central High School. Twenty students attended the training, which was held at the Morgan County Career and Technical Center in Wartburg from March 27 to April 3.

“We were very excited to participate with USW and UCOR to offer this hazardous waste training class,” said  Joseph Miller, director of the center. “As a result of this training, our students have earned a credential that will allow them to more easily transition from school to the work force.” [Read more…]

Community forum on immigration is Thursday

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De Ann Pendry

De Ann Pendry

There will be a community forum on immigration in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

A press release said the forum will provide information on how immigration has been affected by current politics and the issue of living without documentation in Oak Ridge.

The main speaker will be De Ann Pendry, a senior lecturer and adjunct assistant professor in anthropology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

The forum is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, in the sanctuary at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The forum is free, and the public is invited, the press release said. It’s sponsored by Women’s Interfaith Dialogue of Oak Ridge, or WIDOR; Oak Ridge Interfaith Partnership, or ORIP and the League of Women Voters, or LWV. [Read more…]

Secret City Wildbots alliance competing in robotics championship in Houston today

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The Secret City Wildbots are captain of an alliance—Alliance 5—competing in the First Robotics World Championships in Houston today (Saturday, April 22, 2017). (Photo by Angi Agle)

The Secret City Wildbots are captain of an alliance—Alliance 5—competing in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston today (Saturday, April 22, 2017). (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

The Secret City Wildbots are captain of an alliance—Alliance 5—competing in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston today (Saturday, April 22).

The Wildbots, Team 4265, selected Team 8 (Paly Robotics of Palo Alto, California) and Team 3624 (Hardin Valley’s RoHawkTics), with Team 3140 (Farragut Flagship) as backup.

The quarterfinals were scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. The Secret City Wildbots are scheduled for the fourth match.

Information and photo from Angi Agle.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Using DUI simulation goggles, ACHS students learn how alcohol, drugs impair driving

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The School Resource Unit of the Anderson County Sheriff's Department and Allies For Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP, in cooperation with Anderson County Schools, hosted a DUI Simulation Event on Friday morning, April 21, 2017 for students at Anderson County High School. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff's Department)

The School Resource Unit of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department and Allies For Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP, in cooperation with Anderson County Schools, hosted a DUI Simulation Event on Friday morning, April 21, 2017 for students at Anderson County High School. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

 

The School Resource Unit of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department and Allies For Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP, in cooperation with Anderson County Schools, hosted a DUI Simulation Event on Friday morning for students at Anderson County High School.

Using DUI simulation goggles, students were able to see first-hand the effects of driving while under the influence, or DUI. These goggles simulate different levels of blood alcohol in a person’s system, a press release said. Students drove golf carts through a driving course and participated in field sobriety tests. All of the students who were “tested” could see how alcohol and drugs can seriously impair driving and coordination, the press release said.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol, Clinton Police Department, Anderson County EMS, Anderson County Rescue Squad, Andersonville Fire Department, Clinton Fire Department, and Lifestar, along with representatives with Anderson County Schools, were on hand for this event. [Read more…]

ORAU awards two teachers with $5,000 Extreme Classroom Makeover grants

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Donna Widner and her students at Oliver Springs Middle School received a $5,000 grant as runners-up in the 2017 ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover competition. (Photo by ORAU)

Donna Widner and her students at Oliver Springs Middle School received a $5,000 grant as runners-up in the 2017 ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover competition. (Photo by ORAU)

 

Oliver Springs Middle School in Roane County and Shannondale Elementary School in Knox County have been announced as runners-up in the 2017 ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover competition during surprise classroom visits, according to a press release on Friday.

ORAU made surprise visits to the two schools and their students and teachers, and presented each with a $5,000 grant as runners-up in the competition.

April Lamb, a STEM teacher at Shannondale Elementary School in Knox County, and Donna Widner, a math teacher at Oliver Springs Middle School in Roane County, will use the grants to outfit their classrooms with new technology. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. [Read more…]

ORAU awards $25,000 Extreme Classroom Makeover to Rutledge Middle School

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Kyle Roach and his students at Rutlege Middle School are pictured above after being announced winner of the 2017 ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover on Thursday, April 20, 2017. (Photo by ORAU)

Kyle Roach and his students at Rutlege Middle School are pictured above after being announced winner of the 2017 ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover on Thursday, April 20, 2017. (Photo by ORAU)

 

Kyle Roach, seventh-grade math teacher at Rutledge Middle School, believes that every student should be taught the necessary skills to empower them as they pursue a higher education. This vision, along with the idea that the school’s current technology is outdated, was the main theme in a video submitted for the 2017 ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover Contest.

Roach’s goal of having the necessary tools to help empower students and excite them about math-related subjects was realized Thursday as ORAU President Andy Page presented Roach with a $25,000 technology makeover during a surprise assembly announcement. The funding is part of ORAU’s annual Extreme Classroom Makeover competition, now in its ninth year, a press release said.

In the winning video, Roach and his students made a case for purchasing laptops and computer software to update their “archaic communication devices,” better known as whiteboards. Roach explained that he would use the computer software to create interactive math manipulatives to assist students in learning difficult skills.

“Our nation’s teachers have the difficult but important task of educating the next generation STEM workforce,” Page said in the press release. “ORAU believes that through programs like the Extreme Classroom Makeover, we can help standout teachers like Mr. Roach by providing them with necessary materials to engage and excited students in the areas of science, engineering, technology, and math.” [Read more…]

Three Oak Ridge teachers named outstanding educators by Humanities Tennessee

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Benjamin Fowler and Julie Golden of Oak Ridge High School and Scot Smith of Robertsville Middle School have been named as Outstanding Educators for 2017 by Humanities Tennessee. Three of this year’s six recipients of the award are from Oak Ridge Schools. According to Humanities Tennessee, the Outstanding Educator Awards recognize teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching the humanities and who encourage the humanities to be an important part of their students’ lives. Each of the recipients, selected from a pool of nominees from across the state, receive a $2,000 fellowship to further their professional development in the humanities; their schools receive $1,500 for humanities programs and materials, a press release said. [Read more…]

Photos: Secret City Wildbots competing in First Robotics Championship in Houston

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The Secret City Wildbots Team 4265's robot, Luna, successfully climbs at the end of the second qualifying match of the day at the First Robotics Championship in Houston on Thursday, April 20, 2017, with the drive team in background. (Photo by Angi Agle)

The Secret City Wildbots Team 4265’s robot, Luna, successfully climbs at the end of the second qualifying match of the day at the First Robotics Championship in Houston on Thursday, April 20, 2017, with the drive team in background. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

The Secret City Wildbots Team 4265 are competing in the First Robotics Championship in Houston this week.

Qualifying matches started Thursday, and there are matches scheduled for today (Friday, April 21).

Here is a schedule sent by Angi Agle, with Team 4265 playing at the following times and with corresponding match numbers, in case the matches run off schedule: [Read more…]

Photo: JMS First Lego League team competing in Houston

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At the First Robotics World Championship in Houston, the Jefferson Middle School First Lego League team, the JMS Master Builders, is also competing in the FLL Division. Pictured above on Thursday, April 20, 2017, are team members (left to right) Matthew Alexander, Thora Spence, Amelia Thomson, Jessica Mohr, Stella Scott, and Adam Blanchard. (Photo by Angi Agle)

At the First Robotics World Championship in Houston, the Jefferson Middle School First Lego League team, the JMS Master Builders, is also competing in the FLL Division. Pictured above on Thursday, April 20, 2017, are team members, from left to right, Matthew Alexander, Thora Spence, Amelia Thomson, Jessica Mohr, Stella Scott, and Adam Blanchard. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

At the First Robotics World Championship in Houston, the Jefferson Middle School First Lego League team, the JMS Master Builders, is competing in the FLL Division (see photo above).

The FLL matches began Thursday at 12:50 p.m. Central time.

Photo and information provided by Angi Agle.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

From greenhouses on Mars to sustainability on Earth: Hear STEM stories at ORAU on Thursday

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ORAU will host a STEM Stories event in Oak Ridge on Thursday evening.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Here is information about the event:

Who: Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)

What: STEM Stories, featuring live talks by two dynamic speakers and innovators in their fields. The speakers, both of whom work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), will describe their respective career journeys, who or what inspires them, and how mentors impact lives and our nation’s scientific agenda.

Speakers for the event are: [Read more…]

ORHS student wins National Merit Scholarship

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Oak Ridge High School student Lara S. Blokland has won a National Merit Scholarship. The scholarship winners were announced this week by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Blokland is one of two area students to win a National Merit Battelle Scholarship. The other is Nalin H. Varma of Farragut High School.

Blokland’s probable career field is physics, a press release said, and Varma could study chemical engineering.

This week’s announcement was the first announcement of National Merit Scholars in 2017 by National Merit Scholarship Corporation, or NMSC. NMSC will name recipients of National Merit $2,500 Scholarships on May 10 and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards on June 7 and July 17. [Read more…]