STEM Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Humphries named ORISE group manager for ORNL office

Posted at 10:19 pm January 16, 2020
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Leigha Humphries has been named group manager for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In her role, Humphries will provide leadership and development oversight for STEM-based workforce development and education programs averaging up to 2,000 research participants a year and an equal number of mentors, a press release said. (STEM is an acronym referring to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.) In addition, Humphries will also represent ORISE at external venues, including professional meetings and site visits with potential and current customers.

“We’re excited for Leigha to take on this role as she possesses extensive management and stakeholder engagement experience within the communications and human resources sectors,” said ORISE Director Jim Vosburg. “Her addition to the ORISE team will further strengthen the management of our research participation programs by helping to ensure continuity between ORNL and ORISE.”

[Read more…]

ORISE to host virtual career fair for STEM internships, fellowships, research opportunities

Posted at 9:15 am November 4, 2019
By Amy Schwinge Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education will host a virtual career fair on Wednesday, November 13, from noon to 3 p.m. Eastern time.

During this time, college students and recent graduates seeking STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) research, internship, and fellowship opportunities can interact with U.S. Department of Energy scientists, researchers, recruiters, and staff. They can explore virtual booths representing more than 25 programs in energy-related research, policy, and technology from national laboratories, field offices, and research facilities across the nation, a press release said.

“The ORISE Virtual Career Fair experience is a great opportunity for university-level students and post graduates to investigate research opportunities available at facilities across the DOE complex,” said ORISE Workforce Development Associate Director Craig Layman. “There will be representatives from many DOE program offices, including fusion energy, nuclear security, fossil energy, intelligence and counterintelligence, environmental management, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and more.” [Read more…]

ORAU awards $20,000 in education grants to 26 local teachers

Posted at 12:56 pm September 12, 2019
By Amanda Freuler Leave a Comment

More than 25 teachers from Anderson County schools received new teaching materials and supplies at ORAU’s Education Grants program on Sept. 10, 2019, walking away with a total of $20,000 in grant funds. (Photo by ORAU)

More than 25 teachers from Anderson County schools received new teaching materials and supplies at ORAU’s Education Grants program on Sept. 10, walking away with a total of $20,000 in grant funds.

Now in the program’s 18th year, ORAU has awarded more than half a million dollars to Clinton City, Oak Ridge, and Anderson County Schools in its mission to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs.

And each year, teachers find more creative ways to incorporate STEM learning into their classrooms, a press release said. [Read more…]

ORISE employee inducted into UT Educator’s Hall of Honor

Posted at 10:28 pm June 20, 2019
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

Craig Layman, right, accepts the Educators Hall of Honor award from Bob Kesling, lead announcer on the Vol Radio Network, who served as Master of Ceremony at the awards banquet. (Submitted photo)

Craig Layman, actively involved in preparing the next generation of STEM professionals for occupations related to science and engineering, was recently inducted into the University of Tennessee Educators Hall of Honor.

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

Layman, associate director of workforce development for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education at Oak Ridge Associated Universities, was among six new members added to the Hall of Honor by UT’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services during ceremonies at the Holiday Inn-World’s Fair Park in Knoxville.

The UT Educators Hall of Honor was established to recognize educators who have made profound differences in their students’ lives and the community. The program also generates an endowed scholarship fund to assist students in the process of becoming teachers. [Read more…]

Y-12 hosts eighth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering

Posted at 6:29 pm March 12, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo by Y-12 National Security Complex

The Y-12 National Security Complex says it is helping to open doors and close the gender gap in engineering fields.

In February, Y-12 hosted its eighth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering at the site’s New Hope Center. The one-day event, held in conjunction with Engineers Week, gave young female students an opportunity to discover and explore science, technology, engineering, and math (or STEM) careers alongside Y-12 and Uranium Processing Facility Project scientists and engineers, a press release said.

More than 300 middle- and high-school students from seven area counties attended this year’s event. About 100 engineers, scientists, and other volunteers—most from Y-12, the Uranium Processing Facility Project, and the Oak Ridge chapter of Women in Nuclear—supported the event, which encouraged students to connect their math and science skills to careers in STEM fields, the press release said. [Read more…]

Selected for space launch, Robertsville satellite gets boost from ORNL

Posted at 7:32 pm March 10, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is the first middle school to ever be selected for a NASA program that launches small cube-shaped satellites into space. On Friday, March 9, 2018, the $70,000 science project got a $15,000 boost from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Celebrating above by saying “NASA, we are a go!” are RMS students, teacher Todd Livesay, ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia, Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, and other Oak Ridge Schools staff and project volunteers. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m. March 11.

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is the first middle school to ever be selected for a NASA program that launches small cube-shaped satellites into space.

On Friday, the $70,000 science project, which started about three years ago, got a $15,000 boost from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Robertsville satellite, which will orbit a few hundred miles above Earth, will use a small camera to try to take pictures of forest regrowth in the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg. That area burned in forest fires fed by high winds after Thanksgiving 2016, killing 14 people and damaging or destroying more than 2,500 homes and businesses.

The RMS satellite, named RamSat, will use a radio to relay its images and other data back to Earth.

A project proposal was submitted to NASA in November, and Oak Ridge Schools learned this month that the RMS proposal had been accepted.

“This is such an exciting opportunity for the students!” said Peter Thornton, one of the RamSat team leaders from ORNL. “They will now have the chance to design, build, carry out, and own a satellite mission.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools has one of 11 small research satellites selected by NASA

Posted at 7:47 am March 3, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Robertsville Middle School students participating in the NASA Project-Based Learning course visit Marshall to present their CubeSat project to a panel of engineers. Marshall developed curriculum and trained teachers for the elective course while Marshall engineers served as mentors to the students. (Photo credit: NASA/Oak Ridge Schools)

NASA, which has been working with Robertsville Middle School, announced Friday that the Oak Ridge Schools project is one of 11 small research satellites selected to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard space missions in the next few years.

The satellite projects were selected from seven states and Puerto Rico. They are eligible for placement on a launch manifest, depending on the availability of a flight opportunity, for space missions planned in 2019, 2020, and 2021, NASA said.

The Oak Ridge project, RamSat, is an education mission to develop and implement a middle school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, curriculum for building a CubeSat. CubeSats are a type of spacecraft called nanosatellites, often measuring about four inches on each side and weighing less than three pounds. They have a volume of about one quart. CubeSats are built using these standard dimensions as Units or “U,” and are classified as 1U, 2U, 3U, or 6U in total size.

The selections, which were announced Friday, are part of the ninth round of the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative.

The launch opportunities for the 11 small research satellites include planned spaceflight missions led by NASA, other U.S. government agencies, or commercial organizations, as well as deployments from the International Space Station. The CubeSats were proposed by educational institutions, or nonprofit organizations. [Read more…]

Applications being accepted for research opportunities with Higher Education Research faculty program

Posted at 5:38 am February 9, 2018
By Amanda Freuler Leave a Comment

Pasquale Fulvio, Ph.D., researched carbon composites during his time in the Higher Education Research Experiences faculty program. (Photo submitted by ORAU)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is currently seeking college faculty for paid research opportunities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory through the Higher Education Research Experiences program, a press release said.

This research program provides opportunities for teaching and non-teaching faculty, like Pasquale Fulvio, to use the unique resources of ORNL to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, encourage careers in science and technology, and improve scientific literacy, the press release said.

Appointments will be located at ORNL and generally take place during the summer; part-time appointments may occur during the semester depending on the requirements of the project. Sabbatical appointments may also be available. The program provides stipends based on the certified academic institution salary for faculty, as well as limited travel and housing assistance, if eligible, the release said.

Applications are open year-round, and appointments are made throughout the year with flexible start and end dates, the press release said. [Read more…]

NASA recognizes Robertsville Middle School’s satellite work on website home page

Posted at 10:08 pm January 10, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

NASA has recognized the satellite work of Robertsville Middle School on the home page of its website. The project is part of an effort by NASA to encourage learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM.

The partnership that was recognized involves Robertsville Middle School and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and work on a small one-unit cube satellite, or 1U CubeSat.

Patrick Hull, technical assistant for the Structural and Mechanical Design Branch of the Engineering Directorate at Marshall, helped with this collaboration, which is in the community where he grew up. He partnered with Robertsville Middle School STEM teacher Todd Livesay. They created a project that had students design and 3-D print a small one-unit cube satellite, or 1U CubeSat.

Once completed, the students presented their project at Marshall in front of Hull and a panel of fellow engineers.

For the 2017 class mission, students chose a cause that is near to their hearts, NASA said. In 2016, wildfires ravaged communities in Gatlinburg, in the mountains about 1.5 hours southeast of Oak Ridge, taking the lives of 14 residents and leaving more than 2,500 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed. To help Gatlinburg and other communities affected by the wildfires, the Robertsville students set out to develop a CubeSat capable of deploying a camera and radio in space to observe and communicate the regrowth pattern of vegetation after a widespread fire. This information can be used to help communities regrow after destruction, NASA said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools the first in Tennessee to earn AdvancED STEM district-wide certification

Posted at 12:21 pm December 17, 2017
By Holly Cross 1 Comment

Oak Ridge Schools is the first district in Tennessee—and only the second entire district in the world—to earn district-wide STEM certification from AdvancED, officials said Friday. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The picture above includes administrators from Oak Ridge Schools and Oak Ridge High School. (Photo by Oak Ridge Schools)

Oak Ridge High School received STEM certification from AdvancED on Friday, making the Oak Ridge school district the first entire district in the state to be STEM-certified by AdvancED, a press release said.

“Oak Ridge High School is also the first comprehensive high school in the state to earn this distinction as an entire school, as opposed (to) certifying a single STEM program area,” the press release said.

The release said that AdvancED implements a research-based framework and criteria for the awareness, continuous improvement, and assessment of the quality, rigor, and substance of STEM educational programs. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge, Knox, private school students will try to break world record in computer coding

Posted at 3:19 pm November 4, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Students from Knox County Schools, Oak Ridge City Schools, and area private schools will try to break the world record for the number of students learning how to code at the same time.

The students will make the attempt at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 8. In Oak Ridge, the attempt will occur throughout the district in the classrooms of teachers who choose to participate.

The idea to attempt a Guinness World Record came from Brandon Bruce, co-founder and chief operating officer of Cirrus Insight, and Caleb Fristoe, project manager of CodeTN—a Great Schools Partnership initiative that organizes coding clubs, camps, and competitions at area schools, a press release said. The effort is heavily supported by Knox County Schools and its Educational Technology and Information Technology departments, the release said.

“Amazing things are happening in Knoxville and Oak Ridge in technology and education,” Bruce said. “Attempting the Guinness World Record for the number of students learning how to code at the same time will help shine a light on the everyday great work of our students, parents, teachers, and principals. Keep an eye on East Tennessee for big successes in education and technology.” [Read more…]

ORAU awards $36,000 in education grants to local teachers

Posted at 6:24 pm September 12, 2017
By Amanda Freuler Leave a Comment

Teachers representing 14 schools in Anderson County received STEM teaching tools, new technology, and grant funds worth $36,000 on Sept. 11 at the 2017 ORAU Education Grants Award Ceremony & Reception in Pollard Technology Conference Center. (Submitted photo)

ORAU awarded 38 teachers from 14 East Tennessee schools more than $36,000 on Monday at the 16th annual ORAU Education Grants ceremony.

Educational materials and equipment purchased with the grant awards—such as iPads, computer software, robotics kits, and more—will help teachers continue to meet state-wide curriculum standards and enhance the learning experience of their students in STEM subjects, a press release said.

“ORAU is proud to support schools in Anderson County by helping local educators obtain the resources and tools required to engage students of all ages in STEM subjects while enriching their education,” ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page said. “These educators never fail to demonstrate their dedication to student success.”

Since beginning the Education Grant program in 2002, ORAU has provided more than $487,000 to area schools to fund educational projects that complement its mission of enriching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, the press release said. [Read more…]