Education and Outreach News
May 2, 2016
Award-Winning Author Coming To SLC
The iUTAH commissioned book Water Runs Through This Book, by Nancy Bo Flood and illustrated by Jan Sonnenmair, has received much recognition and praise from the literary community this year. It has been shortlisted for a Green Earth Book Award, is a finalist in the young adult category for Colorado Author's League 2016 Awards, and winner of the 2015 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award (SONWA) for young adult literature.
Nancy Bo Flood says, “Water creates watersheds - communities that connect us all.” As both a writer and and educator, she has led discussions using Water Runs Through This Book at libraries, classrooms, museums, and teacher workshops in Utah. On a recent trip to the southeastern corner of Utah, one teacher said Ms. Flood’s “energy and passion…. engaged our students in [activities ranging] from an animated read-aloud with a large group of rapt four-year old preschoolers to a writing workshop for all of our sixth graders.” Copies of the book were handed out at each event.
Bo Flood will be in Salt Lake City the week of May 7 – 13, and will be attending various community events including a teacher workshop held at The Leonardo on May 7.
April 29, 2016
Undergrad Research at Westminster College
iUTAH researcher Frank Black shared news on undergraduate research at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. This year two students, Chris Mansfield and Josh Schmidt, received awards and gave presentations while under the mentorship of Dr. Black.
- Chris Mansfield, received the FoGSL Doyle Stevens Award, presented at Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry national conference, and at the annual Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR) on the Environmental Influences of Methylmercury Photo-Degradation Rates at the Great Salt Lake. Chris plans to take a year to work in the private sector before applying to grad school.
- Josh Schmidt also presented at UCUR on the Comparison and Trends in Mercury Concentrations in Brine Flies and Spiders at the Great Salt Lake.
In addition to presentations, both Chris and Josh were interviewed live on the Great Salt Lake podcast, which is currently being broadcast once a week on KRCL. Frank Black is an assistant professor of chemistry at Westminster College, and recipient of an iUTAH Research Catalyst Grant in 2014, to identify options for the adaptive management of wetlands to minimize the net production and export of monomethylmercury.
Press: KRCL Radio
Syd Sattler, Jules Jimreivat, Josh Schmidt and Chris Mansfield. Credit: KRCL Radio
April 19, 2016
Educator Workshop at The Leonardo museum in Salt Lake City
iUTAH and The Leonardo museum in Salt Lake City are partnering to offer an educator workshop on Saturday, May 7th , 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Author Nancy Bo Flood will present information about the beauty, mystery, and power of water with the goal of increasing a love affair between participants and water. Basic concepts about water cycles, conservation, watershed, etc., will be discussed. The heart of this workshop will be a variety of hands-on-activities for educators to bring to their classrooms (STEM + Write).
Activities and information are based on Water Runs Through This Book, and include experiencing “walking for water,” assessing daily water use; developing a home water conservation plan; creating a four-part (poetry, narration, interviews, art) statement about “seven ways of thinking about water,” and finally, assessing individual water footprints. Handouts include additional activities plus an annotated bibliography. Activities are designed for students 4th through high school. Registered teachers may bring one adult guest and up to two children (ages 5-12) for free.
at The Leonardo comes from iUTAH EPSCoR.
April 4, 2016
Former iFellow Sean Bedingfield receives prestigious NSF fellowship
Sean Bedingfield was one of twelve Utah State University scholars selected for a 2016 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. In 2013, Sean participated in iUTAH’s iFellows program, which places undergraduate students in the labs of iUTAH project scientists to gain first-hand research experience. He worked directly with iUTAH mentors David Rosenberg and Ryan Dupont, both of USU, during his 11-week program
“The discussions in our iFellows meetings gave me confidence in pursuing a graduate degree,” said Bedingfield, adding “iUTAH was my first experience with collaboration ...I have made collaboration a huge part of my graduate studies.”
Bedingfield, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering from USU in 2014, conducted research on producing biofuel from algae. Nowadays, he is designing biomaterials using antibodies, peptides and environment-responsive polymers to enable targeted, intracellular drug delivery. These delivery systems are intended to improve use of existing drugs and enable them to reach targets currently considered “undruggable.” Bedingfield is currently pursuing graduate work in Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University.
March 17, 2016
iUTAH Institute takes teachers, students back to Salt Lake City
The iUTAH Summer Research Institute will return to the Red Butte Creek watershed for five days, starting July 11, 2016. Beginning in 2013, the Institute has encouraged an interest in water science by including high school students, teachers, and undergraduates in iUTAH-related research projects. Each year, the program has traveled to different research sites, institutions, and watersheds, including Red Butte Creek, the Logan River, and the Provo River.
Led by faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, participants become involved with iUTAH-related research in each watershed. Past lessons include learning about vegetation, stream health, stormwater management, computer modeling, views on water issues, and the effects of insects on forest hydrology.
In addition to this multidisciplinary focus, participants learn how to analyze and interpret data, and present their findings through a poster shared at the annual iUTAH Symposium. Coordinators Louisa Stark, University of Utah professor, and Molly Malone, both of the University of Utah’s Genetic Science Learning Center, use the information gathered at the Institute to create curriculum for teachers. This resource for Utah educators is available online, and updated after each program ends.
Throughout the program’s three-year history, the Institute has engaged 23 high school students, 22 undergraduate students, and 24 secondary education teachers. Surveys of student participants confirm an increased interest in pursuing scientific careers. Teachers say that the themes, research, and experiences will impact their future classroom lessons.
Thanks to the leadership of Louisa Stark and Molly Malone, and the dedication of iUTAH researchers, the Institute is moving into another promising year of water science exploration. With the program’s return to Red Butte Creek, participants will dive into new research at the watershed, engage in near-peer mentorship, and gain new tools and inspiration to continue pursuing science education in their own. Applications for the upcoming iUTAH Summer Research Institution are now being accepted online through May 1, 2016.
