AGPA Promotes STEM with Great Lakes Science Center Summer Camp
This year the Akron Global Polymer Academy had the great pleasure of hosting a group of kids from the Great Lakes Science Center’s Summer Science Camp. This year’s visit will be the third field trip that the students have made to The University of Akron, and it won’t be the last! The kids had a blast exploring real scientists’ labs, interacting with animals, and learning all about science with AGPA Content Specialist, John Fellenstein.
On June 29th eleven grade school students arrived at UA’s Goodyear Polymer Building, curious and ready to learn. They were visiting from the Science Center along with the Environmental Center’s Assistant Chief of Outdoor Education, Becky Parkin. The kids came to the camp from all over Ohio, including Lake County and Cuyahoga County. Throughout the week they learned all about biomimicry, the examination of nature in order to apply elements of it to human life, solving human problems.
When they arrived at the Goodyear Building, the first lab they visited was that of Dr. Ali Dhinojwala, a Morton Professor in the Department of Polymer Science. Dr. Dhinojwala’s work mainly focuses on spider silk and geckos’ feet and the qualities that might make adhesives better for humans. The kids had the pleasure of meeting Alex Nyarko, a member of Dr. Dhinojwala’s research group and a philanthropist.
Nyarko is currently researching bacteria, and the characteristics of different types of bacteria that may have practical uses in the medical and industrial fields. As he explained to the students, he is learning how they stick in underwater conditions to develop better adhesives that will hold up in watery environments. Nyarko is known for having established a nonprofit called “Science on Wheels” in his home town, Accra, Ghana, in order to help kids there learn science.
The campers listened avidly as Nyarko explained what was going on in the lab. They were able to draw parallels between what they had learned at camp and what Dr. Dhinojwala and Alex Nyarko were studying in a real scientific lab. Armed with new knowledge and safety glasses, kids pointed out interesting objects around the lab and Nyarko explained what they were used for. It was a fascinating experience- and the day wasn’t done yet.
Next, the group visited Dr. Henry Astley’s lab. Dr. Astley studies locomotion in biology, otherwise known as: how animals move. His findings contribute to robotic movement, smoothing out motions for intricate procedures or improving a machine’s ability to move in certain environments, such as over sand or rocks. The kids loved seeing the equipment around the lab, but of course nothing could beat real live animals. Dr. Astley produced a corn snake and the kids got to pet its scaly head while he held it.
Dr. Astley then brought out a robot that moves much like a snake does and explained how they created it. He showed them the sensors and cameras that picked up the motions of the snakes and explained how it transfers over to a robot, giving the robot the ability to mimic a corn snake’s movement. The kids wanted to see every single one of the many animals that Dr. Astley works with, which made it a great precursor to Peter Niewiarowski’s geckos.
In his lab, Dr. Peter Niewiarowski pulled out a real gecko for the kids to touch. The students felt the gecko’s sticky feet, then saw it climb up a vertical sheet of glass without leaving behind any sticky residue. Niewiarowski explained how he is using his gecko research to apply it to the development of new adhesives, which we may see on the market within the next ten years.
“I’ll be twenty-one then,” one of the students observed. Dr. Niewiarowski told him that if he kept studying science, maybe he could be one of the people who brought the lab’s research to the real world.
After a long morning of walking to different research labs and learning about biomimicry, the kids sat down for lunch before returning to their camp. It was a pleasure hosting the campers for the day, and CPSPE looks forward to another visit next year.