Outreach Activities
I am passionate about training the next generation of STEM workforce. I frequently engage in educational and pedagogical activities. Below are some snapshots of these activities.
(a) iEngineer STEM Workshop
Figure Caption: iEngineer STEM Workshop for Underserved Middle and High School Students of Color.
People of color are under-represented in today’s engineering world. This disparity shows the importance of the iEngineer program, which aims to increase access and visibility to engineering careers for youth of color. The iEngineer program connects middle and high school students with representatives from multiple local companies that employ engineers, which allows the students to gain a better understanding of the broad range of careers that can be pursued via an engineering degree.
(b) ImagineU
Figure Caption: Middle school students trying to investigate renewable energy options, in this case, windmill design.
An outreach program that brings Washington State University to high schools in underserved areas in the state of Washington. Imagine U brings faculty, staff, students, and alumni to the high schools to provide presentations in the form of hands-on instruction, discussions on fields of research, and what it takes to go to college.
(c) SW MESA
Figure Caption: Middle school students learning the fundamental of electrical circuits from WSUV electrical engineering seniors as part of IEEE club. Student learnt about sensors and electronics associated with it.
MESA is a nationally recognized organization for its innovative and effective academic development program that supports STEM education and equity for students. Washington MESA was established in 1982, in four Seattle high schools, serving 88 students and has grown to serving over 3,500 students through six centers across Washington State with WSUV as one of the centers.
(d) High School Teacher Workshop (Thank you Vernier)
Figure caption: High school teachers programming a sensor module on a Lego platform.
As part of the National Science Foundation grant and Southwest Washington MESA, the initiative was to introduce new sensor technology and programing to middle school teachers so that they can transfer the knowledge to a large population of students. With the help of Vernier, Inc (Beaverton), a customized kit was designed by me and given to the teachers for demonstration in class.
(e) Nanodays Summer Camp for Under-represented Elementary School Kids
Figure Caption: Under-represented elementary school students are fascinated by nanotechnology and impressed by the nanomaterials and their (un)known applications.
NanoDays is an annual, nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering and their impact on society. NanoDays events are organized by participants in the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network and take place at science museums, research centers, and universities across the country from Puerto Rico to Hawaii. NanoDays engages people of all ages in learning about this emerging field of research, which holds the promise of developing revolutionary materials and technologies.
(f) BPA Educational Activity
Funded by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the goal of this education project was to create awareness and understanding of the fundamentals of hydropower production for students in the Pacific Northwest. In order to achieve this goal, the objective of this initiative was to design and execute a fun-filled, hands-on and interactive camp focusing on steps involved in the generation of hydropower.
Figure Caption: High school students learning fundamentals of hydropower production through hands-On experiments.
(g) Educating Young Minds via Ask Dr.Universe
Dr. Wendy Sue Universe is a very smart cat who investigates tough questions from curious elementary and middle school students. Based out of Washington State University, Dr. Universe teams up with professors, researchers, and experts in the field, to tackle big questions like: What is fire? Why does soda fizz? Why is the ocean salty? Why is liquid nitrogen so cold?
Dr.Sekhar loves to educate young and curious minds. Following is an activity that he participated in:
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/mar/07/ask-dr-universe-how-do-touch-screens-work/
https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2021/03/06/touch-screens-work/