Lehigh University CHOICES
The Schultz lab participates in Lehigh University’s program CHOICES. This program enables middle school girls to participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities. The goal of this program is to stimulate interest in STEM careers and foster this interest into careers in the field.
Pennsylvania Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology/ Summer Engineering Institute
Prof. Mark Snyder and myself developed a chemical engineering course and laboratory for the Summer Engineering Institute at Lehigh University. We developed a module that combines chemical reactions with design of microfluidic devices to create a “reactor-on-a-chip”. This program includes two one-hour courses that teaches the principles of transport and reactions. The students then use this knowledge to design a microfluidic device that will enhance mixing of reactants of an iodine clock reaction. A description of this module will be published in the Summer 2019 issue of Chemical Engineering Education.
Outreach at the Da Vinci Science Center
At the Da Vinci Science Center (DVSC), the Schultz groups is involved in several of their outreach programs. Our experimental outreach program highlights complex fluids for children of all ages. This has been presented at the Lehigh Valley Science Festival, a Girl Scouts funded program and as part of the “Meet the Scientist” program that is presented throughout the year at the DVSC. Our research has also been presented as part of “Senior Mondays”, which presents research to approximately 30 senior citizens.
Mentoring of high school students
The Schultz group has also been actively mentoring high school students over the past four years. Each student works on an independent research project with a graduate student. The goal is to present these projects at local and state science fairs. We have had great success with this work and are always interested in attracting new students to the laboratory. The accomplishments of these students include:
1st in Medicine & Health and honorable mention for the Janssen Biotech Biotechnology Award at the Delaware Valley Science Fair,
1st at Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (regional and state), 1st at Lehigh Valley Science Fair and 2nd in Chemistry at the Delaware Valley Science Fair and 2ndAmerican Chemical Society (Delaware Division) Award
Honorable mention in Biochemistry at the Delaware Valley Science Fair and 1st in Biochemistry at the Lehigh Valley Science Fair
1st in Biochemistry at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science