Workshops from Past Conferences

Workshop Title: Concrete is Lean, Mean and Green  

Presenter: Dr. Heather J. Brown
Concentration: Concrete Industry Management
Did you know that concrete is the second most used material next to water? Come to this workshop to hear about all the famous concrete structures in the world and how you can make and design concrete for everything from a driveway to a 90 story building. We will even go to the lab and break concrete to see how strong it can be. There are all types of jobs in concrete that uses your math and science skills.

Workshop Title: Flying High

Presenter: Dr. Wendy Beckman
Concentration: Aviation
In this workshop, participants were introduced to a variety of fields within the aviation industry. These include professional pilot, maintenance management, air traffic controller, airport and airline managers, dispatch personnel, and flight test engineer. Typical responsibilities of each of these positions were briefly discussed. The girls then participated in several hands-on activities. They built and flew balsa wood gliders to learn about aircraft flight controls, explored the cockpit of a Boeing 727 procedures trainer, and "flew" a PC-based flight simulator through both a takeoff and landing.

Workshop Title: Genes and Pedigrees 

Presenter: Dr. Rebecca Seipelt
Concentration: Genetics
Do you want to have a career in Genetics? In "Genes and Pedigrees" the girls will look at genetic traits and determine genes from those traits. Then the girls will look at how to diagram how genes are inherited in a family (pedigree).

Workshop Title: Green Light, Good to Go

Presenter: Dr. Martha Weller
Concentration: Physics

We use diffraction grating glasses along with some "real" diffraction gratings to see how the light in an incandescent light bulb is different from the light in a fluorescent light bulb. Then we talk about how the bulbs differ in energy usage.

Workshop Title: Let 'Er Rip

Presenters: Lizet Escamilla, Jan Gardner, Mary Groff, and Mary Thomas
Concentration: Physics
We conducted a demonstration of trebuchets (catapults). The girls learned how a trebuchet (catapult) is made, how they work, and how the different lengths and materials can make a difference in launching distances and affect accuracy.

Workshop Title: Lighting Up the Future  

Presenters: Carrie House, Sarah Perry, Steph Truax, and Kelly White
Concentration: Physics

T
he girls who participated in this workshop learned about energy, power, electricity, and circuits. They got the opportunity to learn about energy efficient light bulbs and how to calculate power consumption. They participated in a hands on exercise where they built series and parallel circuits using LED lights.

Workshop Title: Menacing Microbes  

Presenters: Dr. Mary Farone
In this workshop the girls learn different techniques used by microbiologists to learn about the important disease-causing microorganisms in the body. Girls will sample their own "tooth gunk" and stain and observe the microorganisms present on their tooth surface. The girls will also learn about the different types of nutrient media used to select for disease-causing bacteria, and they will have the opportunity to inoculate the media with specimens.

Workshop Title: Ooze, Goo, and Slime  

Presenters: Ning Boupharath, Jennifer Ilsley
Concentration: Chemistry
This workshop is a fun way for young girls to learn more about polymer chemistry. The girls spend some time in the classroom learning how items such as 2-liter bottles, milk jugs, and plastic cups are formed from material as tiny as a bead. Then they move to the lab where they participate in an experiment where they make their own colorful, gooey slime to take home with them .

Workshop Title: Pharm Phun

Presenters: Ali Foster, Meredith Muller, Jennifer Baldridge
Concentration: Pharmacy
Pharm Phun is an introduction to the world of pharmacy presented by 3 third-year pharmacy students. It is an interactive workshop that incorporates aspects of compounding pharmacy. The girls will be able to compound a fake pharmaceutical and learn about techniques used in real pharmacies.

Workshop Title: Safety Behind the Scenes

Presenter: Carol Boraiko
This workshop will introduce the students to the importance of safety protective devices. We will examine and handle the safety equipment, and one lucky girl will be chosen to be dressed in safety related equipment. We will learn how to choose what equipment works best.

Workshop Title: The Science of Nursing In Your Own Hands

Presenter: Dara Dixon
Concentration: Nursing
An exciting fun-filled hour of "hands-on" nursing. I bring new activities every year. The girls can have the opportunity to learn how to give injections, how to take blood pressure, and play "p in the bone on the skeleton".

Workshop Title: Train Your Brain with Neuropsychology

Presenters: Alyse Hawk
Concentration: Neuroscience

The girls will start with a Jell-O brain molds for the students to dissect, name, and snack on. Then they'll talk about neurotransmitters and what drugs do to the brain and body. Then our special guest Tallianna will demonstrate "learning" with Pavlov's Theory.

Workshop Title: Windmill Energy

Presenters: Jani Chapman, Nathan Kolbe, Dan O'Neil, and Denise Schaefer
Concentration: Engineering
In this workshop, the girls learned how wind can be converted into energy. They learned how the blade pitch, blade width, and wind direction can affect energy output. They also investigated the attributes that make windmills most efficient.

Workshop Title: Wonders of the Mind

Presenters: Dr. Teresa Davis and Dr. Michelle Boyer-Pennington
Concentration: Psychology

This workshop is a fun way for girls to learn some basic concepts about psychology. The girls will first learn about the field of psychology. They will then engage in hands-on activities in areas such as memory, sensation and perception, intelligence, and problem solving.

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