Undergraduates
Why does the space shuttle returning to Earth cause two separate sonic booms?
Eve Earles, represents the College of Engineering in Chicago. She recruited students from Johnnie Colemon Academy, M. Davis Magnet Academy and Marine Military Academy visited the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Tina Lillard, U of I General Engineering Alum and science teacher at Herrin High School, brought a group of students from Herrin and a second group from Carbondale Community High School.
Students watched demonstrations by Professor Kevin Pitts. The demos were hands on, and the students were actively engaged. They also toured several Biophysics and Condensed Matter labs. The entire group went to lunch at the Illinois Street Residence Hall, after which they spent time in Computer Science Department.
| Tour Guides | Professor | Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Jeehae Park | Taekjip Ha | Biophysics |
| Prakrit Jena | Taekjip Ha | Biophysics |
| Juan Atkinson Mora | Dale Van Harlingen | Condensed Matter |
| Cesar Chivalo | Nadya Mason | Condensed Matter |
| Hannah Deberg | Paul Selvin | Biophysics |
| Mindy Hoffman | Paul Selvin | Biophysics |
| Markita Landry | Yann Chemla | Biophysics |
| Tommy So | Ido Golding | Biophysics |
Two Chicago area teachers Susan Conant and Mike Bush brought students to Saturday Physics Honors Program. Professor Brian Fields gave a talk on The Dark Side of the Universe: Shadow Matter and Antigravity. Afterwards they toured two labs.
| Tour Guides | Professor | Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Martin Leitgab | Matthias Grosse Perdekamp | Nuclear Physics |
| Xin Lu | Laura Greene | Condensed Matter Physics |
| Loc Nguyen | Laura Greene | Condensed Matter Physics |
The goal of the Division of General Studies (DGS) Scholars Program is to assist a designated cohort of incoming freshmen with transitional skills and preparation for majors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (DGS students enter Illinois as "undecided", and transition to a chosen major between their second and fourth semester.) The program also seeks to provide opportunities for students to network with faculty and staff, while gaining increased exposure to campus-wide resources. The summer 2009 cohort was made up of sixteen students with STEM interests varying from engineering, mathematics, medicine, and pre-health.
