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Tag Archives: STEM
Why STEM? It Is All About Problems!
By Karen Bryant, Mathematics Faculty
I was in the Reagan National Airport waiting to fly home after an exciting and intense week at the Siemens STEM Institute. Wondering why my plane was not boarding when it was leaving in less than thirty minutes, I wandered over to the windows overlooking the tarmac. There was a person standing on the back of the small vehicle used to push the plane out of the gate looking up into an opening in the plane’s nose. There were approximately twenty people standing around watching, including people in business suits, people who looked like EMTs, and the grounds crew. I stood and watched for the next several minutes and also listened to the chatter of people around me. Soon, most of the people outside left except for a few who were gesturing as they tried to figure out how to get the vehicle out from under the plane. From listening to those around me, I discovered that somehow the small truck had gone out of control and driven under the nose of the plane and was entangled in the hose that was (more…)
Why 4,000 Mathematicians Came to Seoul
By Ryan Lee, VI Form
This summer, the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) was held in Seoul, Korea. Lasting ten days, ICM 2014 started on August 13th. Over four thousand mathematicians from around the world came to Seoul to share information on research studies on mathematics and congratulate the mathematicians getting the Fields Medal. (Fields Medal is an award for mathematicians that is similar to the prestige of the Nobel Prize; it is awarded to four people not over the age of forty.) The Seoul ICM consisted of hundreds of lectures as well as numerous booths. The lectures ranged from some well-known fields such as number theory, combinatorics, geometry, and algebra to less familiar topics such as lie theory and topology. Many famous academic publishers such as the (more…)
Making a Difference: The Story of Rebecca Skloot and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
By John Warren, Head of School
Convocation Speech: 5 September 2014
Stories about people who make a difference—who lead lives of consequence—fascinate and inspire me. I hope the same is true for you. These stories provide examples of special qualities that we can learn from and try to employ ourselves. Role models, people we know who live their lives admirably and people we learn about, provide an important standard for us to aspire to and make us think harder about how we can be our best selves. I encourage you to be constantly on the lookout for such people and to take the time to reflect upon what makes them special and how their lives can relate to yours.
An individual who fascinates and inspires me is Rebecca Skloot, a science journalist who wrote the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. As you will see, Skloot’s story seems especially relevant as we start our academic year. (more…)
Tips on Finding a STEM Research Internship
By Julie Geng, VI Form
This summer, I did a research internship with the Tang Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for two months. I worked with a 4th-year graduate student on two projects in the field of medicinal chemistry. During the internship, I rented an apartment at Lucky Complex and lived by myself. Living on my own helped me develop many essential skills such as cooking, cleaning, and paying the monthly rent! Madison, WI has lovely weather in the (more…)
Always Look Up
By Brady Loomer, Science Faculty
Human beings, especially modern human beings, have become quite adept at becoming absorbed in their own daily lives, focusing on what is in front of them, the cell phone in their hand, the watch on their wrist, or the person they’re about to collide with on the sidewalk. There is nothing wrong with this, as much of our lives are driven by scheduling, emails, and calendars. If we chose to avoid these things, we would probably fall behind the curve and struggle to catch up with the rest of our quickly paced world. Despite the necessity for these functions, falling into this pace of life and becoming absorbed in these earth-bound things has one major consequence; we fail to realize our world around us. Luckily for modern human beings, we (more…)
Preventing Tuberculosis in Kenya–An Intervention Proposal
By Taylor Collins, V Form
The Tuberculosis epidemic is sweeping the world. There were about 8.6 million Tuberculosis cases in 2012[1], and there were about 1.3 million deaths related to Tuberculosis worldwide[2]. Anyone can be infected with Tuberculosis, but nations in poverty particularly suffer. People with weaker immune systems, living in a nation without sufficient healthcare and doctors, are more susceptible to Tuberculosis. For instance, those with HIV/AIDS have a compromised immune system, so their risk of contracting tuberculosis is much greater than
those without HIV/AIDS. Preventative measures need to be taken immediately, particularly in the poverty-ridden countries in the world, like Kenya. (more…)
Creative Freedom in Computer Programming
By Max Hinkley, V Form
When I was younger, my favorite subjects were always math and science. I loved to do experiments, to try and find the answer to something my way, and to use my own creativity rather than a formula. As I grew up and advanced into more serious science, I became less and less engaged and interested. The more rigid, method-based style of solving problems that high school science courses offer did not captivate me nearly as much. I did not mind those problems, but I no longer enjoyed them. Math, in the same way, lost much of its appeal. I (more…)
Promoting Women in STEM: St. Markers Attend Girls STEM Summit
By Haley Jeon, VI Form
When people are asked to picture a structural engineer or biomedical researcher, the image that comes to their minds most like is that of a male figure. The Girls STEM Summit held at MIT on Saturday, April 26th was a step towards changing that stereotype. This Summit is organized by Jr. Tech, whose mission is to engage 4-12 grade students in STEM education. The Girls STEM Summit is a one-day workshop for young women in grades 8-12 who love STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math. The day consisted of a keynote speaker followed by six career sessions. The (more…)
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