A
Month of Science at Smith
Photos by Thomas Gralinski |
The (SSEP),
an annual month-long residential program for high school
girls, attracted the largest number of applicants this year
(350) with a 17 percent increase over last year.
Now in its 20th year, the program
enrolled 114 participants representing 99 schools in 26 states,
Puerto Rico and five foreign countries.
The SSEP will conclude
on Saturday, July 25, as students give presentations of
their study and research in astronomy, biochemistry, biology,
chemistry, engineering, women’s
health and writing. All are welcome to attend the presentations,
which will take place from 9 a.m. to noon in Weinstein Auditorium,
Wright Hall.
One example of the students’ studies is a new course
added to the program this year, made possible by funding
from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, titled “Making
Connections: An Investigation of the Nervous System,” led
by Adam Hall, associate professor of biological sciences,
and Michael Barresi, assistant professor of biological sciences.
 The
course description describes: “Through studies
of the nervous system, neuroscientists explore how we sense,
feel, think, and move. Students in this course will
learn about how neurons (cells of the nervous system) communicate
through a fascinating array of mechanisms and networks to
generate complex human behaviors. Using some sophisticated
microscopes, we will examine the cells of the nervous system
and the neuroanatomy of the brain. Through experiments
in the laboratory we will explore how neurons function at
multiple levels: molecular, cellular, and in living
organisms such as ourselves. With some simple (and painless)
techniques, we will even measure nerve conduction in our
own bodies and brains."
include: "Miniature Worlds: Visualizing
Life's Hidden Structures"; "Truth in Advertising: A Chemical
Analysis of the Products We Buy"; and "Women and Exercise:
A Biochemical Investigation."
The SSEP awarded a total of $203,900 in financial
aid to support 51 economically disadvantaged girls in the
program (45 percent of participants).
Sponsors for the financial
aid awards include: Bechtel
Group Foundation,; S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation; Howard
Hughes Medical Institute; Jack Kent Cooke Foundation; Minds
Matter; Motorola Foundation; Passport Scholars; Schuler Family
Foundation; Siemens Foundation; Summer Search; The Young
Women's Leadership Foundation; alumnae donations. |
