More than 30 middle and high school students from the Capital Region and California, considering careers in science and engineering, got a first-hand look at the field of the physical sciences during a new weeklong, pre-college science education program developed by Yvonne Akpalu, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Rensselaer.

The Why Plastics? pre-college program, held Aug. 1-6, was created to inspire historically underrepresented students, including African American, Hispanic, Native American, and economically disadvantaged students, to explore and pursue careers in science, technology, and engineering, according to Akpalu.

"The students participating in this program are selected because they have expressed interest in pursuing a career in the field of science or engineering," Akpalu said. "At this age and even younger, they are an untapped reservoir of talent, and this program will help them realize the possible career opportunities that exist in the field."

The program included mentoring and workshops — led by Rensselaer faculty, staff, and local professionals — on a range of topics including: description of the roles and responsibilities in being a scientist, leadership and career development, introduction to chemistry, hands-on laboratory experiments and computer activities, computer simulation models in mathematics, and admissions and financial aid information.

"The real-life experience of living on campus and interacting with faculty and staff provides the participants with an opportunity to explore, and develop a deeper understanding of the role and expectations involved in becoming a scientist or engineer, and this helps students to focus on a program of study to pursue a career in the field," said Karen Ferrer-Muniz, associate dean of students and director of Rensselaer's Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA).

The Why Plastics? program was held in collaboration with the annual Rensselaer Science and Technology Entry Program, offered by OMSA.

"I was introduced to science at an early age through the strong pre-college education that I received in the United Kingdom, Ghana, and the United States, and I attribute my accomplishments to such experiences that helped to build the foundation that I needed to understand the field of the physical sciences," said Akpalu. "There are many bright young people with an interest in the field, and all they need is an opportunity to nurture their talents and actively participate in the exciting innovation and discovery that science has to offer."

Photos by Jessica Otitigbe

Published August 15, 2005