46th Arkansas Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

SPEAKER

A Job that Gives you Goose Bumps!

Dr.Eric A. Hagegorn, Associate Professor of Physics (University of Texas at El Paso)

Since you are going to have to work for close to 40 years, you should try very hard to find a job you not only like, but LOVE! The United States needs STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professionals, and these are jobs you can love. I will present STEM career outlook information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and insights into: 1) finding a field you LOVE, 2) surviving studying a challenging field in college, 3) the necessity of graduate school, 4) working in higher education, K-12 education, or industry, and 5) combining seemingly different fields. I'll also throw in some interesting physics demonstrations to keep things lively!

Eric Hagedorn received his B.S. in Physics at the Pennsylvania State University and his M.S. in Physics at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee [UWM]. He immediately began teaching at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a women's college with an innovative ability-based curriculum that emphasizes performance assessment over traditional testing. While on Alverno's faculty, he began and completed his Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction at UWM, doing research on the design and validation of a measurement instrument related to physics learning. After 10 years at Alverno, Eric left to take a research & evaluation position in the School of Education at UWM. During this time he was also the managing editor of the Journal of Science Teacher Education. After 3 years, he returned to teaching when offered a position in physics education in the Physics Department at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). At UTEP, he is a tenured Associate Professor, Assistant Department Chair, and both Undergraduate and Society of Physics Students Advisor. In 2008, he was the President of the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers. He is currently PI on a $1.2 million National Science Foundation Noyce Scholarship grant to prepare and retain highly qualified high school science and mathematics teachers.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Rocks Can Be Really Pretty...In the Right Light

Dr. Richard Cohoon, Distinguished Professor of Geology (Arkansas Tech University)
Mr. Chris Marlow, Geology Student (Arkansas Tech University)
Using a polarizing light microscope to analyze thin sections of rock

How to be Smarter, Happier, Healthier, and Younger for Free

Dr. Scott Kirkconnell, Professor of Biology (Arkansas Tech University)
Dr. Shellie Hanna, Assistant Professor of Physical Education (Arkansas Tech University)
Ms. Amber Acord, Biology Graduate (Arkansas Tech University)
Ms. Cora Housley, Biomedical Biology Student (Arkansas Tech University)
Ms. Suong Nguyen, Biomedical Biology Student (Arkansas Tech University)
Ms. Mariah Small, Pre-Med Biology Student (Arkansas Tech University)
The neuroscience behind lifestyle choices and better living

Microscale Separation Requires TLC

Dr. Stewart Hart, Assistant Professor of Chemistry (Arkansas Tech University)
Mr. Josh Trujillo, Chemistry Student (Arkansas Tech University)
Thin layer chromatography (TLC) will be used to separate and identify compounds in common pain relievers

Starry Skies

Mr. Steve Zimmer, Assistant Professor of Chemsitry (Arkansas Tech University)
STARLAB will take us on a tour of the night sky

Radio Telemetry

Dr. Tom Nupp, Professor of Wildlife Science (Arkansas Tech University)
Experience how wildlife biologists track and monitor the health and well being of our wildlife populations

PAPER PRESENTATIONS

Aircraft propeller effeciency: the effect of the number of blades on thrust

Paulo Claudio (Pulaski Academy)

Solar energy storage with fly wheel

Sumeyra, Ekin (LISA Academy)

Phase 2: Improving the Effectiveness of Anticancer Drugs with Cell Death Modulators

Nidhi Gandhi (Little Rock Central High School) - FIRST PLACE WINNER^*†

The enhancement of photoelectrochemical cells for photoelectrolysis and hydrogen storage

Nimit Gandhi (Little Rock Central High School) - SIXTH PLACE WINNER^*

Effects of malathion on brine shrimp

Sarthak Garg (Little Rock Central High School)

The effect of soy protein on weight gain and gene expression of fat tissues

Shree Govindarajan (Little Rock Central High School) - THIRD PLACE WINNER^*†

Does a golf ball's bounciness influence the distance it will travel

Kristen Harper (Little Rock Central High School)

Soundproofing with Egg Cartons

Cameron Horton (Lonoke High School)

Infants' ability to discriminate objects by visual and tactile exploration

Shanshan Hu (Little Rock Central High School)

Cloning of coronvirus non-structural protein nsp15 for expression in mammalian cells

Nathanael Ji (Little Rock Central High School)

Seeking a better standard of care: pre-clinical optimization of AAV type gene delivery into human CD8 cytotoxic thymus lymphocytes

Abrar Matin (Little Rock Central High School) - FOURTH PLACE WINNER^*

Sensitivity of polyaniline/titanium oxide gas sensors to ammonia

Dev Nair (Pulaski Academy)

Meye: An Affordable Eye-Tracking System

Ayush Saraswat (Little Rock Central High School) - SECOND PLACE WINNER^*†

The utilization of ArcGIS to interpret water quality data of Reeds Creek attained from the facilitation of the microbial analysis indicator enterococcus faecalis

Joshua Shaw (Hillcrest High School) - FIFTH PLACE WINNER^*

Purification of goodpasture autoantigen from mouse kidneys

Jonathan Stroud (Hector High School)

^*first through sixth place winners receive an all expenses paid trip to the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

^†first through third place winners receive a scholarship to the school of their choice