FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 1, 2003
FY03-34
ORNL Divisions Host Students and Teachers for Prestigious Math/Science/Technology Summer Program
OAK RIDGE, TENN—Scientists and engineers from five different divisions within the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) were host to students and teachers participating in the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)/ORNL 2003 Math/Science/Technology Institute last week.
The American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge also provided assistance and a venue for several projects in association with the program. The two-week institute, administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for ARC, was held July 12-25, at ORNL and gave approximately 37 elite students and teachers from 11 different Appalachian states the opportunity for hands-on learning in a national lab setting.
Participants watched as their mentor demonstrated how a robot, which they constructed and programmed, could perform a series of maneuvers over a competition course. This project was led by the Nuclear Science and Technology Division of ORNL and was held at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.
Activities included:
Students collaborated with ORNL mentors from the Networking and Computing Technologies Division to develop a Web site highlighting their experiences participating in the program. Visit the students' Web site at www.orau.gov/arc2003/index.html for information and photos detailing their activities during the two-week institute.
The ORNL Computational Science and Engineering Division led students in simulated "cyber spy" assignments using the Internet to look for intelligence information.
Teachers participated with mentors from the ORNL Metals and Ceramics Division in a project to calibrate and test neutron focusing mirrors and investigate thin film processes. The project exposed participants to the basic concepts of reflectometry, diffraction, specular reflection and general optics.
Teachers took samples from area streams, swimming pools, and ponds to test for water quality. Tests were performed at the American Museum of Science and Energy.
Teachers examined innovative building technologies that could contribute to the energy efficiency and reliability of new and existing residential buildings. This project was conducted with the assistance of the ORNL Engineering Science and Technology Division.