Newsletter

Director's Corner

Welcome to the inaugural issue of “Light Works”, the newsletter for keeping you up-to-date on all things related to the Center’s Education and Partnership Programs (formerly known as EHRDO). It’s been a busy several months since the NSF site visit in July and I wanted to let you know what we’ve been up to. We’ve spent a lot of time in the last month or two putting together a plan for a comprehensive education program. This started with a two-day retreat in Seattle for the interested STC members where we focused on refining our education goals and defining Center activities (read the summary here). We took this rough draft of a plan to our Education Advisory Committee on Oct. 24. With their insights and ideas, we plan to roll out a fantastic set of programs by the beginning of the new year. Look for a strategic plan in late November.

We have also started thinking about summer research opportunities for students. In September, we applied for a highly competitive NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site grant that will, if funded, provide gateway research experiences at UW to students from nearby community colleges and 4-year universities (read the proposal here). We are establishing a similar, albeit broader, program with our ANLO partner schools and other minority institutions. This Minority Institution Exchange Program will facilitate exchanges of faculty (2-5 days) and student (10 weeks) between STC labs and these partner schools. Read the article below for more information!

An ongoing piece of the Education and Partnership Programs’ efforts include this newsletter. We hope to use this as a way of communicating new and exciting educational opportunities to the Center’s faculty, staff and students. We’ll have some regular pieces each issue – including interviews with STC personnel, education digests, and updates from yours truly – in addition to informative articles. See you then!
--Jasmine Bryant

Program Updates
Minority Institution Exchange Program

The faculty exchange program provides travel funds for STC faculty to visit minority institutions to present seminars related to STC research, to meet with faculty and students, and to share opportunities related to the STC. This program is also available for minority institution faculty to visit STC labs to plan potential research project partnerships, and to meet with faculty and students. It is hoped that these faculty exchanges will build foundational relationships that will ultimately foster a productive student exchange program and potential for graduate studies.

EPP will also support student exchanges for undergraduate and masters students from minority institutions to participate in research in STC labs. Stipends will be offered for 10-week summer experiences, or equivalent time during the academic year. If you are interested in participating in either of these exchange programs, please contact us at EHRDO@chem.washington.edu

Education Digest

The Education Digest will be a regular feature of Light Works. Our intent is to introduce the STC community to interesting, and hopefully useful, education resources. In each issue we will include a summary/digest of a resource and information for obtaining it.

At the recent STC Education Retreat in Seattle, participants spent some time discussing important findings from the field of educational research. Some key findings, highlighted below, are compiled in the book How People Learn: Bridging Research And Practice, commissioned by the National Research Council and published by the National Academy Press.

A Few Moments With...
Dr. Larry Dalton

A Few Moments With… will be a regular feature of Light Works. We hope that this segment will introduce you to members of the STC as they reflect on their teaching and learning experiences.

Dr. Larry Dalton is the Director of the Center.

Who was your most influential teacher and why?

There were three people – Alvin Kwiram, Dudley Hershbach and Jim Dye. What is really impactful in a teacher is when they have a unique and compelling view of a subset of knowledge. They have the ability to explain things in a way that give real insight. These three are more clear and compelling than Feynman was.

How would you explain your work with the Center to your grandmother?

The essence of great research is being able to communicate it to a broad audience. My research involves the basics of chemistry and physics – electrons and photons. We learn in freshman chemistry that electrons provide the “chemical glue” that holds things together and that photons provide the means of insight into this world. I use electrons and photons as the basic particles of information transfer. I study how electrons and photons – the fundamental particles of matter and energy – are transmitted through space. Information Technology is related to the basic principles of matter and energy. Of course, my grandmother was a nuclear physicist – just kidding.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?

There is no time when I’m not working.

Comments / Questions / Suggestions?