On March 11, Bryn Mawr's Department of Physics inaugurated the BRYN UP outreach program by holding a virtual Zoom panel for 25 students from Eisenhower Science and Technology Leadership Academy in Norristown, Pa.
BRYN UP is an educational outreach program initiated by physics graduate student Andy Clark and Associate Professor of Physics Xuemei May Cheng, with a mission of bringing science to young people through the BRYN UP YouTube channel, as well as class visits to local middle schools.
During the panel, Clark, Cheng and physics majors Georgia Nelson ‘21 and Lily Goltz ‘23, and graduate students Amy Smock and Carlos Cartegena collaboratively presented a talk titled “Becoming a Scientist” followed by a video made by Clark that introduces photolithography, a widely used technique in academic research and industrial fabrications for making micro-electronic devices.
“It was exciting to be able to share our research and our experiences with young students who are thinking about future careers in science. The students had excellent questions, and I hope that we were able to inspire and encourage them to think more about how they could support or pursue science careers in the future,” said Smock.
The Physics Department plans for the BRYN UP program to continue at other middle schools in the local area. Future informational videos for the Youtube channel will be created by professors and graduate and undergraduate students to further connect physics education with young scientists.