CT Science Center and CSUS Initiative Launch
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The Connecticut Science Center and Connecticut State University System (CSUS) launched the i4 Initiative with an opening ceremony at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. The i4 initiative, as the new collaboration is called, brings science applications developed by faculty at Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities to Science Center visitors. The i4 initiative showcases the science research and applications currently underway at the four CSUS universities through a variety of in-house and online programming at the Connecticut Science Center.
"Yankee ingenuity is alive and well in a new generation, and this partnership is a dynamic opportunity to shine a spotlight on what is happening and what can happen in Connecticut."“Yankee ingenuity is alive and well in a new generation, and this partnership is a dynamic opportunity to shine a spotlight on what is happening and what can happen in Connecticut,” said CSUS Chancellor David G. Carter. “The i4 initiative illustrates the excellence of the research being done, encourage young students to pursue careers in the sciences, and make connections between science education and Connecticut’s future.”
David G. Carter
CSUS Chancellor
“The initiative is all about the innovation, ingenuity, imagination and invention that’s taking place right here at Connecticut’s state universities,” said Matt Fleury, president and CEO of the Connecticut Science Center. “Exposing our visitors firsthand to these superb CSUS faculty and students helps achieve our mission of elevating the profile and knowledge of science and scientists here in Connecticut.”
The Science Center will feature daily i4 initiative gallery science activities and on-site demonstrations about research unique to Connecticut with artifacts on display for visitors to see and touch. The i4 initiative also aligns with Connecticut State Science Framework Standards and highlights career paths for young people pursuing careers in science.
The new i4 initiative website at CTScienceCenter.org/i4 also includes podcasts with CSUS faculty as well as activities and resources for learning more about each initiative. The first i4 initiative programs include genetics, geology, navigation and technological simulations in nursing. They will be demonstrated in the Science Center Galleries on the following days through August 31, will continue on a schedule to be announced this fall, and will be available to school groups:
Life’s Common Thread - Genetics
On the Gallery Floor: Sundays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.This program provides a basic understanding of genetics, techniques for analyzing DNA, and research applications that illustrate how genetics is used to understand health and in tracking ancestry. This storyline is actually two interconnected research projects which include “Mutant Mice” and “Discovering Genetic Relationships.”
Visitors will extract and analyze DNA through gel electrophoresis to see how genetics is used to understand health and physical traits to determine physical ancestry. Through a short film, visitors will learn the basic steps in the process of population genetics and apply them to a variety of simulation options.
The program builds off the research of a team of Connecticut high school students who helped identify the genetic marker for a mutation that results in curly hair in mice. The research program includes Thomas King, professor of biomolecular sciences, at Central Connecticut State University; Patricia Szczys, assistant professor of conservation biology and population genetics, at Eastern Connecticut State University; and Denise Matthews, associate professor of communication, at Eastern.
The Dynamic Earth - Geology
On the Gallery Floor: Sundays and Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.The “Dynamic Earth - Geology” storyline is actually two interconnected research projects: “Art Rocks!” and “Earthquakes and Faulting in Connecticut.” Each provides a basic understanding of geology promotes a basic understanding of erosion and explains how scientists examine historical data to interpret land changes. Science Center visitors will get an overview of Connecticut’s unique geology and examine historical date to assess weathering, erosion, plate tectonic and human-influenced changes on the land
In “Art Rocks!,” William “Andy” Jones, associate professor of art in painting and drawing, Eastern Connecticut State University, has developed an artistic application to the study of changes in the landscape and geological processes. He is joined by Professor James Hyatt, chair of Eastern’s Department of Environmental Earth Science. Visitors will use screen sieves, core samplers and other assorted scientific tools to sort and classify dirt to determine how these properties can be useful to a healthy ecosystem. Visitors get to paint their own landscape using soil taken from Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon”. Actual core samples taken from Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon” are on display showing geologic history.
In “Earthquakes and Faulting in Connecticut,” Cynthia Coron, professor of earth science at Southern Connecticut State University, and her husband, Richard Sams of the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science — studied faulting and earthquakes in Connecticut. Visitors will use a seismograph to detect simulated vibrations associated with seismic activity and to triangulate a hypothetical earthquake, and will take core samples to discover what the layered sediments of the earth tell us about the constructive and destructive forces that shaped it.
Simulating the Human Body: Health
On the Gallery Floor: Mondays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.Today, sophisticated, computer-controlled machines can simulate the human body’s responses and create experiences as close to real life patients as possible. Barbara Glynn, professor of nursing in Southern Connecticut State University’s Department of Nursing, is an expert in utilizing state-of-the-art simulators that allow students to put into theory into practice through hands-on realistic experiences.
Using Resusci Annie, visitors will be able to interact with the simulator as well as observe and understand the work of nurses in health care settings. Visitors can listen to heart rhythms; take blood pressure, practice rescue breathing, conduct CPR chest compressions and more.
Finding Our Way - Navigation and Remote Sensing
On the Gallery Floor: Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.Throughout human civilization, people have navigated the landscape using local knowledge with the help of specific tools. Theodora Pinou, associate professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Western Connecticut State University has collaborated with Scott Graves, assistant professor in the Science Education and Environmental Studies Department at Southern Connecticut State University, on this activity that will highlight the application of modern navigation and telemetry. Pinou has done current research on sea turtles and their seasonal, annual, and lifetime migration routes. This activity will highlight how these movements reveal things about the turtle’s behavior.
Visitors will learn how sea turtles are tagged with satellite transmitters to monitor post nesting migration and how telemetry assists in understanding turtle behavior and ecology. These results contribute to modeling changing global weather patterns in the ocean and the conservation of marine biodiversity.
CSUS faculty was chosen for the i4 initiative after submitting proposals that are reviewed by a peer committee. The proposals — connected to the Science Center’s diverse exhibit galleries — are then presented to Science Center education staff. Selected projects receive university and Science Center support for their completion. Faculty from a range of academic disciplines will provide new demonstrations on a rotating basis each year.
Leaders of both organizations say the i4 initiative will help ignite a fresh look at science by students and citizens across the state.
CSUS is Connecticut’s largest university system with nearly 36,000 students. Students from the four universities who are working toward education degrees may also participate in the i4 initiative, collaborating with science educators in working with students visiting the Science Center.
The Science Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing science education throughout the state of Connecticut, providing learning opportunities for students and adults of all ages, and engaging the community in scientific exploration.
To learn more about the Science Center visit www.ctsciencecenter.org.
