NEWS FROM COSMOS-UCI, WEEK 2
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
“I’ve never done anything this spectacular before. I’m from the Bay Area. The first thing I thought was that I’d be away from home, and how I would adjust. We’ve had a lot of bonding experiences and I enjoy the cluster, on an actual UC campus. The whole lab is full of complex equipment. The professors are extremely happy to explain things and you can tell how passionate they are. Academically, everyone is on the same level, and there’s something for everyone. You can find people who are just like you. I can probably be talking to them for years from now.”
--Sumeet Sharma (Harker School, Fremont) Cluster 3, Tissue and Tumor Biology
THE COSMOS COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
We wanted to clarify the college experience that COSMOS offers high school students. Namely, students:
- Live in the UCI dorms
- Eat dorm food
- Attend class in UCI classrooms and labs
- Receive instruction from UCI faculty and scientists
- Use computers in UCI computer labs
- Have access to the Science Library, and
- Enjoy a vibrant social life typical of a college campus.
COSMOS participants are still high school students and they are minors. They do not have the freedom of an adult to come and go as they wish or skip class or cluster activities. For their safety, they are required to wear a name badge, not unlike most high schools in California, and to sign in/out from their dorms. Some students are accustomed to freedoms that are not feasible during the program, but their safety and well being are top priority.
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PHONE HOME! (Please?)
Students are reminded daily to phone home and touch base with parents and family. Some students are having such a good time they forget to turn their phone on after class. It’s not uncommon for students to let several days slip by before calling home. You can send your son or daughter an email reminder. Some students are not checking voicemail, they are so busy. Parents, please do not call the emergency number posted in the conference service office -- this is to be used for emergencies only. Please note that all mail and “drop-offs,” items that you may want to leave for your son or daughter, go to the conference service office (site of our check-in and check-out). Items are safely held until our RA staff pick up (once daily pickup) and distribute in the evening.
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WEEKEND RECAP
Students enjoyed Boomers! on Saturday afternoon. They tried all the rides--go carts and bumper boats, miniature golf and rock climbing-- then gravitated indoors to the video arcade. Deal or No Deal was a favorite. Students had pizza when they returned to campus. On Sunday students enjoyed swimming at the beautiful pool in the Anteater Recreation Center (ARC).
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COSMOS STARS
Members of our leadership team nominate students and RAs for special recognition. COSMOS stars announced Monday, July 6 are: (above right) Phuong Mai (Yerba Buena HS, San Jose) and (above center) Trevor Roberts (South HS District, Bakersfield), students of the week. Program Coordinator’s Choice: (above left) Katherine Corn (Carmel Valley Middle School, San Diego). Also selected for recognition are RAs of the week: Joshua Dorman and Dairian Washington.
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COMMUNITY LIFE/SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Activities in and around the dorm areas include the egg-pillow fight in Pelinor field, karaoke, music challenge, and Improv Comedy Night. John Quaimas, First Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, is teaching the basic forms, discipline, and self defense to an aspiring group of marshal artists. … There’s always a game of basketball or volleyball in progress for those who enjoy team sports. In a craft activity, interested students have made their own “mail bag,” in the multipurpose room, decorated with their personal artistic touches. There will be a special earring making workshop offered by Ms. Ania Briscoe, Teacher Fellow for Mathematics of Music, with a passion for jewelry design. Meals provide time for social interaction and Wednesday is especially popular, when students have the “free” dinner option (at their own expense), to choose from the popular eateries at the University Town Center near UCI. Or they can stay and enjoy Pippin food, which offers a wide variety of choices. Tonight, an outdoor BBQ. Students remaining on campus for the weekend will enjoy the rides at Knott’s Berry Farm on Saturday and group swim at the ARC. Resident Assistant Saron Ephrain presented a workshop on healthy eating, “Let’s Eat … Smart!” She discussed the impact of stress in student’s lives and how food habits can have long term affect. Saron encouraged students to read the nutrition labels when before purchasing beverages and snack foods. “Beware of high fructose corn syrup and processed foods,” she told students, who were offered sliced apples and bananas and natural peanut butter. She emphasized that students need to invest in their health now.
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DISTINGUISHED LECTURE OF THE WEEK
Dr. Michael Leon, Professor and Associate Dean, Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences presented “How to Eat.” Dr. Leon’s research interests are many and varied, including olfactory coding. He gave an eye-opening presentation on eating disorders, and shared his research in clinical trials for patients with bulimia and anorexia. Dr. Leon treated students to an actual lecture he gives to UCI undergraduates in their junior and senior years, complete with video clips of actual patients. These individuals lose the ability to know when they are hungry or full, and they have to be taught how to eat. He explained the failure of pharmacotherapy drugs in treating eating disorders, and shared that research argues against an underlying cause or mental health disorder for those who stop eating. Of interest was the use of technology in treating anorexic patients, an interactive computer that weighs the food and gives feedback on the screen such as ‘you are eating too slow.’ He also covered obesity in America and said that two-thirds of Americans are overweight clearly connected to our high fat/high sugar diet. Dr. Leon noted that Americans are highly stressed and that food is cheap and available. Students asked numerous questions.
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Cluster Highlights, Week 2
Cluster 1-- ROBOTS TO ROCKETS: ENERGY AND POWER FOR MACHINES
In their lectures this week, students are learning about the concepts of power and pollution, how power is generated, how to store energy, engines and emissions, restoring moments and stability in airplane flight, dihedral effects of wing design, and how DC motors work. These concepts are carried over into their lab days as they are now building and fabricating their robots and their airplanes. On the issue of airplane design, the students have calculated wing size, tail size, and have determined wing shape around the concept of the restoring moments of the different planes of powered flight as they work towards their goal of a successful flight of their designs. In the robotics portion of their lab, the students have designed their robots, and are now working towards building their robots from scratch (scrap metal and the given electronics/power components). As they are constructing these robots, the students are learning how to put all of these components together into a workable robot under their remote control command.
Cluster 2-- ASTRONOMY/ASTROPHYSICS
In our second week, the students already have established their routines and are working very hard. All groups have begun gathering data for their projects at the UCI Observatory, and many have already started developing the structure of their final presentations. In the Science Communication course, students are refining their research question and hypothesis, and are starting on their abstract. The Tuesday computer simulation lab introduced students to the techniques that astronomers use to discover asteroids and to measure their coordinates in the sky. The Thursday lab introduced students to digital spectra and to the process of classifying different spectra by the relative strengths of lines and familiarized students with the sequence of spectral types. Lecture topics included the physics of light, objects of the cosmos, details on the planets in our solar system, and the history of scientific thought in astronomy.
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Cluster 3-- TISSUE AND TUMOR BIOLOGY AND MATHEMATICAL/COMPUTER MODELING
During the second week of COSMOS, we examined cancer and tumor formation and how cancer cells differ in phenotype and in action to normal cells. Present and potential strategies in cancer treatment were also examined as were environmental causes related to tumor formation in healthy tissue. The relative roles of environmental factors (e.g., UV light exposure, pollution, smoking, asbestos, ...) were outlined. We also surveyed the biochemistry and biochemical makeup of cells. The function of proteins in virtually all cell activity and their importance in controlling cell events, aberrant in Cancer, was discussed. The chemistry of DNA is particularly important in cancer where DNA damage is fundamental. An example we considered involved DNA damage resulting from UV light exposure by the sun. We also studied how cells and tissues stimulate cell growth (activate Mitosis) and how they trigger cell death (Apoptosis), when needed. In the experimental lab, the students investigated the effects of a membrane toxin on the viability of rabbit red blood cells (rrbc's). The toxin acts on the cell membrane and increases its leakiness. The students used an absorption spectrometer to measure hemoglobin release and thus measure the effect of the toxin on the rrbc's. The students also learned how to develop increasingly complex models of tumor growth that account for the nutrient and growth factor consumption by tumor cells which can ultimately limit the growth of tumor cells (this is why malignant tumors require a blood supply to continue to grow) via another mechanism of cell death (necrosis) due to lack of nutrients. The students learned techniques to determine the parameters in the mathematical model by trying to match the model results with discrete cell population data. In particular, we studied a method for unconstrained nonlinear optimization (Nelder-Mead simplex method) to find the set of model parameters that minimizes the difference between the model results and the population data. The students first tested this algorithm on data generated by the model (but were not told what the parameters were used to generate the data). The students then used this approach to determine the model parameters appropriate for the pro-B- lymphoid cells that they grew under different conditions in the laboratory. The students learned the difficulties associated with minimization in high dimensions (i.e. lots of parameters) and learned about the power of mathematics and nondimensionalization as a way to reduce the number of parameters and thus the dimension of the space in which optimization is performed. See our cluster's website: http://geocities.com/cosmosuci/cosmos09.html.
Cluster 4-- GLOBAL CHANGE CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY
The Global Change cluster had an exciting second week. We continued learning about how humans affect the earth. We took a field trip to visit two distinct farms. The first, Golden Gourmet Mushrooms in San Marcos, produces six million pounds of mushrooms per year. Steve Farrar led a tour of this high tech facility, where robots move material over a two mile system of conveyer belts through inoculation, growth, fruiting, and harvest. Our next farm visit was to La Milpa Organica farm in Escondido. La Milpa is a small family farm that produces over one hundred types of vegetables each year on only a few acres. They taught us the value of supporting small, local, organic farms. In addition, they fed us a fantastic smorgasboard of fresh picked vegetables*, and then allowed us* to plant turnips and weed beans. In our class, Dr. LeBauer described the history and future of agriculture. Dr. Tyler taught us about radiochemistry and arranged a tour of our nuclear reactor by its director, Dr. George Miller. TA Robin Grote taught us how synthetic chemicals that are used in agriculture and industry end up in our environment, food, and water supply, and how these chemicals affect humans and other animals. TA Florance Williams covered the state of the world's tropical rainforests. We also selected our projects topics and began to conduct background research. Monday we will start our observations and experimentation!
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Cluster 5-- COMPUTER SOLUTIONS FOR MATHEMATICAL PUZZLES AND GAMES
On Monday, the students learned about Combinatorics, the branch of mathematics concerning the combination and permutation of sets of elements, which they had learned in Algebra 2. The students also enjoyed learning about Hex, a board game originated in Go from the ancient China. During Technical Writing, the students learned to communicate scientific research at a personal level by using posters. They discussed the poster components and analyzed the strength and weakness of some posters using a detailed rubric. The students worked in group to design their own posters conveying their analyses of The Hand-Shaking Puzzle which they will present on Friday. Continuing with instruction on programming, Dr. Arvo introduced Quzzle and Dots-And-Boxes games and instructed the students to use LISP to program solutions. The students had a very busy day with Dr. Frey on Wednesday; they discussed challenging problems of combinatorics, analyzed Hex, and made materials for learning Graph theory which prepared them for playing the Rubik Cube on Friday. In the afternoon, the students listened to Dr. Michael Leon, Professor of Neurobiology & Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, UCI. They learned about science of eating and the mentally and physically treatment for anorexic. Dr. Leon answered many questions about healthy diet, balancing the metabolism in the body. On Thursday, the students competed in programming the maximum and the intersect functions using LISP. They were very excited to watch Dr. Arvo played Connect Four using the program they have learned. The students could not wait to get to the Lab and create their own programs to play this game. Next week, there will be more “action.”
Cluster 6--MATHEMATICS OF MUSIC: RHYTHM, TONES, AND SELF-EXPRESSION
This week COSMOS cluster 6 finished their first musical composition using Logic. Everyone's skills with this program have really improved and many students are already becoming experts with this software. Jim Simmons has shown students how to create multi-track recordings, edit them in the computer, and transfer these recordings to CD. Students also learned how to use software based drum machines and record live sound into the computer. John Crooks expanded the study and understanding of the mathematics used in musical pitch systems, and students learned how to use math to generate familiar musical scales. John also worked on rhythm with the cluster, studying how rhythmic structures found in various musical styles work and how to play them. Over the next two weeks each student team will complete another composition or project relating to music, computers, and our study of pitch and rhythmic systems and present their work during Cosmos' final day.
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Cluster 7-- SPECIAL TOPICS IN MARINE BIOLOGY
An octopus, sea cucumbers, sea hares, barnacles, a giant keyhole limpet, algae and more! These are but a few organisms seen first hand at this morning's 5 AM field trip to the tidepools of Abalone Cove, Palos Verdes. Students explored the tidal zones and surveyed organisms within transects to witness the vast biodiversity of the ecosystem. In preparation for the field trip, students were briefed on algae by Misty Paig- Tran during Monday's lecture. On Tuesday, students participated in discussion and demonstrations led by Will Van Trump on the topic of buoyancy and locotive strategies of marine organisms. The lecture was followed by a discussion led by Karla Feitl on Nekton, Plankton and Meroplankton. Students then had the opportunity to identify these microscopic organisms in ocean water samples, using microscopes and key cards that would also be used at the tide pools. Bill Stewart led an afternoon activity that challenged students to expand upon their knowledge of buoyancy and design a model organism that would be most stable while submerged, in what was called "The Great Plankton Race." This was followed by a discussion on wetland types and the functions of coastal wetlands, led by Karla Feitl. Students then constructed a food web to illustrate the complex interactions of various organisms on identification key cards. Wednesday's guest lecture on tide pools was given by Felipe Barretto of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and introduced students to the challenges faced by marine life. This was followed by a guest lecture on marine invertebrates given by Dr. Bruno Pernet of CSULB. Be sure to ask Cluster 7 students about their research project topics, since we will be conducting field research much of next week at the Newport Back Bay Science center. Click here to see pictures from the plankton lab.
Cluster 8-- THE WORLD OF MOLECULES: CHEMISTRY AT THE NANO-SCALE
The journey into the heart of chemistry continued in the second week with an in-depth view of the properties of light. Seeing atoms and molecules is not an easy task, but light waves can help us a great deal. It was first discussed what light actually is: is it a particle or a wave? Several lectures highlighted advanced methods and tricks to manipulate light waves such that molecules can be visualized, from simple diatomics to huge protein structures! Intuitive examples on the blackboard and in the lab also explained the workings of lasers and microscopes, essential tools to the physical chemist. Lab courses zoomed further into how optical microscopes can be used to study molecules. After having unraveled the mysteries of light, the students learned about the crème-de-la-crème among the molecular binoculars: the scanning tunneling microscope. With this device switched on the molecules can no longer hide as their forms and shapes are readily unveiled. Students have selected their research project titles, working in pairs of small groups.
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More about COSMOS: http://www.cosmos.uci.edu/ . |
last updated: 11/2/09
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Voices of COSMOS
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“This is a totally different experience than high school. I was admitted into a cluster where I didn’t know anyone. I had to break out of my comfort zone and make new friends. But I think this will be the last time I’ll feel alone, because of the social interaction -- it will help when I start my own life.”
--Mike Van, Cluster 8
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“I enjoyed putting on my first activity, the Improv workshop. The students enjoyed it and it was a good mixer.”
--Emilio Rodriguez, Night RA
“It’s awesome. We’re learning so much and having so much fun. I’ve never made my own music before - it’s a new experience.”
----Brynn Kiefer, Cluster 6
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“It gives me a new perspective on things I never thought I’d learn, in the college environment. The best way to learn science is by hands-on. When you actually do it, you’re more interested, and you get to see what’s going on. It brings the real world right in front of you.”
--Jose Gonzalez, Cluster 1
“Every day I learn something new. I get to be on my own. Outside the classroom I meet new people every day and I get a good amount of exercise. Everyone is really friendly.”
--Sally Gee, Cluster 5
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“What I enjoy about COSMOS is the really positive environment. You can be yourself in a low stress environment. I want to be a biologist, but what kind? I’m trying to figure that out. I’ve always been interested in marine biology.”
--Taylor Moniz, Cluster 7 |
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“COSMOS is great! We learn a lot not only in lab but outside as well. They, our instructors, find out what kind of learner we are. We used lasers to see how molecules are moving. The technology we are offered here is unlike anything we’re used to.”
--Yeabsra Aleligne, Cluster 8
“COSMOS is an unbelievable and unforgettable experience, a once in a lifetime experience. I really like it. They ask if I’m homesick and I say No! It really prepares you for college. The campus of UCI is actually bigger than my hometown (Holtville).”
--Luis Lopez, Cluster 5
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“I’m up-tempo! I play saxophone and bass, and I guarantee that I’m learning a new perspective on music. The opportunity to use programs like Logic and the handmade programs from our instructors is great. I actually missed class on Saturday and Sunday.”
--Nathan Routman, Cluster 6
“I learn a lot during lecture. It’s a really good experience and it really prepares you for college. My professors teach me a lot, and my cluster bonded really fast. We have great chemistry.”
--Jessica Chiang, Cluster 4
“The dorms are really good. I get along really well with my roommate, and my cluster’s going good. The work is challenging. Lisp Works is like learning a new language. By the end of the month I’m going to learn a lot and it’s going to be useful.”
--Niquise Toliver, Cluster 5
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“I’ve loved COSMOS. I’m having a great experience. My mom came to pick me up for the weekend and I didn’t want to leave. I’ve never had all this independence. I’m already dreading the ending of the program.”
--Katherine Corn, Cluster 6
“It’s fun and full of activities. It’s interesting learning LispWorks, a little hard but my cluster is helping me. This is my first time away from home. I thought I’d be sad, but with all the activities, I can cope with it.”
--Erick Hernandez, Cluster 5
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“It’s very interesting, and a good chance to interact with kids that are smarter than I. It’s very humbling too. I’ve enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends. The observatory is really cool, being able to use the telescope. I’ve never been to an observatory before.”
--Jean-Mark Bertolet, Cluster 2
“It’s nice to be on my own! The cluster is really interesting. Our Teacher Fellow Ms. Vo has posted photos of our cluster on Photobucket, for everyone to see.”
--Tiffany Weng, Cluster 3
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“It’s amazing how quickly everyone has bonded. We’re united by a common interest and passion.”
--Julia Chornak, Cluster 6
“I’ve enjoyed meeting people with the same interests and same level of passion for math and science. I’ve learned so much in the first week alone about astronomy and astrophysics, which is a privilege I wouldn’t have at my high school.”
--Marina Gemma, Cluster 2
“We’ve been learning new and difficult computer programs. Everyone gives me a lot of inspiration, it’s a very talented group!”
--Phoebe Ng, Cluster 6
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“COSMOS is very interactive and everyone participates in the activities. I’m looking forward to our trip to the tidepools, early in the morning, low tide. Our cluster is really close.”
--Curtis Wang, Cluster 7
“What we’re learning in biology is connected to the software, MatLab. The labs are really fun and hands-on. MatLab is not just theory, you use mass to express growth theory. We’re plotting how cells grow.”
--Ashley Chu, Cluster 3
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“It’s been amazing. Everybody here is so sincere and nice, and willing to participate in all the activities. There’s something to do every minute of every day. In our cluster, the professors have a great sense of humor and they really know what they’re doing. We went off campus to a mushroom farm and they showed us how a nursery works. Then we went to an organic farm, with methods that produce healthy food. They have 175 different vegetables. We planted radishes. The guide gave us a tour and we got to sample herbs -- thyme, lavender, lambsquarter, lemongrass and even passion fruit.”
--Xi “CC” Gong, Cluster 4
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“I like the professors. They’re subject matter experts, and I’ve enjoyed the one-on-one discussion I had with Dr. LeBauer, talking about science, medicine, and careers. That was insightful.”
--Chris Probert, Cluster 4
“It’s really exciting and so easy to make friends. My cluster is run, really interesting. My professors are awesome. The RAs are also our friends.”
--Tiare Barraza, Cluster 2
“It’s a great opportunity to learn what I’d never be able to get in another program. The professors are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and helpful.”
--Anna Golombek, Cluster 6
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COSMOS CONTACTS
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| Marjorie DeMartino, Director
Tatiyana Webb, Program Coordinator
TeKeyia Armstrong, Program Assistant
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