This collaboration, spearheaded by professors Andrew Wilson and Morgan Balabanoff in the , connects UofL undergraduate and graduate students with Jefferson County Public School high schoolers to create a “near-peer” community designed to spark curiosity in STEM fields.

ā€œHaving a college student there at the high school gives them an opportunity to network and discuss what college is like, what is a degree like, and have those soft interactions that make a difference,ā€ Wilson said.Ģż

Heading into its fourth year and continually expanding, the program offers a diverse range of activities designed to expose students to chemistry – whether thatā€™s through laboratory experiments mirroring research at UofL, interactive poster sessions, assistance at science fairs or even a pen pal program.

Cailet Hardtmann-Huckabee, a 10th-grade chemistry teacher at Fairdale High School, agrees that the interactions with college students are eye-opening for the students.

ā€œAllowing students to speak with a variety of people in different stages of progress toward their scientific goals and collegiate journey opens my studentsā€™ eyes to the expanse of topics that could be studied and often changes their perception of what it looks like to do science after high school,ā€ she said.

Bridging the science gapĢż

ā€œNano Day” serves as a cornerstone of the initiative, providing high school students with hands-on experience in nanoparticle synthesis and characterization. This process generates incredibly tiny particles, often by precisely controlling chemical reactions, enabling the harnessing of their unique properties for diverse applications. Hardtmann-Huckabee said the experiment directly follows their unit on separation methods, during which students learn diverse techniques to separate mixtures based on component properties.

ā€œSince we have increased our collaboration to include a wide variety of experiences throughout the school year, we are able to use the experiences to complement the content we already have planned,ā€ Hardtmann-Huckabee said.

This is often students’ first exposure to professional lab equipment beyond that in a high school setting. Cas Koevoets-Beach, a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry, has volunteered for two years. Koevoets-Beach said synthesizing nanoparticles gives students “hands-on experience with new techniques and instrumentation that they might not see in their curriculum.”

ā€œIt also forces them to make connections between the foundational concepts theyā€™re learning about in their classes like light-matter interactions and properties of light and how they fit into more sophisticated research,ā€ Koevoets-Beach said.

Thereā€™s also value to the UofL students that participate, especially those interested in pursuing academia.

ā€œMost of us are used to talking to undergraduate STEM majors or faculty about chemistry, so itā€™s been a cool challenge to adapt our explanations of chemical concepts and technical directions for younger scientists to help them develop their understanding,ā€ said Koevoets-Beach. ā€œWatching how the high school teachers and our professors have collaborated has been an invaluable lesson in how to better bridge the gap between high school and college science courses.ā€

New funding provides expanded opportunities

The recently awarded funding to the UofL initiative for the development and distribution of science education materials focused on nanoparticle synthesis to chemistry students across Kentucky.

This grant will enable the creation of educational and experimental kits, expanding nanotechnology opportunities to schools outside of JCPS and further inspire students to pursue STEM fields. Wilson, Balabanoff and graduate students will be putting the kits together this summer.

ā€œThe kits will be accompanied by some instructional materials so that the high school teachers can run the labs in their respective schools, and we’ll also do either a virtual training with the high school teachers, or if they’re nearby, then we’ll do an in-person one with them,ā€ said Balabanoff.

Through continued collaboration and the widespread distribution of these innovative kits, UofL’s chemistry department will continue to spark scientific curiosity all across the Commonwealth.

High school teachers interested in receiving a kit shipped to their school should contactĢżMorgan Balabanoff via email.

In a recent study , researchers Khushboo Patel, Judith Danovitch, and Nick Noles showed 257 preschool and elementary school-aged kids pictures of different adults and asked them who would know more about science and from whom they would want to learn.

While other factors, such as the adultsā€™ race, didnā€™t seem to play any significant role in the kidsā€™ opinions, gender did ā€” they overwhelmingly chose the adult who had the same gender as them. That is, boys thought the men would know more about science, and girls thought women would.

ā€œThis marks a significant shift in childrenā€™s thinking, where girls are starting to see women as knowledgeable about science and want to learn science from them,ā€ said Patel, a fourth year Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, part of UofLā€™s College of Arts and Sciences. ā€œThis may eventually help girls envision themselves as doing science, too.ā€

Understanding the cause of that shift could help address the gender gap in STEM ā€” or, science, technology, engineering and math. Although that gap has narrowed significantly over the past decade, as of 2021, . For reference, Patel said, past studies done around a decade ago found most kids saw men as more capable of doing science than women, regardless of their own gender.Ģż

Representation is likely a critical factor in driving that shift, Danovitch said. Young girls and boys alike are seeing more examples of female scientists in their lives and in popular culture ā€” think Doc McStuffins and Ada Twist Scientist.

ā€œIt used to be that STEM was seen as being just for boys,ā€œ said Danovitch, a professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences. ā€œYou could see that in media or walking down the toy aisle. But today, girls are starting to see women as knowledgeable about science.ā€Ģż

For parents and educators, Patel said, this shift presents an opportunity to help girls engage in STEM if they wish to. That might mean providing examples of different kinds of people who are scientists, introducing girls to women in science careers, and avoiding even well-intentioned gendered language when talking about science.Ģż

ā€œFor example, saying ā€˜girls are just as good as boys at scienceā€™ just affirms that boys set the standard,ā€ she said. ā€œOverall, we hope this research serves as a reminder of the importance of representation in science education. Anyone can be a scientist if they want to be.ā€Ģż

ā€œI think that medicine is a great intersection of science and humanities,ā€ she said.

A University of Louisville School of Medicine alumna, Caster is a physician scientist who specializes in nephrology (kidney diseases), specifically glomerular diseases, which are autoimmune kidney diseases. She serves as an associate professor and the co-director of research for the UofL Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. Caster is a recognized researcher in the field of glomerular diseases, with a translational lab that is focused on identifying novel biomarkers in lupus nephritis and evaluating mechanisms of inflammation in lupus nephritis.

Many components inspired Casterā€™s motivation to pursue clinical medicine. Her mother was a teacher who encouraged her from a young age to pursue an education and a career. Her decision to specialize in nephrology was motivated by both her motherā€™s diagnosis of kidney disease and the many strong role models and mentors in the division.

ā€œI was fortunate to have exposure to many amazing female faculty members,ā€ Caster said.

Caster highlighted Eleanor Lederer (former interim chair of medicine at UofL School of Medicine and former president of the American Society of Nephrology) and Rosemary Ouseph (chief of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension) as faculty who directly inspired her to pursue academic medicine.Ģż

The passion for research came to Caster later from a patient interaction during her training. During her nephrology fellowship, she encountered a young patient with lupus nephritis who ended up in kidney failure at 18 years old.

ā€œI was frustrated with the outcome and wanted to understand more about the disease,ā€ Caster said.

Soon after, she became involved in a research project on lupus nephritis and the project evolved into her scientific career.Ģż

Caster hopes to make a difference for young girls pursuing a career in science or medicine. She highlighted the importance for young girls to have role models in their chosen career fields, as she did.

ā€œIt is critical for girls and young women to see successful women in science so that they can know this is possible for them,ā€ Caster said.

Caster hopes to see more young women and girls taking up space in the science and medical fields.

ā€œWhen I was younger, I was often worried about making the ‘wrong’ choice or failing at something,ā€ Caster said. ā€œI also hope that they will be inspired to speak up more, ask more questions and not be afraid of failure.ā€

The financial support comes from the , made possible through a gift from the recently retired president of HDRā€™s global water program, Glen Ellmers and his wife, Cherie. The funds will be used to add a new biology and sustainability curriculum to the INSPIRE program. , an acronym for “Increasing Student Preparedness and Interest in the Requests for Engineering,” is a summer enrichment program dedicated to introducing engineering to students from historically underserved populations across Louisville area schools.

The curriculum expansion aims to enhance the experience for approximately 20 students who attend the week-long camp each summer, providing them with a broader understanding of STEM fields and fostering their interest in engineering, biology and sustainability.

INSPIRE’s core objectives include exposing students to various engineering subfields, engaging them in hands-on activities and facilitating local site visits with community partners. Additionally, the program assists students in identifying their strengths and prepares them for the college transition process.

“With HDR’s generous investment, the INSPIRE Program will see significant enhancements, providing a holistic educational experience to our participants,” said Dayna Touron, dean of the . “This investment not only supports the expansion of the curriculum but also enables us to offer a real-life, on-campus experience to the students during the INSPIRE Summer Camp.”

The proposed enhancements include Biology and Sustainability Days, where participants will delve into disciplines such as drip irrigation, water research, composting, creating headphones, slime cell graphs, 3D printing, laser cutting and biomedical engineering demonstrations using real organs.

The collaborative effort of UofLā€™s departments of Biology and Urban and Public Affairs and the will produce two immersive days designed to combine interactive classroom learning with hands-on experiential activities. This innovative approach aims to bridge the gap between traditional academic disciplines, providing students with a holistic understanding of how biology and sustainability intersect with engineering issues.

The INSPIRE program will also introduce a residential aspect, allowing students to stay in a residence hall on UofL’s campus for the entire week of the camp. This immersive experience aims to familiarize students with college life and ignite excitement about pursuing degrees in STEM fields like engineering or biology.

“We believe that this investment will not only impact the participating students but also contribute to the broader goals of diversity and inclusion in STEM education,” added Kyle Guthrie, vice president and HDRā€™s Area Manager for Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. “We look forward to witnessing the success stories that will emerge from the INSPIRE Program and its expanded curriculum.”

TheĢżAqlan LabĢżteam, in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering Department of Industrial Engineering, recently wrapped up its second summer hosting an intensive internship programĢżaimed at engaging undergraduate and high school students in community-focused projects. Funded by the National Science Foundation, this dynamic program involved 21 interns working on six projects over an eight-week period. The initiative, led by, associate professor of industrial engineering,Ģżfocuses on improving educational environments to bolster the regional STEM workforce and effect positive changes in the Louisville Metro community.Ģż

ā€œThe second summer of the program went exceedingly well this year,ā€ Aqlan said. ā€œMoving forward, we hope to continue to grow the program, connect with even more community members and make a profound impact on the Louisville Metro.ā€Ģż

Notably, this program collaborates with the University of Notre Dame, creating a synergy that goes beyond football rivalries. Together, theyā€™ve formed a, aimed at revitalizing Midwest cities by retaining local talent and encouraging research-driven community engagement. The ultimate goal of the project is to establish an interconnected network of STEM education initiatives to benefit the regional workforce.ĢżĢż

The impact of the 2023 projects was profound, addressing various local challenges such as food justice, walkability improvement in Downtown Louisville, waterway cleanup, virtual reality applications and the preservation of native species. Throughout the internship, students were exposed to professional development workshops, including design thinking, networking, diversity, and time management.ĢżĢż

The diverse group of interns, hailing from various institutions, collected and analyzed data to develop practical solutions for their respective projects, subsequently presenting these ideas to the community. This program not only equips the next generation of STEM professionals with valuable skills but also instills a strong sense of civic responsibility and community engagement.ĢżĢż

ā€œThe CEEEM Internship was the best experience, and I couldnā€™t be more grateful for all that I learned through the program,ā€ shares Ella Swigler, a 2023 CEEEM intern. ā€œThis opportunity allowed me to design a research project, work with very supportive team mentors, and meet some incredible community members in my field of study. Thanks to the CEEEM Internship, I have discovered my research passion for urban waterways- and even greater, I have gained the skills needed to apply scientific study to community change.ā€Ģż

As UofL and Notre Dame take the field, they also stand united in their commitment to creating a brighter future for their communities. The collaboration internship program not only equips the next generation of STEM professionals with valuable skills but also instills a strong sense of civic responsibility and community engagement. Together, they aim to foster an environment that encourages participants to remain engaged in the Louisville Metro and other Midwest cities, ultimately leaving a lasting positive impact on the regions they serve. Through this program, students are gaining hands-on experience and contributing to the betterment of their communities while preparing for future careers.Ģż

By Danielle Henson

The STEM+ Hub is equipped to facilitate a variety of K-12 student enrichment opportunities, as well as activities such as hackathons, junk bot racing, rocket building, VEX and First Robotics competitions, mentoring, learner workshops and teacher workshops. The suite consists of a large makerspace with 12 3D printers, instructional space, a conference room and two offices.

ā€œThis space, which already has hosted summer camps and after-school enrichment activities for hundreds of local students, is dedicated to welcoming those who aspire to be the next generation of engineers, computer scientists and technicians. It also provides UofL students and prospective students with access to advising, makerspace technology and other resources to help them pursue their dreams,ā€ said UofL President Kim Schatzel.

This engagement is critical to increasing the pipeline of students interested in working in STEM and health care disciplines in engineering and other academic areas and will help recruit undergraduate students to the STEM+H degree programs at UofL.

ā€œThe STEM+ Hub is something we are very excited about at Speed School. Though it is an outgrowth of our outreach activities, we want the UofL community to know that this is not a ā€œSpeed School spaceā€ but one that is available to the entire UofL community,ā€ said Emmanuel Collins, dean of engineering. ā€œIt is our experience that the type of activities that STEM+ Hub hosts can have a lasting impact on the young people who participate. We look forward to seeing and hearing about the life transformations this space helps facilitate.ā€

Through outreach initiatives such as those taking place in the STEM+ Hub, Speed School exposes and engages students in various areas of engineering careers and provides them with a boost in their preparation for these STEM careers.

To reserve the STEM+ Hub, visit the .

View the photo galleries from the Sept. 8 ribbon-cutting on and .Ģż

ā€œSince I was very small, Iā€™ve always been driven to learn,ā€ said the Louisville native. ā€œIā€™ve been analytical, curious, interested in not just why things are the way they are, but how they work.ā€

The bioengineering sophomore had several obstacles to overcome in life, including the loss of his mother as a young teen, along with mental health difficulties.

Frank, who was homeschooled through most of middle and high school, says “it was mostly just me on my own with the computer, figuring out what I was interested in. Engineering cropped up very early on as a potential choice, and it always appealed to me because it seemed to jive with my personality.ā€

After high school and a gap year, Frank attended Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) to explore his options, but he kept finding his way back to his dream of engineering. However, in entrance testing at the community college, he discovered he was at a ninth-grade level in math.

ā€œI knew if I wanted to do engineering, I had to get real good at math real quick,ā€ he said.

In those early days, there were times when Frank spent four hours a day on math in addition to everything else, but he eventually got to a point where the concepts just clicked.

Applying to at University of Louisville was a relatively easy decision that felt like fate, said Frank.ĢżComing from a nontraditional background prompted Frank to encourage other students like himself who might not think they had what it takes to become an engineer. He volunteered with the bioengineering department to give a presentation at Moore High School, near where he grew up.

ā€œI felt like it was important to reach out and speak to them — I was homeschooled, I had behavioral problems, substance abuse issues, but here I am a sophomore and Iā€™m doing advanced calculus now for fun,ā€ he said. ā€œIt is not impossible, it is absolutely doable, and they need to hear the message that there is always a way to rise above.ā€

Frankā€™s star continues to rise. He discovered his niche working at , an innovation hub sponsored by GE Appliances on the Belknap campus, created as a space for engineers and product developers to dream up new products.

ā€œFirstBuild has been a blessing and an absolutely transformative experience for me,ā€ said Frank.

Early on, he was given the responsibility for designing an assembly line in the manufacturing process for a new product. Within six months, he was promoted to Assembly Lead, and now co-manages and mentors 20 to 30 students.

ā€œJacob is naturally gifted at being able to solve problems and help people,ā€ said Brenden Hoover, manufacturing engineer at FirstBuild and Frankā€™s supervisor. ā€œHe makes every employee we have a better employee. Engineering school is hard, and I think his story speaks loudly to those students who are struggling.ā€

.

Lori Porter, Afi H. Tagnedji and Christopher Trombley bring to 10 the total number of UofL students who have won the award, established in 1986 in honor of former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater.

Goldwater Scholars are awarded a maximum of $7,500 per academic year. To be eligible, students must be sophomores or juniors who intend to pursue a research career in natural science, mathematics or engineering.

Porter, of Campbellsburg, Kentucky, is a physics and astronomy major in the College of Arts & Sciences and a . She works with Benne Holwerda studying void galaxies and, in addition, at the Flatiron Institute in New York City, conducts astrophysical research on galaxy formation and evolution with UofL alumna Blakesley Burkhart and her postdoctoral scholar, Matt Orr.Ģż

ā€œStudying these natural phenomena of our universe has fascinated me since elementary school, and I look forward to continuing this research under the support of the Goldwater Scholarship,ā€ she said.

Tagnedji is an A&S chemistry and biochemistry double major who is both a and a . A native of Togo in west Africa, Tagnedji hopes to earn an MD and PhD in pharmacology and genetics.Ģż

ā€œThe Goldwater affirms my standing as an undergraduate researcher and scientist in training,ā€ she said. ā€œItā€™s an honor.ā€

Tagnedji is conducting breast cancer research as well as research in insulin-resistance. Her mentors are David W. Hein, Mark P. Running, Kyung U. Hong and Linda Fuselier.

A student leader who was executive director of the Student Government Associationā€™s Engage Lead Serve Board, she was also one of four UofL students to serve on the first student advisory board for Kentuckyā€™s Council on Postsecondary ³ÉČĖÖ±²„.

Trombley, the third 2022 recipient, double majors in computer science engineering in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering and mathematics in A&S.

His mentors are Dan Popa, Mehmed Kantardzic and Nik Chawla.

ā€œI plan to use this award to continue my research at the on intelligent robots and computer vision under the mentorship of Dan Popa and Mehmed Kantardzic,ā€ he said. ā€œWe are currently working on a mobile robot that uses computer vision and machine learning technology to autonomously disinfect rooms.ā€

Trombley plans to spend the summer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducting research on intelligent algorithms at the Center for Brains, Minds and Machines. His goal is to eventually earn a PhD.

ā€œThe University of Louisville and the J.B. Speed School of Engineering helped me grow into the researcher I am today, and I am extremely thankful for the unparalleled experience the University of Louisville and Speed School have to offer,ā€Ģż he said.

The grant will help UofL increase early student success in five College of Arts & Sciences courses in math, biology and chemistry ā€“ all required for many STEM+H degree programs ā€“ that traditionally have high rates of grade D, failure and withdrawal (DFW). Low grades or failing these courses can lead students to abandon the STEM+H fields, take longer to graduate or leave UofL altogether.

ā€œUofL is committed to recruiting, retaining and launching graduates prepared to serve the commonwealthā€™s STEM+H workforce needs in information systems, engineering, nursing, medicine and other fields,ā€ said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. ā€œMany thanks to the James Graham Brown Foundation for this funding to help the university continue to serve the communityā€™s needs.ā€

ā€œStudent success is a priority for our foundation because we believe that equitable educational attainment will increase economic and social mobility for Kentuckians,ā€ said MasonĢżB. Rummel, president and chief executive of the James Graham Brown Foundation. ā€œWe are supporting this initiative with the University of Louisville because undergraduate learning assistant programs have shown the potential to dramatically improve academic performance.ā€Ģż

The effort builds on student-success programs already in place at UofL through the Resources for Academic Achievement (REACH) unit. It will place advanced undergraduate, peer-level structured learning assistants (SLAs) within the classrooms of the five College of Arts & Sciences courses in math, biology and chemistry. The SLAs will work with instructors to engage small groups of students within the classrooms to help them better understand the material and prepare for assignments.

REACH director Geoff Bailey said the SLAs will help students break down concepts and apply information using critical thinking exercises.

ā€œIf we can infuse student leaders in these classes to a ratio of about 1 for every 25 students who need assistance, we have an opportunity to move the needle in ways that we haven’t been able to do previously,ā€ Bailey said. ā€œThis enables us to take it to a whole other level just because of the sheer numbers.ā€

The JGBF grant will train and support the SLAs from any undergraduate major with hourly wages and tuition stipends. Based on projected enrollment, Bailey expects to hire 59 students for these positions to support classes beginning in the Spring 2022 semester. Students hired for the program must have earned an A or B in the class they will assist, have good communication skills and be approved by a faculty member for this role. The SLAs also will benefit from participation as peer mentors, gaining resume-building experience in small-group leadership by helping early college students develop classroom success skills.Ģż

Students may apply for SLA positions at the .

The University of Louisville is no doubt contributing to this trend.

, Louisville scores as the 13^th top smaller market with potential for growth. The report cites employment, wage and tech degrees as contributing factors.

In 2019, Louisville had 641 tech degree graduates and while it may be hard to pinpoint how many of those are UofL alums specifically, many of our students stay in the city after graduation, taking advantage of the robust opportunities afforded by a metropolitan market with over .

Weā€™re not just contributing our graduates, however. Weā€™re developing tech-focused programs with the city, amplifying a town-and-gown synergy that has existed for more than 200 years. Weā€™re also training our students for the ā€œworkforce of tomorrow,ā€ adding new degree programs to meet the existing and growing need for tech-related jobs throughout the city, state and beyond.

UofL, for example, recently added a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science undergraduate degree, facilitated by the Computer Science & Engineering Department in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering.

Other STEM-related programs that have been approved just since the start of the spring 2020 semester include artificial intelligence in medicine graduate certificate; materials and energy science MS; and a managerial analytics graduate certificate. Further, the College of Business recently added data analytics and a 100% online business education managerial analytics.

Technology moves fast and we are moving full speed ahead on approving and providing programs to keep pace. The new computer science program, for example, was developed explicitly in response to the growing need for technical jobs. The program offers students a chance to become well-equipped computer scientists and to excel in other areas of studies to match their interests.

These graduates would ideally be qualified for the 3,650 software developer and computing jobs posted in 2019 in the Louisville region alone. They might also be qualified for other occupations in the STEM field, which is expected to grow by 8% by 2029, compared to 3.7% for all other occupations, .

In Kentucky, it is predicted that there will be a 15.9% increase in all computer-related jobs through 2026. UofL has positioned itself to fulfill this growing need, and weā€™re not stopping at new programs and certificates.

In the past few years, we have also forged a partnership with IBM to establish an IBM Skills Academy to prepare the next-generation workforce. We collaborated on the FutureLou initiative, launched a Center for Digital Transformation, became part of a new Artificial Intelligence Innovation Consortium and more.

We also arenā€™t limiting our opportunities to the campus community. In 2019, we partnered with the Humana Foundation and Interapt to bring a paid, immersive training program that teaches high-demand IT skills to the underemployed and unemployed in Louisville. We also joined the city to develop a that established Louisville as a regional hub for AI, internet of things and data science.

This town-and-gown collaboration is why Louisville has been recognized by the CBRE for two straight years, according to Rebecca Fleischaker, co-chief of Louisville Forward and director of the Department of Economic Development.

ā€œWe are seeing our tech and data analytics ecosystem grow rapidly because of the expansion of our local companies like El Toro and Untitled, as well as critical partnerships with Microsoft, General Assembly and IBM,ā€ she said. ā€œThe University of Louisville is a major part of ensuring our tech talent pipeline is filled with a diversity of talent and qualifications, and weā€™re thrilled with their addition of the IBM Skills Academy and a new BA in Computer Science and with the progress theyā€™ve made in expanding enrollment in their tech-related degree programs.ā€

Our work isnā€™t even close to being done. Earlier this month, for example, the university launched UofL New Ventures, aimed at growing startup companies built on the universityā€™s research-backed technologies. There will be more partnerships, opportunities and degrees, all added with a focus on growing the tech talent pipeline in our city.

ā€œStrong town-gown partnerships are important for any city to be competitive for job growth and economic development opportunities,ā€ said Joshua McKee, senior economic & workforce development manager at Louisville Forward, Department of Economic Development. ā€œOur relationship with UofL and its administrators is vital to the success of our city, and our goal of increasing tech education and job growth. As a UofL alum, I am thrilled to see the university soliciting feedback from industry, government, and consultants to develop in-demand and industry-responsive curriculum and degree programs.ā€