Raven Braglin examines finger prints recovered from a mock crime scene during the Tech Savvy workshop CSI Athens on May 17, 2014. Photo by Jonathan Adams.
By Erica Molfetto
From Compass
The Baker University Center was buzzing with excitement on Saturday, May 17, for Ohio University’s first-ever Tech Savvy conference.
Fifty four middle-school girls from 13 counties in Ohio and West Virginia gathered on campus to learn more about the rewarding careers that math, science and engineering have to offer.
The mission of the day, according to event chair and keynote speaker Dr. Sarah Wyatt, Professor of Environmental & Plant Biology, “was to encourage middle school girls to continue their education in science, math and engineering. It is important because they are good paying jobs with solid futures, jobs that are increasing now with great potential for the future.”
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) and their sponsors at Praxair selected Ohio University to host its first Tech Savvy event this year because of its prestigious math and science departments.
The students’ day began at 10 a.m. with fun, engaging workshops such as “Physics is Phun” and “CSI Athens,” in which the girls processed a crime scene and caught criminals based on their data.
As for their parents, the 30 participants engaged in workshops about college admissions and financial aid after finishing a tour of the Athens Campus.
At lunch, the girls and their parents attended a resource fair that featured representatives from the Russ College of Engineering, graduate students from ‘the Department of Mathematics, as well as other representatives from Hocking College and Ohio University. This workshop gave the girls and their parents an opportunity to meet current students and faculty with backgrounds in math, science, and engineering to gain insight into what their future may hold.
The day concluded with another series of workshops for the girls and a guidance panel for adults.
While the girls learned about the Myers-Briggs personality test, internet responsibility and “The Teenage Brain and Decision Making,” parents discussed the importance of supporting their teenage daughters during this crucial time of transition.
Read more in Compass.
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