Two of our simulation manikins "played" the same role today for team of our nursing students who were directed to take vitals, administer medications, explain procedures, and work through the simulation in real time. The Fitchburg State University Nursing Simulation Laboratory assists nursing students in learning critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in preparation for their healthcare careers. The “manikins” act as lifelike patient simulators, wherein instructors provide real-time feedback via a control center, giving students as close to a hospital scenario as possible. Fellow students watch as their classmates work through the simulation. All students and faculty debrief after the scenario.

Nursing Program Professor Karen Beaton instructs the Nursing Care of The Family/Maternal-Newborn Nursing course in Thompson Hall.

The Fitchburg State University Center for Professional Studies' Advanced Placement Summer Institutes (APSI) week began this morning. In the AP Biology track, High School Teachers are conducting a week long transpiration experiment. The APSI are designed to support all aspects of AP courses, including AP methodology, curriculum, class assignments and examinations as well as providing strategies for teaching AP courses. Art & Design Educators spent the week long program in a combination of lecture, projects, and discussion to improve their teaching skills. 

This morning, Fitchburg State University's Upward Bound  Math and Science Summer Program students learned about air pressure - and a little about the innate failure within the scientific method - on the quad during a bottle rocket experiment.

Students in Biology and Chemistry Professor John Ludlam's Anatomy II lab review for an upcoming exam in the Antonucci Science Complex.

Students work on a lab in Biology and Chemistry Professor  Dr. Eric Williams' Developmental Biology class in the Antonucci Science Complex, where they extract worms from soil samples. The course examines a detailed survey of developing embryos from the fertilized egg through the various stages leading to the adult organism. 

Yesterday's Biotechnology Research Lab Ribbon Cutting event included a panel discussion on life sciences with working professionals in Randall Hall. Dean of the School of Health and Natural Sciences Jennifer Hanselman, Ph.D. welcomed Shawn Fitzpatrick (Resilience), Crystal McKinnon, (Dewpoint Therapeutics, Inc.), Lindsay Duchnowski (Bristol Myers Squibb), and Alanna Zelic (Quest Diagnostics) who discussed the exciting present and future of the life sciences in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A networking event for undergraduate students  followed the discussion. 

This afternoon, the campus hosted a ribbon-cutting for the biotechnology research lab funded by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC). in the Antonucci Science Complex. The event will celebrate the university's undergraduate biotechnology research and the state's vibrant workforce. Prior to the ribbon cutting, students presented their research at a poster session, after which, Biology and Chemistry Professor Dr. Michael Nosek welcomed honored guests, students faculty, and staff. Fitchburg State President Richard Lapidus, Fitchburg Mayor Sam Squailia, State Senator John Cronin representative Susan Coughlin Templeton, and MLSC Leadership:  VP Ryan Mudawar made brief remarks. Templeton presented a congratulatory certificate from the Massachusetts State Senate. A tour of the research lab followed the ribbon cutting.

Students in Biology Professor Christopher Picone General Biology II Lab are studying invertebrate anatomy, In this particular lab, the invertebrates  being studied are worms and lobsters. 

Students in Biology and Chemistry Professor Dennis Awasabisah's Organic Chemistry II Lab perform an experiment extracting lycopene from two brands of tomato paste. Lycopene is a type of organic pigment called a carotenoid that's is related to beta-carotene and gives some vegetables and fruits (e.g., tomatoes) a red color. It is a powerful antioxidant that might help protect cells from damage.