The mood was set in an Antonucci Science Complex study space with hanging vines, the scent of flowers, and fog - courtesy of dry ice - as students in the Dr. Katharine Covino (English Studies) and Dr. Erin MacNeal Rehrig (Biology and Chemistry) FYE course "terraform" the space. Students also transformed the space by hanging & presenting the posters they created using the book, Bloom  by  Kenneth Oppel as inspiration.

Students in General Biology Lab learn about Gel electrophoresis, a technique used to separate DNA fragments and other macromolecules by size and charge. DNA samples are loaded into wells (indentations) at one end of a gel, and an electric current is applied to pull them through the gel. DNA fragments are negatively charged, so they move towards the positive electrode. Because all DNA fragments have the same amount of charge per mass, small fragments move through the gel faster than large ones. When a gel is stained with a DNA-binding dye, the DNA fragments can be seen as bands, each representing a group of same-sized DNA fragments.

Students in Earth and Geographic Sciences Professor Jane Huang's Web GIS (Geographic Information System) course work on mapping projects. One student is mapping out all of the highest elevation points in each state. 

Students in Biology and Chemistry Professor Lisa Grimm's Anatomy and Physiology Lab identify musculature and what it's function is.

Students in Earth and Geographic Sciences Professor Elizabeth Gordon's Oceanography class learn about physical oceanography (waves, tides, currents)  by creating their own waves in lab. One group decided to emulate a tidal wave to see how their tiny boat would fare.

Dr. Katharine Covino (English Studies) and Dr. Erin MacNeal Rehrig (Biology and Chemistry) have teamed up to teach a unique STEAM (Science, Technology, English, Art, and Math) where science and literature collide, using the book, Bloom  by  Kenneth Oppel as inspiration. Yesterday's assignment was an art project, wherein students chose a passage from the book, and painted their interpretation of  the scene.

Dr. Katharine Covino (English Studies) and Dr. Erin MacNeal Rehrig (Biology and Chemistry) have teamed up to teach a unique STEAM (Science, Technology, English, Art, and Math) where science and literature collide, using the book, Bloom by Kenneth Oppel for inspiration.  Yesterday, they, and their students, met the author via zoom and were able to ask questions and discuss his writing process, inspirations, and other works.

Students in Professor Nancy Green's nursing lab took turns as the patient this morning as they performed a medical assessment and respiratory exams on each other. Learn more about our Nursing Programs here.

Dr. Katharine Covino (English Studies) and Dr. Erin MacNeal Rehrig (Biology and Chemistry) have teamed up to teach this unique STEAM (Science, Technology, English, Art, and Math) FYE which supports students’ academic skills development through learning new and interesting concepts related to plant science, specifically, photosynthesis, pollination, seed dispersal, carnivory, and responses to the environment, while reading and reviewing the YA Lit book, Bloom by Kenneth Oppel. The goal of the course is to draw inspiration and resources from diverse content areas to help students become engaged, curious, and caring members of the university community. In this activity, students are investigating the characteristics of plants that make them successful at seed dispersal while working in teams, solving problems, and applying metacognitive strategies to complete the activity successfully. Here, students perform a seed dispersal experiment wherein seeds are weighed, measured, and reopped from a specific height. The distance of the seed from the drop location data was then recorded.

This afternoon, Dean of Health and Natural Sciences Dr. Jennifer Hanselman introduced the panelists for today a discussion entitled, Waste Reduction: Solutions for You, Your Community, Your World, as part of Fitchburg State University's  Massachusetts STEM Week 2022celebration. Panelists were, Rodney Clara of Tough Stuff Recycling, Leah Fernandes of Environmental Health Safety and Risk Management, Fitchburg State University, John Fischer of Mass. Department of Environmental Protection, and Abbie Webb of Casella Waste. Akua Serebou ’23 (Biology major/Health Science concentration and Chemistry minor) served as Moderator.