Michelle Obama, during her UC Merced commencement speech last year, told of growing up just a few miles from the University of Chicago. Despite that proximity, though, Obama recalled feeling no connection to the university, because the campus never reached out to her.
David Gravano didn't want UC Merced to appear the same way, disconnected from the area's youth. So he decided to get involved.
Gravano, a UC Merced graduate student and the Graduate Student Association's community outreach officer, created the Scientists of Tomorrow Educational Partnership (STEP). He helped organize 25 graduate students, who volunteered to teach science to about 100 children at Farmdale Elementary School in South Merced twice a week.
Farmdale fourth- and fifth-graders applied the scientific method, performed experiments and made posters to present. The two-week program culminated with a science fair, where parents could see their children's achievements.
Experiments included creating a battery with a lemon, growing bacteria cultures, building rockets with baking soda and vinegar, and investigating the insect diversity in the playground's grass, trees and bushes.
The outreach effort continued earlier this month, when the students visited the UC Merced campus as part of Research Week. Their first-place posters were displayed as part of the event's Research Poster Competition.
Marine studies in Valley
It might not quite seem like a natural fit, but marine sciences is a growing field at UC Merced.
The university doesn't currently have a stand-alone marine biology program, but that hasn't prevented a number of quality faculty members from being drawn here, providing numerous research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students alike.
For example, natural sciences professor Monica Medina and her students have recently gleaned new insight into the effect of climate change on coral reef health. Michael Dawson is using marine studies to learn about how environmental variation influences the distribution of genes, organisms, populations and species.
UC Merced has always emphasized an interdisciplinary approach to research, and that is certainly the case with environmental sciences. Marine life represents one aspect of an interconnected environment, and the marine landscape lends itself to many different types of sciences.
"My research involves other aspects of science that deal with genomics, bioinformatics, physiology, ecology, evolution and cell biology," Medina said. "I just happen to work on a marine system."
Earth Week celebration
It's no secret that UC Merced is committed to being a leader in the field of environmental sustainability, both in its own construction and in its research and curriculum. But even for a university that strives for environmental stewardship year-round, Thursday is special -- it's Earth Day.
This year, UC Merced's students have taken the lead in embracing what has become a weeklong celebration.
The Green Campus UC Merced team has organized an Earth Week Speaker Series that will continue through Thursday. The campus' Green Club had events scheduled all week.
UC Merced Connect is a collection of news items written by the university's Office of Communications. To contact the office, e-mail communications@ucmerced.edu.
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