UC Merced lab visit aims to spark interest in science

Young people stared into microscopes and formaldehyde-filled jars this week in a UC Merced laboratory, where a growing science-literacy program worked to get them thinking about careers in science.

“From Quanta to Quasars” was founded by a UC Merced graduate and is run by university students who aim to pass on knowledge and spark scientific interest in Merced-area pupils. Fifth- through eighth-graders from McSwain Elementary School visited the university this week to get a chance at some hands-on science in the laboratory.

In the program, children learn about different elements of the universe, from the tiniest to the largest. “Quanta” is a reference to quantum mechanics, or atoms, and “Quasars” refers to the very bright and energetic center of a distant galaxy.

The young students learned how microscopes worked, checked out muscle tissue fibers and identified the body parts of dozens of creatures preserved in jars. They also got a tour of the UC Merced campus.

Tim Self, a science teacher for McSwain Elementary who was at the Quanta event, said he often encourages his students to think about pursuing science when they get to college. “It all starts with what they do at the elementary- and middle-school level,” he said. “If we can get them to have an interest in some part of what we teach beyond (that) grade, it’s something they can pursue, maybe for the rest of their lives.”

The hands-on lab day was a first-time event for Quanta and for McSwain. The elementary school’s staff hoped it would be the first in a longtime relationship, said McSwain librarian Ronda Douglas, who accompanied the students to the university.

A federal ranking system that collects test results from 65 countries measures the science and math literacy of 15-year-olds. The latest results, from 2012, show that U.S. students ranked below average in math among the world’s most-developed countries. They were close to average in science and reading.

Science and math knowledge could benefit youngsters in this area, because UC Merced is a popular destination for those fields. A little more than half of the students on campus have a major that fits into the science, technology, engineering or math fields, commonly called “STEM,” according to the university’s last census.

One of the university pupils teaching during this week’s lessons, doctoral student Paul Barghouth, said he gets a kick out of watching the younger kids get excited about learning. When the children visit the university, he said, they can see that science and technology doesn’t only exist in their textbooks – it’s also within reach at UC Merced.

“(We want) to give them opportunities to see the STEM fields,” he said. “So, just opening their eyes to different aspects of engineering, agriculture and all that.”

In less than a year, From Quanta to Quasars has moved from a few weeks of lessons at the Boys & Girls Club of Merced County to an effort in six classrooms on five campuses.

Steven Duval Ruilova, the president and founder of the program, graduated from UC Merced last year with a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology. The 22-year-old is staying in town at least for the near future as he tries to get Quanta from an educational effort to a nonprofit.

The curriculum so far focuses on science, but he and other students are working on other lesson plans, like one for computer programming.

“Now that we see it works, we’re trying to expand out,” he said.

Not all of the students taking part in the Quanta event plan to study science, but they earned an appreciation for UC Merced nonetheless. McSwain eighth-grader Angela Martin, 13, said she has her eyes set elsewhere for her higher education, but she was impressed with the local university.

“I think this is a nice college because they have a lot of opportunities for science (and) technology, and it all depends on what you want to do,” she said.

This story was originally published December 12, 2014 at 8:46 PM with the headline "UC Merced lab visit aims to spark interest in science."