Science Festival events set on campus

This article features an event that occurred in the past.

Western Carolina University’s College of Arts and Sciences is hosting a series of free events ranging from a tour of the WCU Herbarium to a “slime-making” demonstration and a “Star Party” at the Jackson County Airport to give the public a chance to participate in the North Carolina Science Festival.

Laboratory facilities in WCU’s Natural Sciences and Stillwell buildings will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, for tours, demonstrations, hands-on activities and brief presentations on mathematics and science. Participants are asked to meet in the front lobby of the Stillwell Building for directions to the activity sites.

“We see the North Carolina Science Festival as a great opportunity to showcase our exciting programs and talented faculty members,” said Wendy Ford, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “It is a chance to cultivate a positive environment that encourages children to pursue science-related careers that may cure the ‘science-phobe’ and that reminds everyone science can be fun.”

Sept. 23 sessions include

Department of Biology – Demonstrations of anatomy and physiology specimens and new human models in Natural Sciences 102; tours of the herbarium in Stillwell 220; and presentations on microbiology research related to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Stillwell 125.

Chemistry Program – Slime-making demonstration in Natural Sciences 227. Participants of all ages are invited to mix solutions of borax and polyvinyl alcohol to produce a Silly Putty-like substance, and participants will be free to take their creations home.

Environmental Science Program – Presentation on “Being a Part of the Solution.” Participants will calculate their ecological footprint and learn how to reduce their carbon emissions. Sessions will begin at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. in Stillwell 253.

Forensic Science Program – Facility tours will begin at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. in Natural Sciences G-17. Participants can take part in a hands-on DNA extraction procedure.

Geology Program – Presentations on plate tectonics and geologic history in Stillwell 355 and ground and surface water in Stillwell 155.

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science – Presentations lasting 10 to 15 minutes will be given in Stillwell 424 at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. on three topics: Binary numbers card trick, in which participants will learn a card trick based on binary numbers and use that as an introduction to coding; mobile application programming, a general overview of mobile devices and the complexities of programming for them, specifically the Motorola Droid; and computer graphics, a general overview of creating 3-D images from the ground up.

Natural Resource Conservation and Management Program – Demonstrations of applications of geospatial resource analyses in natural resource conservation in Stillwell 354.

Science Education Program – Brief presentations at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. on “Toward More Effective Science Teachers” in Stillwell 215.

On Friday, Sept. 24, WCU’s physics program will host an “Astronomical Star Party” from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Jackson County Airport. Participants can look through telescopes to get a close-up view of Mars, Venus, Jupiter and the moon. The event will be canceled if sky conditions are cloudy.

The N.C. Science Festival is a multiday celebration being held across the state to showcase science and technology, and to highlight the educational, cultural and financial impact of science for North Carolinians.

Visitors can reach the Stillwell Building by turning in the university’s main entrance on N.C. 107, taking the first right at the traffic circle, turning left at the traffic light, and then turning left at the second entrance into the Stillwell parking lot. Visitors should enter the main entrance for the Stillwell Building and climb the stairs to the lobby, where Arts and Sciences faculty and staff will be available to guide them to the activities.

For more information about Science Festival activities at WCU, contact David Butcher at 828-227-3808 or by e-mail at butcher@wcu.edu.