New Recreation Center Challenges Students to Greater Heights ...

Inside MinesSociety of Women EngineersPartners with High School for Energy Sciences WeekAs part of an ongoing effort to engage young women inthe sciences, Mines professor Mark Lusk and five membersof the School’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) visitedSt. Mary’s Academy—a private, all-girl high school inEnglewood—for “Energy Science Week” this spring.The idea came about when Lusk and Mines SWE advisorCandace Sulzbach discussed the development of energyrelatedoutreach programs for women in engineering sciences.For Lusk, the father of a five-year-old student at St.Mary’s Lower School, it seemed an ideal place to start.He was right. The SWE members—Andrea Stephens,Lauren Doyle, Carrie Kneppe, Bailey Smith and KristiSelden—and the energy-based subject matter were metwith enthusiasm.“The high school girls were very interested. They werekeen to find out more about the energy sciences,” Lusksaid of the 15 students in the advanced chemistry class.“Our women were role models in the extreme. The connectionbetween 17-year-olds and 20-year-olds was immediateand great to see. The girls peppered our SWE members withquestions about the labs and about college in general.”Lusk said he’d like to continue the outreach and workwith other Mines groups, including the Society of WomenPhysicists, to conduct different programs each semester ata number of area schools.“I have four sisters—all of whom are a heck of a lotsmarter than I am,” Lusk said, adding his mother wasa high school calculus teacher. “Why didn’t they all getexcited about scientific research the way I did? That issomething that has really bothered me—I think therewas a bias. I think the classroom wasn’t set up to engagethem.”Exposing girls to the fun and exciting side of science ata young age is something Lusk thinks will encourage moreto pursue futures in fields such as physics, chemistry orengineering.The same group of St. Mary’s girls that Lusk and theSWE team worked with subsequently turned around andtaught a science lesson to some of the younger studentsat the school. Coincidentally, Lusk’s daughter was amongthose getting such instruction, and that prompted her tostart doing her own science experiments at home.“My daughter now loves chemistry—she learned fromthose older students,” Lusk said.8 Fall 2007