intellectual-magazine-issueSTEM

JANUARY 2017 

R 

STEM Carib Conference 2016 

SPECIAL EDITION 

intellectual-magazine-issueSTEM.indd 1 

1/3/2017 11:57:47 AM

CONTENTS 

PHOTO CREDIT - The Intellectual 

Seven Mile Beach is a long crescent of 

coral-sand beach on the western end of 

Grand Cayman island. Seven Mile Beach is 

known for its beauty, recently receiving the 

honor of "The Caribbean's Best Beach" from 

Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine. The 

U.S.News ranks it as the number 1 beach in 

its listing of top 12 beaches in the world. 

4 

5 

6 

Guest Editorial 

Message From The President 

Exploring Mars 

12 

18 

20 

21 

What Really Killed The Dinosaurs? 

Giant Black Holes: A Monster One! 

The Fractal Nature of Sunspots 

06 

10 

12 

Forensic Science 

18 

22 

8 

9 

10 

11 

The Science of Communication 

Cayman Islands Integrated Waste 

Management System 

The Human Brain:STEM In The flesh 

The Great American Solar Eclipse 

of 2017 

13 

14 

16 

17 

Rotary Science Fair Winners 

STEM Carib Conference 

Destination Imagination 

Geospatial Technology 

22 

24 

25 

26 

Proxima Centauri b 

Exploring Virtual Reality For 

Learning And Entertaining 

About The University College of 

The Cayman Islands 

Meet The Intellectuals 

Cover Photo: 

Curiosity is a car-sized robotic 

rover exploring Gale Crater on 

Mars as part of NASA’s Mars Science 

Laboratory mission. It landed 

on August 6, 2012. Its mission 

has been to determine if Mars was 

ever able to support microbial life. 

Dave Lavery (pg. 6) worked on this 

mission. Image courtesy NASA. 

“ 

Earth and sky, woods and 

fields, lakes and rivers, the 

mountain and the sea, are 

excellent schoolmasters, and 

teach some of us more than 

we can ever learn from books. 

John Lubbock (Lord Avebury) 

“ 

This is a publication of Deva Sharma Architects and Associates 

Copyright 

c 

2016 Deva Sharma Architects and Associates. All rights reserved. 


1/3/2017 11:57:58 AM

From The Editor 

Greetings, Fellow Intellectuals 

It is really exciting and a real pleasure to have put 

this issue together! This is our first issue that is a 

special issue dedicated to the STEM Carib conference 

2016 that was held in the Grand Cayman 

during 10-14 October. It is truly a celebration of the 

wonders of science and how far we as humanity have 

come. It is particularly exciting that the Caribbean 

was the home of the conference, born and bred here! 

The four days were like a roller coaster ride, moving 

from one exciting speaker and topic to exploring a 

huge spectrum that science has to offer - from the 

keynote speaker Dave Lavery sharing his experience 

and excitement of being part of the team that developed 

the three rovers that have landed on Mars, to 

Prof. Ed Guinan sharing his part in the discovery of 

the exoplanet, which is deemed the next Earth. From 

dinosaurs to forensic science and virtual reality, 

this special issue of The Intellectual has provided an 

opportunity to relive the excitement of STEM Carib 

2016 and to share with those who could not be there. 

E D I T O R I A L T E A M 

Dr. Shirin Haque, PhD 

Editor-in-Chief 

Deva Sharma 

Architect 

Consultant 

Yuddhistra Sharma, Bfa 

Layout & Design 

Photo Credit - The Intellectual 

Maritza Francis 

IT Support & Webpage Development 

In the end, it is a testimony as to why we must continue 

to invest in Science and research and development 

all over the world, including the Caribbean, as 

Lavery said in his feature address, the first person to 

go to Mars has already been born. Who knows where 

he or she is and for all we know, it may just be STEM 

Carib 2016 creating the inspiration to have them 

boldly go where no human has gone before as yet... 

Hope you enjoy this medley of intellectual minds 

within the pages of this issue, sharing their expertise 

and excitement with us all! A very special thank you 

to UCCI for joining with us on this special venture 

and to our guest editor for this issue – Dr William 

Hrudey, the organizer of the conference, without 

whom there would be no STEM Carib, were it not 

for his vision, energy and enthusiasm. This conference 

was testimony to words of Brian Greene – 

“One of the wonders of science is that 

it is completely universal. It crosses 

national boundaries with total ease.” 

Cogito, ergo sum. 

Sharmin Haque 

Chicago Office, Illinois, USA 

Dr. Shirin Haque 

Editor-in-Chief 

R 

webpage: the-intellectual-magazine.com 

email: the.intellectual.magazine@gmail.com 

CONTACT: (868) 353 - 8755 

The opinions in the articles in The Intellectual reflect the authors’ points of view. Total or partial reproduction of the contents of this magazine without the express 

authorization of the editor is prohibited. The publisher is not responsible for the contents of the advertisements published in this magazine. 

FOLLOW US: 

- www.facebook.com/theintellectual 

- TheIntellectualMag@TheIntellectMag 

- theintellectualmagazine 

- http://theintellectualmagazine.blog.com/ 


1/3/2017 11:58:01 AM

Guest Editorial 

PHOTO CREDIT - The Intellectual 

STEM related topics have been neglected in the educational systems of 

the Western world until only recently. Recognition that the world is rapidly 

changing and, moving towards a technology based future, is largely responsible 

for renewed interest in these fields. This is reminiscent of 1957 during the cold 

war when, the USSR successfully launched Sputnik thus catching the Americans 

off guard. Responding quickly, President John Kennedy proposed NASA, 

improved funding in STEM related topics and suggested that “We choose to go 

to the moon … not because (it’s) easy, but because (it’s) hard.” The rest is history 

as was demonstrated by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969. 

We face similar circumstances today. Ranking Top Countries in Reading, 

Science and Math (www.businessinsider.com/pisa-rankings-2013-12) reveals 

that the Western World has slipped behind Asian and European counterparts. 

The solution? Greater emphasis and exposure on STEM related topics in our 

educational systems. 

Upon completion of our Astronomical Observatory in 2012 here at the 

University College of the Cayman Islands, we pursued the concept of an annual 

STEM Conference with the encouragement of Dr. Shirin Haque and Prof. Ed 

Guinan and UCCI President Roy Bodden. Undertaking such a challenge was 

not easy but, with the enthusiasm and dedication of those involved, we have 

now completed four such events, with the most recent one in October 2016 being 

the most successful to date. Absolutely superb speakers were recruited both 

internationally and locally covering a broad and diverse spectrum of STEM related topics. These individuals gave freely of their time and 

talent without which, such a conference would not be possible. Attendance has grown each year providing students, teachers and the 

general public with a window on the future and of STEM. Funding was provided by a number of generous corporate entities as well as the 

Ministry of Education. 

We are delighted that “The Intellectual Magazine” has chosen to dedicate this issue to STEM Carib 2016 at UCCI. Copies will be 

made available to schools in both Cayman and Trinidad which will hopefully encourage students to consider STEM related topics in their 

academic pursuits. Ultimately, this is the best measure of success. 

Dr. Wm. (Bill) Hrudey, 

UCCI Observatory Director, 

STEM Program Director 

the-intellectual-magazine.com 

4 


1/3/2017 11:58:04 AM

Message From The 

President 

Dear Readers, 

I am delighted to provide this 

endorsement of the STEM initiative at the 

University College of the Cayman Islands. 

From its original concept to promote interest 

in science in the schools in the Cayman 

Islands, STEM as an educational development 

has reached epic proportions. 

Credit for such achievement rests with Dr. 

Bill Hrudey, Dr. Shirin Haque and Dr. Ed 

Guinan. These passionate scientists have 

infused the educational community of the 

Cayman Islands with their love of science 

and the prospects of a scientifically improved 

existence. 

From solar studies carried out 

at the Dr. W.M. Hrudey Observatory at 

UCCI, to robotics and drone technology, 

STEM has opened new frontiers to generations 

of Caymanian students. I look 

forward to continuing developments in 

Artificial Intelligence (Al) and 3D printing 

with its implications for fabrication and 

construction. 

Another refreshing new development 

is that, for the first time, the proceedings 

of what the consensus of opinion has 

billed “the most successful STEM Conference 

ever”, will be recorded in journal and 

made widely available. This, to me, is the 

epitome of success as it enables readers, 

and those who were unable to share in the 

actual conference, to glean firsthand the 

important developments. 

J.A. Roy Bodden, JP 

President, University College of the Cayman Islands 

It is my hope that this overture 

may prove so popular that a journal recording 

the proceedings of future STEM 

Conferences becomes a permanent fixture. 

University College of the Cayman Islands 

www.ucci.edu.ky 

(345) 623-8224 

follow us: 

5 the-intellectual-magazine.com 


1/3/2017 11:58:08 AM

Exploring 

Mars 

He studied computer science at Virginia Tech and grabbed up the opportunity 

to work with a contractor working for NASA and get his foot into the door of 

his lifelong dream in college. He moved onto working in the robotic programming, 

and designing the use of artificial intelligence to operate the rovers to be deployed 

on Mars. He has been part of the Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity missions 

to Mars. It is thus no surprise, that he is one of the three consultants to the 

movie “The Martian” and his name appears in the credits. 

His eyes glint with excitement as he relived the excitement, and nerve racking 

moments of the Curiosity mission. For example, to be able to slow 

down Curiosity adequately for the landing descent on Mars, the largest 

supersonic parachute ever built had to be deployed. It had not been possible to test 

it in the laboratory before its actual use due to its sheer size. The joy and excitement 

were literally out of this world, once transmissions had been received that Curiosity 

had made a safe landing on Mars. Had the mission failed, NASA would have 

slammed the planet at 1000 miles per hour and put a $2.5 billion crater on Mars. 

Luckily, the rover was now driving and exploring ancient stream beds and collecting 

information on the temperatures, atmosphere and radiation and testing rock samples 

in its on board labs. We were able to see some of the latest images that could 

come in from the rover Curiosity just hours earlier and learn that Curiosity has to be 

able to do some of its own trouble shooting and navigation since there is a 25-minute 

communication time lag and should it come upon an unexpected scenario. 

Few topics can evoke the excitement and thrill 

in a STEM conference as missions to Mars. As 

such, it was such an honour and treat when 

Dave Lavery, NASA’s program executive for solar 

system exploration and the person responsible for 

several of the Mars exploration missions stepped on 

the stage to deliver the keynote address on the opening 

of the STEM conference. The audience listened 

enthralled to hear of the challenges and excitement 

– a first person account from Dave Lavery. He shared 

that while growing up in the 1960s in Northern Virginia, 

his heroes were Neil Armstrong, John Glenn 

and Chuck Yeager and he wanted to work for NASA 

since he was a kid. Poor eyesight got in the way of 

fulfilling the dream of being an astronaut but he did 

not let that keep him back from being as involved as 

he possibly could in the space programme. 


6 


1/3/2017 11:58:13 AM

Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) was also involved in building the rovers and we heard the entertaining story of how cleverly they managed 

to put their stamp not only on the rover but literally on Mars by building JPL in morse code into the tire tracks! They have literally 

placed their stamp on Mars as well. 

Mr Lavery is excited at the prospect thinking that the first person ever to go to Mars has been born already, as humans visiting 

Mars could be a reality within the next 20 years. Students in the audience showed great enthusiasm at such a prospect and were happy 

to volunteer for such! The keynote address from Mr Dave Lavery certainly was a perfect opening to the STEM Carib 2016 conference 

highlighting that through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, we were certainly paving our way to the space age. 

Mr. Dave Lavery is responsible for management of the design and development of the next generation of Mars 

exploration spacecraft, and the advanced technologies to enable them. He is currently the Program Executive for Mars Science 

Laboratory mission, which landed on Mars in August 2012, and the MAVEN orbiter mission which arrived at Mars in 

September 2014. He is also responsible for the Mars Exploration Rover and the joint European-U.S. Mars Express missions, 

which have been operating on Mars since early 2004. These projects have a total combined budget of over $5 billion. Previously, 

Mr. Lavery directed the NASA Telerobotics Technology Program for 12 years. There, he was responsible for the content 

and direction of the NASA robotics and planetary exploration research efforts, establishing national space robotics technology 

policy and procedures, developing agency efforts in space robotics and planetary exploration technology, and integrating 

and directing national efforts for the development of the space robotics industry. While at NASA, Mr. Lavery participated in 

the field parties for the Dante I and Dante II projects, which deployed robotic rovers inside active volcanoes in the Antarctic 

and Alaska in 1992-94. He was the program manager for AERcam/Sprint, which flew a self-contained, free-flying robotic 

camera platform on the STS-86 Space Shuttle mission in 1996. He was the program manager for the Sojourner planetary 

rover, which landed Mars on July 4, 1997. He also founded and directs the NASA Robotics Alliance Project, including the 

agency participation in the FIRST robotics competition program. This project focuses on exposing high school students to 

real engineering challenges and projects by having them work side-by-side with professional engineering mentors. Under his 

leadership for the last 20 years, the project now directly supports and impacts over 28,000 high school students participating 

in a variety of robotics and technology competition programs. 



1/3/2017 11:58:21 AM

The Science of Communication 

Rob Stenberg 

Do you remember how you felt as a child when someone in your family, or a 

teacher, or even someone on television suggested that you sit down and listen to 

their story? You were enthralled, excited, open minded and ready to receive the 

message being sent. Wouldn’t it be great to have that type of influence on others? 

You can, if you know how to find, create and tell good stories. 

I 

entered the sales profession completely 

by mistake, or necessity. I was 

in my early 20’s, living in Northern 

Minnesota where the winters are cold and 

snowy and working two jobs. I was working 

close to 80 hours a week and both positions 

paid minimum wage. My brother, 

who lived in Arizona, found me a job in 

sales and I jumped at the chance. I could 

work one job, pay my bills and no longer 

shovel snow in the winter! 

One thing that has bothered me 

throughout my sales career has been the 

way people react to you when you tell 

them you are in the sales profession. They 

think you are going to try and sell them 

something right on the spot! They also 

don’t trust you much. I always thought that 

it would be great to have a career working 

with sales professionals, those who really 

want to do a great job for their clients, to 

get past that roadblock. 

In January of 2004, I received a 

call from a company looking to create an 

internal salesforce to work with their independent 

distributors on becoming more 

professional, more successful and sell 

more of their product. Eureka! This was 

the career I was looking for to satisfy my 

desire to help others. It has also allowed 

me to work in my own business to work 

with others looking to improve their communication 

skills. It just doesn’t get any 

better than that. 

Well, that’s my “Who I am Story” 

and there are elements to this (and any) 

story that need to be in place to make sure 

the attention of the audience 

is captured and held. Let’s 

quickly cover those elements. 

The Setting: This 

sets the story up. If you take 

a look back at my story, you 

will see that the setting involved 

working two jobs and 

living in a cold climate. You 

might have even pictured a 

snow scene in your mind. 

You know that I am the 

main character in this story, 

but that is also a component 

of the setting; introducing 

characters of the story. 

The Complication: 

There has to be a complication 

to any story. If you 

don’t have a complication, 

you don’t have a story. Period. Here the 

complication has to do with my frustration 

with how people negatively reacted to me 

when I informed them I was in sales and 

my desire to work with other sales professionals 

to get past this very situation with 

their clients. 

The Turning Point: Receiving the 

telephone call in January of 2004 from my 

employer is where the story hits - it’s the 

turning point of the story. The turning 

point satisfies and provides a resolution to 

the complication(s) mentioned. 

The Resolution: This is where the 

story ends and informs the listener, or the 

reader in this case, where things are now 

and possibly where things are going in the 

future. 

Rob Stenberg can be reached at rjs@mblstoryseekers.com or 218-391-4156. 

Rob Stenberg (left) chats with conference 

chairman Bill Hrudey (right) 

If you string these four elements together 

when telling your story, you 

can hold the attention of those you 

are looking to influence. Do students learn 

more from listening to facts and figures, 

dates and numbers, or would they retain 

this information to a higher level if this 

information were presented in a story format? 

The story format wins hands down. 

Creating stories is not as easy as 

one thinks. It takes time, effort and a conscious 

effort to gather stories for future 

use. And know this; facts attack while stories 

are sticky. If you want to increase your 

ability to positively influence others and 

have your message stick, start out with; 

“Can I tell you a story?” 


8 


1/3/2017 11:58:23 AM

Cayman Islands Integrated 

Waste Management System 

“I like talking about trash if anyone wants to listen” 

Jim Schubert is a veteran of the Canadian solid waste management industry and is at the helm of the Integrated Solid Waste Management 

System project in the Cayman Islands. Mr Schubert is responsible for all aspects of project delivery for the proposed integrated 

solid waste management system. Mr Schubert stresses that early public engagement is crucial to their success. 

Among the many aspects of waste management that must be dealt with include environmental permit applications; air pollution 

control; hazardous waste combustion systems; the planning, design and implementation of new facilities; and the technical assessment of 

facilities requiring upgrading or retrofitting. 

Mr Schubert describes his career as rewarding, and goes on to say: 

“I do believe that what I am doing is good for the environment, 

and that developing an integrated system 

to deal with the problem of waste management, benefits 

the here and now as well as generations to come.” 

What is the main objective of the ISWMS? 

The Waste Hierarchy is at the heart of the modern 

approach to managing waste. The hierarchy firstly focuses 

on waste reduction, and then examines each subsequent option 

before disposal as follows: 

What exactly is an Integrated Solid 

Waste Management System 

(ISWMS)? 

According to United Nations Environmental 

Programme (UNEP), “Integrated Solid Waste Management 

refers to the strategic approach to sustainable solid 

wastes covering all sources and aspects, covering generation, 

transfer, sorting, treatment, recovery and disposal in 

an integrated manner, with an emphasis on maximising 

resource use efficiency”. 

* Reduction - Using less material in design and manufacture; 

keeping products for longer re-use; and using less hazardous 

materials. 

* Re-use - Checking, cleaning, repairing, refurbishing and 

whole items or spare parts. 

* Recycling - Turning waste into a new substance or product 

that includes composting. 

* Recovery - Energy is recovered from waste through a variety 

of methods such as thermal treatment and gasification. 

* Disposal - Landfill. 



1/3/2017 11:58:25 AM

The Human Brain: 

STEM in the Flesh 

Susheel Wadhwa 

All the science, technology, engineering 

and mathematics that 

exists is born or perceived out of 

this one organ – The Human Brain. This 3 

lbs crown jewel on the top of the head has 

100 billion neurons with up to 40,000 synapses 

each. Weighing just 2% of the body 

weight, 20% of our total energy is dedicated 

to just this one organ. It functions 

through generation and transmission of 

electrical signals which can add up to almost 

12 to 25 watts. 

Over 3.2 million years the human 

brain has evolved to being 3 times 

larger compared to what another species 

will have in relation to its body size. The 

differentiator being the frontal cortex, bestowing 

powers of judgment, insight, social 

behavior, cognition and planning. 

All the brain does is to receive inputs 

from the 5 senses and process them 

into thoughts, physical actions or emotions. 

These outputs further serve as inputs 

to generate more outputs and so goes 

on the life experience. 

The 4 lobes on each of the two 

hemispheres of the brain form the majority 

of the hardware. The parietal lobes 

receive sensory information of touch, 

temporal lobes receive the sense of hearing, 

and occipital lobes receive the visual 

inputs. The insula is a 5th, hidden lobe and 

considered to be responsible for receiving 

taste sensations. The various inputs are associated 

with each other and an output is 

planned/executed by the frontal lobe. The 

physical outputs of speech and action are 

mediated by activation of specific areas 

of the brain that control different parts of 


the body, pretty much like a switch board. 

Each area is perfectly placed and designed 

to serve its function most effectively and 

in perfect harmony with the others. The 

cerebellum and brain stem are also parts 

of the brain that modulate output signals 

from different areas, such as adding balance 

and measure to movements, before 

they finally go down via the spinal cord, to 

the rest of the body. 

This fascinating hardware is supported 

by the most advanced software, the 

human MIND. The mind is a collective 

name for faculties of thoughts, emotions, 

memory and intellect. Animals think by 

producing chemicals while in humans 

these are perceived as emotions. Release 

of chemicals like oxytocin, endorphins or 

serotonin is perceived as happiness and 

release of cortisol or adrenaline is perceived 

as fear or anxiety. Unlike other organisms, 

humans do not just seek survival 

10 

or express but have the ability to enhance 

survival and feelings by extracting patterns 

from past experience. This is accomplished 

by the abilities of memory and 

learning. Memory has its hardware basis 

in the temporal lobe but can receive inputs 

from and have access to all areas of the 

brain. Each memory is deconstructed into 

several parts and stored in different areas 

and when required, is reconstructed again 

to be available for use. Learning is more 

of a generalized function and involves almost 

the entire brain. It involves networks 

in different parts of the brain that decide 

the ‘what, why and how’ of learning – how 

we gather facts and categorize what we see, 

hear or read; how we organize or express 

our ideas and how learners get 

engaged and motivated. 

The 

human 

brain is nature’s 

greatest 

gift and an enigma 

that keeps fascinating 

with its infinite capabilities. 

With its ability to 

form networks, associate, 

remember and learn it 

gives us not just the immensely 

immersive life 

experience but also the 

ability to tailor it. How 

we use this one organ 

has the potential to impact 

not just our individual 

selves, but nature 

itself – in the present and 

in the future. 


1/3/2017 11:58:28 AM

Chris Cooke 

Chris has now moved back to the UK and plans 

to open a Science Center with accommodation in the 

South West of Ireland- which has Gold Tier Dark Sky 

Status. Chris' topic for STEM Carib 2016 was The Great 

American Solar Eclipse of 2017. Chris has been in love 

with Astronomy since he was 12 and one of those passions 

(when finances and opportunities have permitted) 

is to observe total solar eclipses. “Experience is probably 

a better word”, says Chris “it’s a phenomena where the 

heavens do really seem to open up before your eyes - 

and once seen you have to see the next one!” 

THE GREAT AMERICAN SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 2017 

Chris Cooke was until just recently the President of the 

Cayman Islands Astronomical Society (CIAS) and for the 

past 11 ½ years has been an avid supporter and promoter 

of STEM. Chris arrived after Hurricane Ivan, the Society 

had suffered a considerable loss of both equipment 

and members but over the years the Society has reached 

new “heights”. Chris has already been booked to give a 

talk to UK Astronomers on Astronomy in the Caribbean. 

Without doubt though 

the most famous hour 

in the last 11 years was 

the Transit Of Venus in 2014 where 

the CIAS observed the transit and 

made available all of the Islands solar 

telescopes (owned by members, 

ex members and other “private” 

astronomers) at that time for the 

general public to see the rare event. Its estimated nearly 2000 people turned 

up that day. The event was also captured by Isa Mohammed from Trinidad 

and a live transmission was presented to local TV in Trinidad of the event. 

This broadcast was aided by the Support of the University College of the Cayman 

Islands (UCCI) and since then both the CIAS and the UCCI have held 

many joint events – including for example the Transit Of Mercury where 

many local schools came to the UCCI Observatory to see live high quality 

images of the transit from the UCCI telescopes onto the classroom screen located 

downstairs from the Observatory. Whilst the CIAS was giving presentations 

and showing students and the general public the Transit of Mercury 

through a telescope, Dr Bill Hrudey produced highly detailed solar images 

of the event using CCD cameras with his telescope in the UCCI Observatory. 

The images have attracted world wide attention among solar astronomers. 

The Society, which is a charity, gives free monthly meetings at St Pedro’s 

Castle as well as special outreach meetings to school organizations and 

public social events – another example is a recent trip to Cayman Brac and the 

donation of 12 Galileoscopes to local schools – to promote Science clubs and 

encourage STEM subjects in each of the local schools’ curriculum. 

Chris has been following solar eclipses where 

possible since 1999 and had waited literally a life time 

since realizing about the eclipse when he was 12 years 

old. Since that fateful eclipse he then had the opportunity 

to see a superb solar eclipse in 2001 in Lusaka, 

Zambia where he also took the opportunity to propose 

to his wife to be. The honeymoon was a year later in 

South Africa where by chance (wink!) there was another 

total eclipse running through the Kruger National Park. 

Eclipse chasing has an element of luck – for example in 

2003 he travelled to the north of Scotland to see in theory 

a wonderful eclipse at sunrise. Instead he saw sea fog. 

He was more successful in 2009 where he travelled to 

China for “6 minutes”. 

The next big eclipse is on August 21st, 2017 and 

“eclipse fever” has already started in the United 

States. His presentation provided the “low 

down” on the highlights of the event, where to go, what 

is going to happen, what to do to see the event safely and 

of course when. The eclipse is also visible from the Caribbean 

but will only be partial and will pale in comparison 

to actual totality... like being at the back of a Rolling 

Stones concert in Havana. 

CIAS is always open to new members so everyone is encouraged 

to come along to the next meeting. Follow them 

on Facebook and look them up on local press for details. 


11 


1/3/2017 11:58:31 AM

Forensic science is a powerful crime 

fighting tool that has been used 

by law enforcement dating back 

to the 1800s. This field led a very quiet 

existence until the early 2000’s when it 

was thrust into the spotlight with American 

television shows like CSI, NCIS, and 

Bones. Since then, the demand for jobs 

in forensic science has skyrocketed. For 

the folks who are drawn to this field for 

the glamour of dramatically lit labs, designer 

clothing (stilettos and white pants 

are not recommended when responding 

to a crime scene), and the ability to solve 

complex crimes in under 60 minutes, disappointment 

is swift. However, for those 

job seekers who recognize the opportunity 

to make a difference in the world through 

science, this field is a perfect fit. 

The popularity of this profession 

can also be attributed to the increased dependence 

upon forensic evidence by the 

criminal justice system. Advancements 

in science and technology have fueled the 

evolution of various forensic disciplines 

faster than anyone could have imagined. 

This is most apparent in the area of forensic 

DNA. In the past, large body fluid 

stains the size of a golf ball or larger were 

needed to gain enough genetic information 

to identify the source; and even then 

identification could not be guaranteed. 

FORENSIC SCIENCE 

With today’s technology, it is now possible 

to pull enough genetic information from 

DNA left behind simply by a single touch. 

Forensic DNA analysis is a powerful tool 

for law enforcement and is used in cases 

ranging from theft and burglary to the 

most violent crimes such as homicide and 

sexual assault. 

Although forensic biology has 

captured a lot of the attention lately, it is 

merely one of many forensic disciplines 

used in criminal investigations around the 

world. Firearms examinations of a fired 

bullet or expended cartridge casing left at 

a crime scene can identify the firearm 

Catherine Knutson 

used in a crime. Forensic fingerprint analysis 

is one of the oldest disciplines used in 

solving crimes due to its power to identify 

a single individual. Forensic drug chemistry 

can identify illicit drugs and help law 

enforcement remove these dangerous substances 

from the streets. An expert in trace 

evidence can link even the smallest pieces 

such as glass, hairs, fibers, or paint chips 

back to a source. The quickly emerging 

field of digital and multimedia evidence 

focuses on the widespread dependence 

upon technology. Whether the evidence 

is a fingerprint, cell phone, cigarette butt, 

blood spatter or a piece of glitter, there is 

something to be learned and a forensic 

discipline dedicated to finding those answers. 

While forensic science has obviously 

served as a muse for the 

television industry, the grand 

imaginations of Hollywood have no doubt 

been a catalyst for some of the advancements 

in the crime fighting tools used today. 

One could describe this as a symbiotic 

relationship of sorts and a topic of discussion 

for fans of Aristotle and Oscar Wilde. 

Whether it’s on the big screen or in real life 

at the local crime lab, forensic science is an 

exciting, diverse, and incredibly rewarding 

profession that will continue to serve the 

public in its pursuit for truth and justice. 


12 


1/3/2017 11:58:36 AM

ROT AR 

AIR 

WIN 

SCIENCE 

ERS 

JAMES BANKS, IONA NICOL 

and JOANNA ROBINSON 

James Banks, Iona Nicol and 

Joanna Robinson are all primary 

school pupils at First Baptist Christian 

School. They won first place in 

the Life Science category including 

microbiology, botany or zoology. 

GEORGINA HEALY 

Georgina Healy is a high shool 

student at Grace Christian Academy. She 

won third place in the Earth Science category. 

Her projects studies salinity levels 

at six different Grand Cayman coastal 

locations to prove that the sea around 

the island tastes saltier in some areas 

more than others. Georgina's project allowed 

her to better understand how to 

use different equipment, how to look at 

the environment from a scientific point 

of view, and how small seemingly insignificant 

changes can have a big impact. 

THOMAS SEVIK 

Thomas James Sevik, Jr is 12 

years old and is in Year 9 at Layman 

E. Scott Sr. High School. His favorite 

subjects are Science and Math. He is 

the 2nd place winner in the Category of 

Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science. 

His project is entitled Electricity 

from Air and Saltwater. His experiment 

has proven that electricity from an air 

and saltwater battery can be achieved 

with the exact combination of highly reactive 

metals like magnesium and iron 

electrodes. 

JOHNATHON BEDASSE 

Johnathon Bedasse is 14 years old and 

attends Cayman Prep and High School. Johnathon 

is currently in Year 10. His favorite subjects 

are Math and Physics and he enjoys playing the 

piano and violin. Johnathon is a four time science 

fair participant and a three time awardee. 

He presented his 2016 Science Fair Project, Waste 

into Electricity: The Future of Renewable Energy. 

CONNOR FINCH 

Connor Finch is 11 years old and goes 

to Cayman International School. He just started 

middle school, enjoys the independence of 

going from class to class. His favourite classes 

are Math, Science, and of course PE. He wants t 

be a NHL hockey player, or a sports statistician. 

Connor devotes a lot of his time to 

Destination Imagination which is a STEAM 

based program that aims to teach 21st century 

skills by solving an open ended fun question. 

It was his first time to join the Dr. Bill 

Hrudey Rotary Central Science Fair and was 

pleased to be awarded with best project for 10 

and 11 year olds. He was inspired to do a project 

on tooth decay after he got his first cavity. He 

wanted to figure out what causes tooth decay, 

and was it really sugar. Connor appreciates the 

recognition for his hard work, and looks forward 

to the next science fair. 



1/3/2017 11:58:44 AM

STEM C a r i b 


14 


1/3/2017 11:58:58 AM

C o n f e r e n c e 

15 



1/3/2017 11:59:13 AM

CAYMAN ISLANDSKrista Finch 

With all the information in the world at the tip of our fingers, what is the role of 

schools? What is the future of our education system? What do we need to teach our 

children? How can we teach children what they need to know for a job that has not 

even been invented? These questions cause great debate amongst educators. 

Krista Finch tried to help with 

that dilemma at the Cayman 

Islands STEM conference in 

the Cayman Islands. She feels “one 

way to prepare children is to teach 

them to be learners, to be flexible and 

resourceful as they work with other 

people to solve problems”. Krista 

Finch, a teacher of 17 years, has been 

working for three years with the Destination 

Imagination (DI) program 

which meets the needs of both students 

and teachers in this new dynamic 

controversy. The program provides 

structure and security for teachers and 

creativity and fun for students. Krista’s 

breakout sessions introduced children 

and adults to DI’s Instant Challenges 

which are Rapid Project Based 

Learning experiences where groups 

of up to 7 people put their heads together 

to solve timed challenges. The 

attendees experienced the ups and 

downs of group dynamics and the 

problem solving process within 8 to 

10 minutes. They faced activities such 

as solving Math boxes, brainstorming 

ideas, and building a tower on top of 

a beach ball. The interactive and engaging 

breakout session led to many 

laughs and learning. All participants 

got to work on their own ability to be 

creative and work cooperatively while 

communicating their critical thinking! 

Krista is hoping to inspire and 

equip students to become the next 

generation of innovators and leaders. 

Destination Imagination (DI) is 

a volunteer-led, world-wide educational 

non-profit organization that teaches 21st 

century skills and STEAM principles to 

Primary through University level students. 

The program requires solving open ended 

challenges which develop creativity, curiosity, 

collaboration and communication skills. 

Seven new Challenges in the areas of STEM, 

Improvisation, Visual Arts, Service Learning, 

and Early Learning are offered annually. 

Each of these challenges enable student 

teams to learn and experience the creative 

process from imagination to innovation. 

Destination Imagination works in partnership 

with many leading organizations, 

such as NASA, National Geographic, 3M, 

Ford STEAM Experience, Disney and IBM. 

More information about this program can 

be found at www.DICayman.org 

Krista Finch is a teacher for 17 

years, a mother of 3 and an advocate 

for empowering our children 

to be the best they can be. She currently 

teaches at Cayman International 

School in the Cayman Islands. Krista 

grew up in Canada where she completed 

an undergraduate degree in Psychology, 

before attended Teacher’s Training 

in Australia and returned to Canada and 

completed a Masters of Education. 

the-intellectual-magazine.com 16 


1/3/2017 11:59:15 AM

Geospatial Technology 

Albert Sarvis 

On March 28th 1979 I was a 10-year-old boy on a class field trip to the Pennsylvania State Museum and Capitol Building. While 

in one of the ornate offices of the capitol I observed several men standing around a table with a map on it. They were drawing 

concentric circles with a compass around a specific spot on the map. That was the day of the Three Mile Island nuclear incident 

and they had been drawing nuclear fallout zones. Ten years later, during my college internship, I was asked to create a map with of all the 

National Priority List hazardous waste sites in Pennsylvania using a foam core map and push pins. With that hand drawn fallout zone 

map still in my memory I knew there had to be a better way to create these important maps. My interest in Geospatial Technology was 

born before I even knew what it was. 

There are three primary elements 

of Geospatial Technology; 

Global Positioning Systems, Remote 

Sensing, and Geographic Information 

Systems. At the STEM Carib conference, 

I briefly described these technologies 

and provided examples ending 

with the latest in Remote Sensing, 

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems 

(sUAS), which are poised to be a boon 

to the Geospatial Technology industry. 

In academia the interdisciplinary 

potential of Geospatial Technology 

application cannot be underestimated. 

The following succinctly summarizes 

the three elements of Geospatial 

Technology, how it contributes to 

STEM Education, and its interdisciplinary 

potential. 

GPS: Born from the need 

to track military assets during the 

cold war, Global Positioning Systems 

(GPS) is now used for precise surveying, 

detailed mapping, navigation, 

logistics and many other every 

day applications. This technology is 

a combination of high orbit satellites, 

ground base stations and millions of 

receivers around the world that enable 

users to locate positions on the 

earth to accuracies of less than a centimeter. 

Any STEM discipline that requires 

location data, such as sampling 

points for environmental analysis 

or navigation/positioning in robotic 

engineering, recognizes the need for 

precision spatial data. 

Remote Sensing: Within a few years of the 

invention of photography remote sensing was first conducted 

from a balloon in France. With the improvements 

in cameras and flight, remote sensing the surface 

of the earth exploded. Today we use images of the earth 

through many bands of the electromagnetic spectrum 

beyond what we can see with our own eyes. Our remote 

sensing platforms now range from expensive deep 

space satellites to readily affordable low altitude drones. 

We can generate new imagery of the earth in real time, 

creating maps, visualizing change 

and making decisions that can benefit 

nearly any area within STEM disciplines. 

With the recent explosion 

of drones onto the scene remotely 

sensed data is increasing at a phenomenal 

rate. 

GIS: As discussed, there is 

an overwhelming amount of spatial 

data generated from GPS and Remote 

Sensing technologies. Geospatial 

Technology practitioners and users 

need systems that can ingest, store, 

manipulate, analyze and output useable 

products. Geographic Information 

Systems (GIS) provide the solution 

to this problem. Whether simply 

viewing maps for directions and 

geographic awareness or performing 

highly complex analysis of multiple 

spatial datasets, GIS has developed 

over more than 50 years into a technology 

that is used by nearly every 

business and individual. 

Despite the countless ways 

these technologies affect our lives it 

is not yet seen as a common field of 

study or career option to the many 

young students who are contemplating 

their futures. It is my hope that 

students and professionals who are 

exposed to these tools and their applications 

will rise to meet the growing 

demand, and benefit not only themselves 

but the many ways it can positively 

affect the world around them. 

17 



1/3/2017 11:59:18 AM

What really killed 

the dinosaurs? 

A look at the latest developments 

François Therrien 

The extinction of dinosaurs, which occurred 66 million years 

ago during an event called the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) 

mass extinction, is one of the most talked-about topics in 

paleontology today. Many theories have been proposed to explain 

the disappearance of these fantastic beasts, invoking causes ranging 

from the mundane to the extraterrestrial. Despite frequent claims 

of “ground-breaking discoveries” 

making the headlines of media, 

the exact details of the K-Pg mass 

extinction remain shrouded in 

mystery. 

Although it is widely 

known that dinosaurs were 

wiped out during the K-Pg mass 

extinction, people often don’t 

realize that many other types 

of animals also went extinct 

at the same time, both in the 

oceans and on land, resulting 

in the disappearance of nearly 

75% of all species on Earth. In 

the oceans, plankton, corals, 

echinoderms (starfishes, sea 

urchins and allies), ammonites 

(squid-like animals that lived 

inside coiled shells), as well as 

the predatory mosasaurs and 

plesiosaurs (often erroneously 

called “aquatic dinosaurs”) suffered 

greatly during the extinction 

event. On land, while the 

details of the extinction are blurred by the fact that we have 

a good fossil record only for North America, we know that 

crocodiles, turtles, salamanders and champsosaurs (a group 

of crocodile-like reptiles now extinct) went through the K-Pg 

extinction relatively unscathed, whereas mammals, birds, dinosaurs, 

and pterosaurs (a group of reptiles often erroneously 

called the “flying dinosaurs”) suffered tremendously. In fact, 

mammals and birds were almost wiped out during the extinction, 

with extinction levels reaching 75-90%! 

For several decades, scientists have argued over whether 

dinosaurs went extinct gradually, over millions of years in response 

to environmental changes, or suddenly in response to a 

catastrophic event. The debate still rages on, but there are now 

several lines of evidence that suggest that dinosaurs were going 

strong until at least 50,000-100,000 years prior to their extinction 

and that they went extinct suddenly. 

But what cause/event could have led 

to their extinction? 

The last 10 million years of 

the Age of Dinosaurs was a time of 

great changes. Large-scale drops in 

sea level occurred worldwide and 

global climate fluctuated like a rollercoaster 

ride between hot and cold, 

with a drop in mean annual temperature 

of 6 o C in the last 20,000-100,000 

years before the extinction, putting 

tremendous stress of Earth’s ecosystems. 

Major volcanic eruptions in India 

released a lot of noxious gases in 

the atmosphere, potentially affecting 

climate, but recent studies indicate 

that 70% of the volcanic eruptions 

occurred only after the K-Pg mass 

extinction. And finally a 10-km-wide 

meteorite hit the Yucatan Peninsula 

(Mexico) at the very end of the Age of 

Dinosaurs, shrouding the Earth under 

a cover of dust. So which of these 

catastrophes caused the extinction? 

Recent studies show that it’s actually 

the combination of these events that caused the extinction. Ecosystems 

were under a lot of stress due to climate change and then a 

sudden catastrophe (i.e., meteorite impact) pushed them over the 

edge, leading to a mass extinction. Any single event, on its own, 

would not have been sufficient to lead to a mass extinction but 

the combination of several factors had catastrophic consequences. 

Thus, paleontology provides perspective for the future of our 

world, where climate change, habitat destruction, and pollution 

are occurring at an accelerated rate. 


18 


1/3/2017 11:59:20 AM

Will we learn from 

the past to protect 

our future? 

Feathered dinosaurs from 

North America provide insight 

into the origin of wings 

Ever since the discovery of the first feathered dinosaurs 

in China in 1998, our perception of the 

physical appearance of dinosaurs has irrevocably 

changed. No longer considered scaly reptiles, many dinosaurs 

(mainly the meat-eating dinosaurs called theropods) 

were shown to be covered with feathers like birds. 

Since birds are known to be a specialized type of theropods, 

we can attempt to answer the questions: how did 

birds get their feathers and learn to fly? The most popular 

theories propose that wings evolved to leap up from the 

ground, to glide between trees, or to increase traction 

while climbing trees. But which theory is correct? 

Archaeopteryx, sometimes referred to by its German name Urvogel 

("original bird" or "first bird"), is a genus of bird-like dinosaurs that is 

transitional between non-avian feathered dinosaurs and modern birds. 

The name derives from the ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος (archaīos) meaning 

"ancient", and πτέρυξ (ptéryx), meaning "feather" or "wing". Between the 

late nineteenth century and the early twenty-first century, Archaeopteryx 

had been generally accepted by palaeontologists and popular reference 

books as the oldest known bird. Older potential avialans have since been 

identified, including Anchiornis, Xiaotingia, and Aurornis. 

The discovery of the first feathered dinosaurs from North America in 2012 offers an answer. For the first time, it was shown that the 

body of ornithomimids (ostrich-mimic dinosaurs) was covered by down-like (or hair-like) feathers and that adult individuals sported 

large wings while youngsters lacked them. The absence of wings in young individuals tells us that primitive wings were not critical for 

the survival of these animals and that they became useful only later in life, in association with reproductive maturity. Thus wings first 

evolved among dinosaurs not for flight or other “useful” function but rather for display and courtship (i.e., to attract a mate). Only later 

in evolution were wings co-opted for “useful” functions, and ultimately to fly. 



1/3/2017 11:59:22 AM

Giant Black Holes: A Monster One! 

Shirin Haque 

BBlack holes are one of the most enigmatic and intriguing objects in space. They are formed when the largest stars die and the gravitational 

forces of such massive stars are so great that nothing can halt their collapse on its death. The gravitational fields of black 

holes are so intense that not even light can escape and that is why they are termed black holes. So how can we possibly detect them? 

We can detect them indirectly by their effect on the other star they may be part of a binary system of. The largest black holes are called 

supermassive black holes and have masses of 10 5 – 10 10 solar masses. There are many objects such as quasi-stellar objects, quasars, active 

galactic nuclei, BL Lac and Blazars – all of which are intensely energetic objects in space and have black holes at their centres. 

Theoretical model of OJ 287 as 

proposed by Prof. M. Valtonen 

Our story has to do with one such particular object called BL Lac OJ 

287. The story begins in Finland at Turku observatory. Prof. Mauri Valtonen and 

his team have been observing this object and studying it for a very long time. 

Prof. Valtonen has developed a model for this object which is a binary black 

hole system which flares from time to time when the smaller black hole crosses 

the accretion disk of the larger black hole as it orbits it. His theory using general 

relativity therefore makes predictions as to when the flaring should occur. This 

is where we, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) come in. Nestled on 

top of the Natural Sciences building on the campus is our modest observatory, 

named SATU (St. Augustine-TUorla) housing a 40-cm Meade telescope. Since 

the latitude of Finland is much further north than us in Trinidad (located just 

10 degrees north of the equator), the astronomers in Finland are not able to 

continuously monitor this object as it is below their horizon at times. We are 

just one team around the world that train our telescopes on the object to monitor 

if it flares according to the theoretical prediction of Prof. Valtonen. To date, 

his predictions have been on target – supporting his model that this is a binary 

black hole system, the first such system actually observed in space. At UWI, we 

observed the predicted outbursts in 2006-2007. 

The earliest records of OJ 287 date back to 1887 in archives and photographic plates. It is the largest supermassive black hole 

known at a whopping 18 billion solar masses. It is located 3.5 billion light years away and it emits prominent outbursts roughly every 12 

years. Just recently, there was a predicted outburst in December 2015 and it was observed right on schedule on 5 December, 2015. The 

next flare is predicted to occur in July 2019…time to get ready to train our telescopes on the skies to help solve the mystery of the monstrous 

black hole known as OJ 287. Not even black holes can hide their secrets forever! 


20 


1/3/2017 11:59:24 AM

THE FRACTAL NATURE 

OF SUNSPOTS 

Galileo saw sunspots on the surface 

of the sun and recorded 

them by sketching as far back as 

1612. Nowadays we monitor the changing 

nature of sunspots with telescopes 

and satellites trained on them. Sunspots 

are regions on the sun, that appear 

darker than the rest of the sun. They actually 

are areas that are relatively cooler, 

which is why they appear dark. This 

happens because the sun is made up on 

ionized hydrogen and there are magnetic 

fields present on the sun. Every 

now and then, the magnetic fields trap 

the hydrogen, and cause those regions 

to become cooler and to us they appear 

as sunspots. The sunspots have cycles of 

about 11 years when their numbers increase 

to a maximum where up to a few 

hundred can be seen in a year. 

One such observatory doing 

this monitoring is William H. Hrudey 

observatory at UCCI. Dr Hrudey has 

been capturing spectacular images of 

the sun with his 8-inch solar Newtonian. 

A collaboration is thus underway 

between UCCI and the University of 

the West Indies (UWI) on this project. 

Over the past two years several undergraduate 

students from the Physics 

Department at UWI have spent time at 

the UCCI Observatory working with Dr 

Hrudey. We are examining the fractal 

nature of the sunspots. 

Fractals are mathematical and 

geometrical description of patterns 

that occur in nature that are complicated. 

Examples are clouds, coastlines, 

trees, lightning bolts, and of course 

sunspots. Self similarity is a feature 

of fractals and this means that as you 

zoom into the geometrical structure 

at different scales, the same pattern 

emerges. It is sort of like looking 

at a tree which has branches, then each 

branch has further branches, and each 

of those eventually have leaves and if 

you zoom into the pattern on the leaf, 

the same branching of the veins appear. 

These structures are not simple 

lines with familiar dimensions like 1, 

or planes with dimensions of 2. Their 

dimensionality are fractions in between 

the classical cases – that is, they have 

fractal dimensions. 

By using ratios of the area and 

the perimeter of sunspots, we were 

able to determine a fractal dimension 

for them. We are excited to continue 

observing more sunspots to help solve 

their mystery! 



1/3/2017 11:59:28 AM

Proxima Centauri b: 

The Alien World Next Door - 

Is Anyone Home? 

Edward Guinan 

The physical properties of the nearby red dwarf 

star Proxima Centauri and its newly discovered 

Habitable-Zone, Earth-size planet Proxima 

b are discussed. This planet is the nearest alien 

planet outside the solar system at 4.24 light years 

away. As recently reported by Anglada-Escude’ et al. 

(Nature, 536, 437), Proxima b has an orbital period 

of 11.16 days and is orbiting only 0.049 au from its 

dim host star. (For comparison the Earth is located 1.0 

au or 150 million km from the Sun.) Proxima b has a 

minimum mass of ~1.3 times the mass of the Earth 

and a radius of 1.1 times the Earth’s. Even though 

Proxima b is very close to its host star, because of the 

star’s very low luminosity, the planet receives only 

about 65% of the radiation as the Earth receives from 

our Sun. Thus, the planet should be cooler than the 

Earth but still warm enough to have liquid water if it 

has greenhouse heat-trapping gases. It is noteworthy 

that the age of Proxima b of about 4.9 billion years 

which makes it slightly older than our home world 

Earth. 

The analysis of X-ray, Ultraviolet, optical observations of Proxima Cen are discussed. These yield the radiation, magnetic, flare 

and rotation properties of the red dwarf host star (see Ribas I, . (2016) A&A, 596,111). These measurements were combined with corresponding 

data from the Villanova “Living with a Red Dwarf ” program of red dwarfs that span ages from 0.1 – 5 billion years. Thus the 

X-UV radiation received by Proxima b over its entire lifetime could be determined. Preliminary assessments of the effects of star’s rather 

strong high-energy X-ray and UV photo-ionization & photo-dissociation radiation on the atmosphere and water inventories of Proxima 

b have been carried out. These studies indicate that, in spite of the very high levels of magnetic-dynamo X-ray & UV radiation (including 

flares) that the planet endured over its lifetime, there are viable pathways for the Proxima b to possess an atmosphere, water and climate 

conditions to be potentially habitable. 


22 


1/3/2017 11:59:30 AM

Prof. Edward Guinan (centre) with other conference participants 

The possibilities of measuring Proxima b’s atmospheric 

properties and composition (e.g. - is there water?) and searches for 

possible bio-signatures are also evaluated. These crucial observations 

can be accomplished with upcoming space missions that include 

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), New Worlds (Starshade) Mission 

and also with sophisticated, very large Earth-based telescopes 

(under construction) such the European Extremely Large Telescope 

(E-ELT) and the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). So maybe within 

the next decade we will know whether “the alien planet next door” 

is suitable for life. Recently, as part of a SETI effort, the Parkes Radio 

Telescope in Australia has begun to monitor the alpha Cen star system 

(along with other nearby stars) to search for telltale radio signals 

of advanced life. Even though Proxima Cen b is the nearest extrasolar 

planet, it is still very far away – about 40 trillion km from us. A 

proposed space mission, Breakthrough Starshot would use an array 

of extremely high-power lasers to accelerate a huge, thin reflective 

sail with attached miniature space probes up to 20% the speed of 

light. If this speed is achieved, it would take nearly 25 years for it to 

reach Proxima b and another 4.2 years before the return radio signals 

would reach the Earth. We live in exciting times- so stay tuned. 

The STEM skills presented at this STEM Carib 2016 Conference 

will be needed to achieve these goals. Also many of the students are 

young enough to have these questions answered or to answer them 

themselves! 

This research was supported from grants from US National 

Science Foundation and NASA which are gratefully acknowledged. 

Thanks to University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) for 

hosting the meeting and special thanks to Dr. William Hrudey and 

UCCI for inviting me to participate. 

“Many say exploration is 

part of our destiny, but it's 

actually our duty to future 

generations and their quest 

to ensure the survival of the 

human species. 

“ 

— Buzz Aldrin 



1/3/2017 11:59:33 AM

Exploring Virtual Reality for 

Learning and Entertaining 

Charles Palmer 

The advent of new technology has always fascinated us. 

From the printing press to automobiles to zero gravity 

pens, as humans we’ve become accustomed to easing 

our daily toil with a new productivity tool or vehicle to facilitate 

escapism. And Virtual Reality, VR, is no different. Virtual 

Reality is the use of computer technology to create a simulated 

environment. Different from traditional screen-based user interfaces, 

these systems project the user into 3D worlds creating 

richer, fuller interactive experience. By donning a headset, you 

can explore the ocean’s floor in search of bioluminescent sea 

creatures, climb Mt Everest with a skilled guide, or drift aimlessly 

in space contemplating the “Big Bang” all in a matter of 

moments. 

This year at STEM Carib 2016, Harrisburg University 

of Science and Technology held two Breakout Sessions on the 

current state of VR in education and entertainment. From the 

history of the industry and evolution of its devices, attendees 

were able to view construction and surgery simulators alongside 

a medieval rollercoaster and an epic lightsaber battle on 

Tatooine. These experiences are created by using small cellphone-sized 

screens paired with high quality lenses to create 

the illusion of depth, called stereoscopy. From here the inclusion 

of audio and in some cases, tactile sensations, make the 

experience “feel” real to the participant. 

The sessions were followed by hands-on demonstrations 

at the Friday, “Family Fun Afternoon – Demonstration & 

Exhibits.” Students and guests were able to put on a Samsung 

VR headset and jump into a virtual world. The experience was 

rewarding for all, and we can’t wait to return next year with a 

full VR rig. 

Professor Charles Palmer is the Executive Director of 

the Center for Advanced Entertainment and Learning 

Technologies at Harrisburg University of Science and 

Technology. He oversees the design and development of 

ventures in new and emerging technologies, serves as the 

Program Lead for the undergraduate Interactive Media 

program, and mentors students on research projects covering 

a wide range of technical fields. 


24 


1/3/2017 11:59:35 AM

Other adventures 

in STEM Carib... 

CI Lands & Surveys - 

Monitoring Beach Changes 

Using GPS 

Sam Small - 

Bridging the Gap 

(Building Bridges) 

About UCCI 

Dr. Brenda Bush - 

So You Want to be a 

Veterinarian 

The University College of the Cayman Islands has never let size stand in the way of 

achievement – and this "Little University that Could" has been making giant strides for 

education and community development not only in the Islands, but in the region. 

Since its inception as a Community College in 1975, UCCI transformed from being a 

part-time establishment to a full-fledged tertiary level institution offering a plethora of 

programmes in the Associate, Bachelor and Master's levels as well as Professional Education 

and Workforce Training. 

At the forefront of the entire operation is its world-class faculty, members of which 

possess either Master's and Doctorate degrees. Drawing from their vast classroom and 

real-world experiences, they provide global and personalised instruction to over 1,000 

students. 

In recent years, UCCI has become the institution of choice for many Caymanians and 

expatriates alike, as they are able to experience the demands of a University environment 

right on their doorstep. Through the delivery of quality programmes, students 

are equipped with knowledge and skills that meet the needs of local and international 

employers. UCCI also strives to be on the cutting edge of technology by promoting 

STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiatives and through the 

establishment of its very own observatory. 

As an important socio-cultural landmark, the University College stays true to its commitment 

of making valuable contributions towards nation building. Through its series 

of regional conferences, UCCI has brought thinkers and influencers from various fields 

of expertise, discussing some of the most pressing issues of our time. 

Adapted from http://www.ucci.edu.ky/about/index.shtml 

Nelson Dilbert - 

The Science of Distillation 

Sean Slattery - 

Cyber Security: The Good, 

The Bad and The Ugly 

Dr. Renaud Lacroix - 

GM Mosquitoes and Zika 

Dr. Mark Lockhart - 

An Overview of Mental 

Illness 

Jeffrey Hausaman - 

Nuclear Power: A Solution 

for Powering Cayman 



1/3/2017 11:59:37 AM

Dr. François Therrien 

Meet The Intellectuals! 

François Therrien is Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta. He holds a B.Sc. 

in Geology from the Université de Montréal, a Master’s degree in Geosciences from the University of Rhode Island, and a Ph.D. in Functional Anatomy & 

Evolution from the Johns Hopkins University – School of Medicine. For his Ph.D., he traveled to Romania to study the sedimentology and paleosols of dinosaur-bearing 

rock formations in order to reconstruct the paleoenvironments that prevailed at the end of the Age of the Dinosaurs in Transylvania. 

François came to the Royal Tyrrell Museum as a NSERC postdoctoral fellow and was hired as a curator in 2006. François’ primary research interests 

focus on the study of faunal and environmental changes that occurred just before the extinction of the dinosaurs as well as the study of dinosaur behavior, 

particularly that of extinct predators. Over the years, he has conducted field research in Canada, the USA, Romania, and Mongolia, and has participated in 

numerous documentaries and media events. Recently, François was involved in the discovery of the first feathered dinosaurs from North America. 

Ms. Catherine Knutson 

Catherine Knutson is the Deputy 

Superintendent of the Minnesota State Bureau 

of Criminal Apprehension. She oversees 

the Forensic Science Services which 

includes two ASCLD/LAB-International 

accredited laboratories. These laboratories 

provide forensic examinations for criminal 

investigations in the areas of Biology/DNA, 

Latent Prints, Drug Chemistry, Toxicology, 

Firearms, Toolmarks, Trace Evidence, Arson, 

Breath Alcohol Instrument Calibration, 

and Crime Scene Response. Catherine holds 

a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of 

Illinois-Urbana/Champaign and a M.S. from 

the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis/St. 

Paul in Human Genetics. She has been working 

in the field of Forensic Science for over 

18 years and has provided forensic DNA analysis on thousands of cases ranging 

from homicide and kidnapping to burglaries and missing persons. During that 

time, Catherine specialised in Forensic Biology and also served as the Supervisor 

of the FBI Regional Mitochondrial DNA Program at the MN BCA. 

Ms. Krista Finch 

Krista grew up in Canada and completed 

an undergraduate degree in Psychology 

and completed her teacher’s training in 

Australia. She taught in England and again 

in Canada before starting her Masters of 

Education and moving to Grand Cayman. 

Krista has taught at Cayman Prep and 

High School, Little Trotters, Red Bay Primary 

and now CIS, picking up an online 

Montessori qualification along the way. 

In all her learning and growing as 

a teacher and mom, the Destination Imagination 

programme has struck her as including 

the most important features we need to 

teach our children and even ourselves: 21st 

century skills of communication, collaboration, 

critical thinking and creativity. If we 

can think, explain and work with others everything else will be easier. Destination 

Imagination is a volunteer-led, world-wide educational non-profit organisation 

that teaches 21st century skills and STEAM principles to Primary through 

to University level students by means of problem solving challenges which develop 

creativity, curiosity, collaboration and communication skills. 

Mr. Albert Sarvis 

Albert Sarvis received his B.A. in 

Geo-environmental Studies from Shippensburg 

University in 1991 and M.A. in 

Geography at Ohio University in 1994. 

Mr. Sarvis began his teaching experience 

as a Graduate Assistant at OU teaching 

Physical Geography and Geospatial Technology 

labs. Mr. Sarvis has also taught 

graduate level Geospatial Technology 

classes at Indiana University’s School of 

Public and Environmental Affairs and 

undergraduate classes at Harrisburg Area 

Community College. In 2005 he began 

working with Harrisburg University as a 

corporate faculty member helping to develop 

and teach the Geospatial Technology 

program before joining the HU staff 

full time in January 2011. 

Prior to becoming a full time professor Mr. Sarvis worked for 16 

years in the Geospatial Technology consulting industry spending 11 of those 

years as a project manager. 

Dr. Susheel Wadhwa 

Dr. Susheel Wadhwa is a Consultant 

Neurosurgeon and Spine Surgeon at 

Health City Cayman Islands. Hailing from 

Bangalore in India, he has independently 

performed more than 500 brain and spine 

surgeries and has been a part of more than 

1500 complex brain and spine surgeries 

since 2007. Competent neurosurgical skills, 

compassionate health care and patient 

education form his core practice values. 

In addition to being a practicing 

Neurosurgeon, he has played a key role in 

the organization of various national and 

international academic conferences. He is 

passionate about promoting Neurosciences 

amongst students and has been a quiz 

master and mentor in the Indian chapter of 

the International Brain Bee Contest. He has also delivered health talks at corporate 

organizations spreading awareness on Brain and spine disorders and 

on maintaining spine health at workplace. His other interests include micro 

economics of Healthcare & Social Business, philosophy and the ancient Indian 

wisdom of the Vedas and Upanishads. 


26 


1/3/2017 11:59:38 AM

Mr. Jim Schubert 

Jim is the Senior Project Manager 

(SPM) for the planned new Integrated 

Solid Waste Management System 

(ISWMS) for the Cayman Islands. 

He will be responsible for the project 

management of the future ISWMS 

project, which is expected to have a 

value over CS$ 100 million and it is anticipated 

that it will be done through 

a Public Private Partnership (PPP). 

Jim is a Chemical Engineer with 

over 25 years experience in the solid 

waste field and has specialized in the 

waste combustion area. He was the City 

of Edmonton’s (Edmonton, Alberta, 

Canada) project manager for their new 

Waste to Biofuels Project. Mr Schubert 

was involved in the overall Biofuels project since its inception in 2002 (including 

feasibility study, conceptual design, pre-design and tendering, permitting, 

construction and commissioning) and the project evolved into a 

public/private partnership between the gasification technology supplier. 

Mr. Chris Cooke 

Chris Cooke is the President of 

the Cayman Islands Astronomical Society 

(CIAS) and for the past 11 years has 

been an avid supporter and promoter of 

STEM. The Society, which is a charity, 

gives free monthly meetings at St Pedro’s 

Castle as well as special outreach meetings 

to school organisations and public 

social events - including a recent trip to 

Cayman Brac. 

Chris has been in love with Astronomy 

since he was 12 and one of those 

passions is to observe total solar eclipses. 

The next big eclipse is on August 21st is 

in 2017 and “eclipse fever” has already 

started in the US. The eclipse is also visible 

from the Cayman Islands but will only be partial and will pale in comparison 

to actual totality... like being at the back of a Rolling Stones concert 

in Havana. 

Dr. Shirin Haque 

Dr. Shirin Haque is the deputy 

dean and a former head of department 

in the Faculty of Science and Technology 

at the St Augustine campus at the 

University of the West Indies. She is an 

astronomer by profession and a senior 

lecturer in Physics Department with research 

interests in astrobiology and cosmology 

and was recently the recipient 

of the Rudranath Capildeo Award for 

applied Science and Technology. She is 

also the producer of several Caribbean 

Science documentaries and is heavily 

engaged in science popularization and 

has won three excellence in teaching 

awards. A lifelong learner, she just obtained 

her MPhil in Psychology. 

Dr. Edward Guinan 

Edward Guinan, Ph.D., is a Professor 

of Astronomy and Astrophysics 

at Villanova University. He and two colleagues 

discovered Neptune’s ring system 

in 1968. His research interests include 

binary star systems, black holes, 

evolution of the sun and solar-like stars, 

pulsating stars, astrobiology, exoplanets 

and the suitability of exoplanets for life. 

He is a Guest Investigator on a number 

of NASA Astronomy space observatories 

including the Hubble Space Telescope, 

Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray 

Observatory, XMM-Newton X-ray Telescope 

and Kepler Planet Quest Mission. 

Dr. Guinan has published over 

500 science papers and edited four books. Since 2012 he has been the Chair 

of the Task Force for Research and Education in Universities for the IAU 

Office of Astronomy for Development. 

Mr. Rob Stenberg 

Most of Mr. Rob Stenberg’s career 

has been spent in the sales and training 

profession. In early 2004 Rob received 

a call from a company called AMSOIL. 

They were putting together an internal 

sales force to help their independent network 

of Dealers become more successful 

and assist in increasing their professionalism. 

They wanted someone who could 

help coach, mentor and motivate their 

Dealers with sales tools, advice and direction. 

Today, Rob is the Director of Dealer 

Development at AMSOIL, but that is not 

all he does. He is a John Maxwell Certified 

coach, teacher, trainer and speaker. 

He is also a Mike Bosworth Affiliate and 

teaches storytelling as an influence strategy 

to business executives, salespeople and job seekers as well as teaching 

leadership skills through one-on-one and group training for companies. Rob 

graduated Magna Cum Laude with degrees in management and marketing 

from the College of St. Scholastica. 

Mr. Charles Palmer 

As the director of the Center for 

Advanced Entertainment & Learning 

Technologies (CAELT) at Harrisburg 

University of Science and Technology, 

Professor Palmer applies his creativity, 

leadership, and technological expertise 

to promote the application of 

emerging technology to the region. As 

home to one of only a handful of Virtuspheres 

(http://www.harrisburgu. 

edu/virtusphere) in the nation, Harrisburg 

University is helping Palmer 

bridge the academia-technology divide. 

“Virtual reality has opened up 

a number of opportunities to examine 

various modes of training and entertainment,” 

Palmer says. “Our students and 

faculty research and develop applications and technologies to allow for full 

immersion of users into dynamic 3-D environments.” 



1/3/2017 11:59:39 AM

ADVERTISE WITH US! 

Whether you are well established or just starting, advertise with us! 

Contact us for customized packages 

webpage: the-intellectual-magazine.com 

email: the.intellectual.magazine@gmail.com 

R 

CONTACT: (868) 353 - 8755 

FOLLOW US: 


1/3/2017 11:59:43 AM

intellectual-magazine-issueSTEM

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?