The YSP Endowment For Science Literacy

As the year comes to an end, we hope you will consider making a contribution to the YSP Endowment for Science Literacy. The endowment is an effort for YSP to establish a permanent source of funding to rely on when we are not grant funded or to use for special YSP projects. For more information or to make a contribution visit the YSP website at: http://ysp.wustl.edu/ and click on the endowment link.

Please click on the link below to read the 2009 YSP newsletter:
2009%20YSP%20Newsletter.doc

YSP Nano Medical School Features Dr. Cynthia Wichelman

On December 8th, the YSP Nano Medical School featured Dr. Cynthia Wichelman. Dr. Wichelman is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Washington University and a Fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians. For eleven years she has directed the nationally recognized Mini Medical School. She also teaches both the medical students and undergraduate students and has received several teaching awards. Our evening with Dr. Wichelman featured dinner followed by a talk entitled "Chest Pain in the Emergency Room: What Happens When You Have a Heart Attack".

YSP and AWIS Host Women in Science Day

The Young Scientist Program and the Association for Women in Science - St. Louis hosted the 4th annual Women in Science Day. Approximately 100 women from the St. Louis City Public Schools (Carnahan, Cleveland, Gateway, Roosevelt, and Soldan) visited Washington University - Danforth and Medical campuses. Students participated in tours, activities, and demonstrations geared at exposing them to science/medicine.

Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America's Women Physicians

In September, YSP partnered with the Bernard Becker Medical Libary to host 3 fieldtrips from Central VPA, Metro, and Career Academy high schools to visit the exhibit "Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America's Women Physicians". This is a traveling exhibit that tells the story of how American women who wanted to practice medicine have struggled over the past two centuries to gain access to medical education and to work in the medical specialty they chose. In addition to visiting the exhibit, students participated in tours and science demonstrations presented by the Young Scientist Program.

http://record.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/14707.html

YSP Volunteer Informational Lunch Meetings

The Young Scientist Program invites Students, Post Docs, Technicians, and PIs along with past and current volunteers to an informational lunch:

Medical School Campus on Thursday, September 10th at 12pm in the King Center on the 7th floor Bernard Becker Medical Library

OR

Danforth Campus on Thursday, September 17th at 12pm in Rebstock 322.

Please RSVP if you can to Jennifer Mosher at 362-4841 or by email at mosherj@wusm.wustl.edu. If you are not able to RSVP, still come anyway!

The Young Scientist Program is designed to attract high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds into scientific careers through activities emphasizing hands-on research and individualized contact between young people and active scientists. In addition, it targets St. Louis City Public High School teachers with resources that facilitate inquiry-based learning in the classroom. Each year the program reaches hundreds of high school students and teachers in the St. Louis City Public Schools. The program components work in concert with one another to foster high school students' and teachers' interest in science.

The components are:

>Teaching Teams – Volunteers visit St. Louis City High Schools and present units in Anatomy, Chemistry, Ecology, Evolution, Forensics, Genetics/Genomics, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Physics.

>Summer Focus – 8 week summer internship for high school juniors. Volunteers serve as program organizers, mentors, and tutors.

>Teacher and Researcher Partnership– 8 week summer internship for high school science teachers. Volunteers serve as program organizers and mentors.

>Lab Equipment/Supply Recycling Program – This program recycles used equipment and computers into the local city schools.

>Special Programs include the Family Med School and Women in Science Day.

If you are interested in The Young Scientist Program, but will not be able to attend, please let us know and someone will contact you about your interest.

Jennifer Mosher
Young Scientist Program Coordinator
Washington University School of Medicine
Box 8213, 4566 Scott Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: 314-362-4841
Fax: 314-362-8359
Email: mosherj@wusm.wustl.edu

Family Med Program

For a third year, YSP and the St. Louis Science Center are once again partnering up to offer the Family Med Program. This program offers 4 hands-on medical training sessions for children, 5th grade and older and their families during Fall 2009. Participants of the Family Med Program learn about human anatomy & physiology as well as disease through demonstrations provided by the YSP Anatomy team.

We kicked off the program on Saturday, August 22nd with demonstrations related to the Heart. Additional sessions will be held on September 26 (Respiratory system), October 24 (Digestive system), and November 21 (Brain and Nervous system).

Family%20Med%20Program%20Flyer.pdf

YSP has a new student director...

The Young Scientist Program welcomes Chris Affolter as the new YSP student director. Chris was a YSP Summer Focus participant in 2002 and is currently a graduate student in the Microbiology program at Washington University. As a member of the lab of Dr. Wayne Yokoyama, he is researching BAC recombineering of murine cytomegalovirus for the study of viral infection, immune evasion, and latency. We look forward to Chris' leadership over the 09-10 academic year.

Also, BIG thanks to our outgoing student director, Britney Moss. Under Britney's excellent leadership YSP has continued to grow and expand. Thanks Britney for a job well done!!

YSP Summer Symposium and Awards Ceremony

The YSP summer programs concluded their summer on Friday, August 7th with a symposium and awards ceremony. Teachers from the Teacher and Researcher Partnership presented their research during a poster presentation session sponsored by the BiomedRap Summer Program. That evening Summer Focus participants gave 5 minute talks about their lab research project. The evening's events concluded with a banquet and award ceremony to honor all students, teachers, their families, and of course the YSP volunteers!

Transforming Undergraduate Biology Education: Mobilizing the Community for Change Conference

From July 15-17, YSP Student Director, Britney Moss traveled to Washington DC to present a poster detailing YSP's Summer Focus Program at the Transforming Undergraduate Biology Education: Mobilizing the Community for Change Conference. The conference was attended by ~ 500 people with a shared interest in improving the current state of undergraduate biology education and drafting a report to provide a blueprint for change. The conference activities included panel discussions, plenary talks, participation in small working groups, and poster sessions. The YSP poster was very well received and conference participants were quite impressed by how long the program has existed, how many students have gone through Summer Focus, the types of activities our summer students participate in, and our ability to track our participants over time. Kudos to all the hardworking YSP volunteers who have made all these experiences possible for our students and continue to do so!!

http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2009/0821biology_conference.shtml

YSP%20poster%20for%20Vision%20and%20Change%20Conference.ppt

Qi Xiao (YSP 2007) and Dr. Edwin Anthony's research on the cover of Molecular Cell

Former YSP Summer Focus participant, Qi Xiao (Summer 2007) and his mentor, Dr. Edwin Anthony (lab of Dr. Tom Ellenberger) recently had a paper published in Molecular Cell:

Antony E, Tomko EJ, Xiao Q, Krejci L, Lohman TM, Ellenberger T. Srs2 disassembles Rad51 filaments by a protein-protein interaction triggering ATP turnover and dissociation of Rad51 from DNA. Molecular Cell. 2009;35(1):105-115.

Please visit this link to read more about this paper and their research:

http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/14373.html

2009 YSP Ice Cream Social

On July 22nd, The Young Scientist Program held our annual ice cream social. Lots of YSP summer participants, volunteers, and BiomedRap students came together to visit and of course make their own ice cream sundae - from just plain ice cream to the works!

YSP Summer Symposium and Awards Ceremony

Please join us:
Symposium for The Young Scientist Program
August 7, 2009
6:00 p.m. – Presentations in Connor Auditorium of the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center

YSP Summer Programs

This summer we welcomed 14 high school students and 6 high school science teachers as participants in our 2009 YSP Summer Programs:

Summer Focus Participants -
Iqra Bhatti - Roosevelt High School
Mary Chivetta - Visitation Academy
Joey Jackson - St. Charles High School
DeShaun King - East St. Louis High School
Akeem Muhammad - East St. Louis High School
Hannah Oppenheim - Parkway East High School
Aalia Rahman - Gateway High School
Charles Roy - Gateway High School
Celine St. Pierre - Metro High School
Rajiv Tarigopola - Parkway West High School
Assata Thompson - Metro High School
Kaalan Travis - Carnahan High School
Megan Wood - Washington High School
Stephenie Williams - Clyde C. Miller Career Academy

Teacher Researcher and Partnership Program -
David Allchurch - Central VPA High School
Kevin Dorn - Soldan High School
Stephanie Enrico - Roosevelt High School
Andrew Goodin - Soldan High School
Michelle Phillips - Vashon High School
Kerry Zimmerman - Metro High School

2009 YSP Teacher and Researcher Partnership Program

Dr. Edwin Antony (Ellenberger lab) and science teacher David Allchurch, Central VPA High School, are participants in the Teacher and Research Program (TRP), a branch of the Young Scientist Program at Washington University. David is investigating how the Srs2 helicase (a protein involved in regulating the Homologous Recombination DNA Repair Pathway) unwinds DNA. Qi Xiao, a former YSP student working this summer in the Ellenberger lab, was instrumental in uncovering the mechanism of how Srs2 negatively regulates Homologous Recombination (Antony et al, Mol Cell, 2009), and is currently working on solving crystal structures of the Srs2-Rad51 protein complex.

YSP Science Colloquium - A Teacher's Observations on What is Needed to be Effective

A Teacher's Observations on What is Needed for Effective Science Education

SPEAKER: Panel of SLPS teachers

DATE: Thursday, April 30th

TIME: 4 – 5pm

LOCATION: DBBS Room 521 – 5th floor medical library

A panel made up of 6 SLPS science teachers will provide their thoughts, experience, and advice on science outreach into the St. Louis Public Schools and how to be most effective in our interactions with SLPS science teachers to promote science literacy.

Dinner provided, please rsvp by 4/28 if possible to mosherj@wusm.wustl.edu.

YSP Nano Medical School Program

Please join the Young Scientist Program in collaboration with Dr. Cynthia Wichelman (Washington University School of Medicine's Mini-Medical School's Course Director) for our next Nano Medical School event on Monday, May 4th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm in Connor Auditorium in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center on 520 South Euclid.

Our evening will feature dinner from Q’doba (6:00 – 6:45 p.m.) followed by a talk on Hypertension by Dr. Angela Brown (6:45 – 7:45 p.m.). She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division and the Director of the Hypertension Clinic at the Washington Univeristy Medical School - http://cardiology.wustl.edu/details.aspx?NavID=555.

Dr. Brown obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with specialization in Biomedical Engineering from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and her Doctor of Medicine degree from Washington University School of Medicine. She then completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the Jewish Hospital of St. Louis.

The Incredible Human Body

This exciting new program provides a unique opportunity for families to examine the internal workings of the human body in 3-D! Utilizing a state-of-the-art operating microscope and a fully dissected human cadaver, an anatomy specialist will guide participants through a visual tour of the major organs and body systems, and lead a discussion of some medically important disease
processes. During this presentation by the Adventures in Medicine and Science outreach program of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, participants will view the body in sections and learn how the various organs and systems interact to form the fully functional human body. After the 3-D tour of the human body, several engaging hands-on activities for families will be facilitated by volunteers of the Washington University School of Medicine Young Scientist Program. Additional support provided by the Saint Louis Science Center.

Date: April 21, 2009
Time: 6-8 pm
Location: PASE Learning Center
Located on the campus of Saint Louis University
3839 Lindell Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63108

Fee: $15.00 per family*
*Recommended for parents and their children 5th grade and above

For more Information, please contact:
Lisa V. Suggs, Manager AIMS Program • suggslv@slu.edu • 314.977.7390

For reservations, please contact:
Ciera Finger • cfinger@slu.edu • 314.977.7400

Incredible_Human.pdf

YSP Science Colloqium - The Promises and Challenges of Urban Education in America

“The Promises and Challenges of Urban Education in America”

SPEAKER:
Dr. Lynn Beckwith - Endowed Professor of Urban Education and Affiliate Professor Division of educational leadership and policy studies

DATE:
Thursday, April 16th

TIME:
11:30 am - 1pm

LOCATION:
264 McDonnell Sciences

Lunch provided. Please RSVP by April 14th if possible.

Lynn Beckwith, Jr. serves as the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Urban Education in Connection with the St. Louis Public Schools. In this role, he serves as a liasion between faculty in the College of Education and central office administrators and principals in the St. Louis Public Schools as well as with inner ring urban/suburban districts.Dr. Beckwith received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Harris Teachers College and the Master of Education and the Doctor of Education Degrees from St. Louis University.Dr. Beckwith is a career educator. He served for 31 years in the St. Louis Public Schools as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of federal programs ans executive director of state and federal programs. He subsequently served for 8 years as superintendent of schools in the School District of University City.After 39 years of service in K-12 education, Dr Beckwith was appointed superintendent in residence at UMSL in 2000. In 2004, he was appointed interim endowed professor of urban education and in 2006 was appointed the endowed professor of urban education.Dr Beckwith specialty is in principal preparation programs particularly in urban school districts

YSP Nano Medical School Program

The Young Scientist Program in collaboration with Dr. Cynthia Wichelman (Washington University School of Medicine's Mini-Medical School's Course Director) presents the NEW Nano Medical School Program.

Our first event will be held on Monday, April 13th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm in the Kenton King Center on the 7th floor of the Bernard Becker Medical Library. Our evening will feature dinner from Q’doba (6:00 – 6:45 p.m.) followed by a talk on Sickle-Cell Disease by Dr. Michael DeBaun. Dr. DeBaun is a native St. Louisan who attended Stanford University Medical School where he received his M.D. and his Master’s Degree in Health Services Research. He is currently a Professor of Pediatrics, Biostatistics and Neurology and Attending Physician, Division of Hematology-Oncology Dr. DeBaun’s efforts regarding hematology have focused on understanding the etiology, and management of cerebrovascular disease, particularly stroke, in children with sickle cell disease.

YSP Science Colloqium - Expanding the Science Teacher Pipeline

Please join us for:

Expanding the Science Teacher Pipeline
Wednesday, February 18 at 12-1pm in 213 FLTC – Lunch provided

A one-hour audio conference with Jennifer B. Presley, director of science and mathematics education policy at the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and Monica Plisch, assistant director of education for the American Physical Society. Ms. Presley and Ms. Plisch will lead a discussion on how colleges can attract more students to science education careers and create the best possible educational experiences for these students.

Lunch will be available starting 11:45. Please RSVP if possible.

Introducing - The YSP Science Learning Colloqium - The Great Debate

As a part of our HHMI funding YSP is introducing a new Science Learning Colloqium. This new program will consist of regular University-wide discussions that will systematically consider issues related to classroom and informal teaching, school organization, student and parent concerns and potential avenues for community influence in the future. We intend to make these sessions provocative, interactive and creative. We will involve a wide constituency (YSP volunteers, WU faculty, teachers, SLPS officials, citizens, politicians and others) in the planning. Dr. Granger (UMSL), co-PI on the HHMI grant, will help us organize and highlight seminars of interest for this new colloqium.

For our first session, we would like to highlight and promote a February 11th seminar being held at UMSL (see attached flyer and map):

THE GREAT DEBATE:
The Failure of School Reform–Whose fault is it, anyway??
February 11, 2009
3:00 p.m.,
Millennium Center, Century Rooms,
University of Missouri-St. Louis

Please join us to hear David C. Berliner and Charles A. Murray, two of the
country’s most influential experts in their respective fields, engage in lively
discussion on the issues surrounding school improvement.



COE_David_Berliner_lecture8.pdf

UMSL%2520MAP_north08%25202607.pdf

Spotlight on YSP Volunteers

In November 2008, YSP Volunteer and Neuroscience team head - Gerry Kress attended the Society for Neuroscience Meeting in Washington D.C. and presented a poster: “Neuroscience doctoral candidates take brain awareness to native american, hispanic and other high school students”

In December 2008, YSP Volunteer and Chemistry team head, Abby Buchwalter, presented a YSP poster and lead a presentation about the Young Scientist Program at the annual American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) meeting in San Francisco.

YSP Faculty Advisor, Dr. Tom Woolsey, receives the 2008 Science Educator Award from the Society for Neuroscience

YSP Faculty Advisor, Dr. Tom Woolsey, received the 2008 Science Educator Award from the Society for Neuroscience. The Society for Neuroscience instituted the Science Educator Award in 2003 to recognize excellence in promoting neuroscience literacy and contributions made to public information about neuroscience. The award is made to a neuroscientist who has made significant contributions to educating the public about the field. Dr. Woolsey is a dedicated and skilled educator, with far-reaching involvement in the St. Louis community, including serving as the Faculty Advisor of the Young Scientist program, past course Director of medical neuroscience course in the Washington University Medical School, and Co-instructor of the undergraduate “Principles of the Nervous System” course.

YSP and the St. Louis Public School district were honored ...

On October 10, 2008, YSP and the St. Louis Public School district were honored for their long-term collaboration at the Homer G. Phillips Public Health Lecture. This award recognizes community-based organizations that have made a significant contribution to the underserved or disadvantaged in St. Louis. YSP Volunteer, Dr. Matthew Ndonwi and Shirley Brown from the St. Louis Public School District accepted this award on behalf of YSP and St. Louis Public Schools.

Women in Science Day

YSP and AWIS (Association of Women in Science – St. Louis) hosted the third annual Women in Science Day on Wednesday, November 5th. Women in Science Day was an exciting one day workshop event that invited 120+ young women plus teachers from St. Louis City Public School high schools (Career Academy, Central VPA, Gateway, McKinley, Metro, Roosevelt, and Vashon) to the Washington University campuses (Danforth and Medical) for hands-on activities and tours of Washington University facilities. The young ladies also participated in a “Getting Ahead” Career panel. Panelists represented a variety of scientific careers. Women in Science Day was another huge success and we will continue to hold this annual YSP/AWIS event. http://record.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/12978.html

YSP in the WU Record

Follow the link below to see the picture/blurb YSP summer focus received in the WUSM Record
http://record.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/12282.html

YSP Volunteer Information Lunch

The Young Scientist Program invites Students, Post Docs, Technicians, and PIs along with past and current volunteers to an informational lunch:
Medical School Campus
Monday, September 8 at 12pm
King Center, 7th floor Bernard Becker Medical Library
OR
Danforth Campus
Wednesday, September 19th at 12pm
Rebstock 309

Please RSVP if you can to Jennifer Mosher at 362-4841 or by email at mosherj@wusm.wustl.edu. If you are not able to RSVP, still come anyway!