Oswego, NY -- Charlene Murray isn’t hanging out at the beach or the mall during her summer vacation. The 17-year-old senior at the Syracuse Academy of Science is sitting in a small non-air-conditioned science laboratory at the State University College at Oswego, perfecting her technique of separating various liquid mixtures. “I made a couple of mistakes the first time...
View full sizeKory Pierre, a junior at the Syracuse Academy of Science School, sets up a station to spray three different chemicals onto a plate. The students scan the chemicals to find out which produces the most energy. Pierre is spending four weeks at SUNY Oswego for a summer science program. Oswego, NY -- Charlene Murray isn’t hanging out at the beach or the mall during her summer vacation. The 17-year-old senior at the Syracuse Academy of Science is sitting in a small non-air-conditioned science laboratory at the State University College at Oswego, perfecting her technique of separating various liquid mixtures.
“I made a couple of mistakes the first time I did it,” she said. “Now I make an outline for myself so I know exactly what to do.”
Murray is one of 10 Academy of Science students spending four weeks at Oswego State as part of a summer science program to show students what they learn in science applies to everyday life. “I didn’t realize that until I got here,” Murray said. “In school you are spoon-fed information, but here you actually do it.”
She found out the technique for separating mixtures she is learning is used on blood samples to separate proteins. She said it can be used to see if children have too much lead in their system or if a person has cardiovascular disease.
Kory Pierre, an Academy of Science junior, was building a contraption that tests chemicals to see which combination works best to extract hydrogen from water. “If you can split hydrogen from water, you can take the hydrogen and put it in a fuel cell,” Pierre said. “Then you can use it to power cars, lamps — produce electricity.”
The summer science program began last year with four students. Fehmi Damkaci, an organic chemistry professor at Oswego State who directs the program, said he is applying for a grant to include more students next year.
View full sizeCharlene Murray, a senior at the Syracuse Academy of Science, works on separating different mixtures of proteins in Snygg Hall at the State University College at Oswego. Ten students from the academy are spending four weeks at a summer science program. He said each high school student works with an undergraduate or graduate science student from the college and a professor to learn about how research is done. Then they do it.
The program is open to students who meet two of the three following areas: member of a low-income-family, part of a minority group underrepresented in the sciences or a first-generation college student.
The students participating this year are Murray, Pierre, Toyin Ben-Shidah, Victoria Taylor, Anthi Tanguyen, Kaleel Johnson, Aaron Banks, James Seagers, Kenneth Magwood and Dalton Ackerman.
Contact Debra J. Groom at dgroom@syracuse.com, 470-3254 or 251-5586.