Blair Paulik and Jamie Minick, both PhD students in Dr. Kim Anderson’s lab, traveled to McNary High School on April 10th to teach students about environmental pollution. This opportunity was initiated when a teacher from McNary Community Outreach & Engagement Core of the Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC). The opportunity was then given to the Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology’s graduate student organization, Blair and Jamie’s interactive presentation highlighted where environmental pollution comes from, why environmental pollution is of concern, how humans are exposed to pollutants, and how scientists at Oregon State University are studying pollutants in the environment. Throughout the day, Blair and Jamie taught 129 high school students from six different classes including chemistry, biology, and environmental science. The students showed genuine interest in the subject matter, asking questions about specific environmental pollutants and about science and college in general.
An additional article is available on the Superfund Research Program Hub: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/superfund/2015/04/24/grad-students-teach-high-school-students-about-environmental-pollution/