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Faculty and Students Participate in WISE Speaker Series at Carnegie Elementary School

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Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Dr. Helen Boylan, professor of chemistry, together with two students, Maddison Grimes '18 and Cory Pullen '20, participated in the Women in Science/Engineering Speaker Series at Carnegie Elementary School, which is part of Carlynton School District in the Pittsburgh area. The WISE program is the brainchild of Mr. Scott Donnelly, science teacher at the school, who hopes to inspire girls in 5th and 6th grade by exposing them to successful women in science and engineering.

Boylan, Grimes, and Pullen visited Carnegie Elementary on May 17. Following a presentation by Boylan about the perks of science and how grit, and not IQ, is predictive of success in science, Grimes discussed the Tiny House Project that is underway at Westminster College. Pullen explained solar energy and led a hands-on session where the girls got to build and test Lego solar cars.

“The girls really enjoyed testing the solar cars, and fortunately it was a sunny day outside,” according to Boylan. “They also asked a lot of questions about the composting toilet that is part of the tiny house project.”

For more information, contact Tom Fields at 724-946-7190 or fieldste@westminster.edu.