SCIENCE
EXPLORATION
DAY
2017
Sponsored by
Central Western Section
Science Teachers Association of New York State
Grades 7–12
Friday, May 19
9:30 am - 1:00 pm
St. John Fisher College
Rochester, New York 14618
101. CAT FACTS AND TRIVIA CHALLENGE
Eileen Adamo, DVM (The Cat Doctors Veterinary Hospital)
Enjoy a purrfect opportunity to learn about cat health, disease, anatomy and biology while being
challenged with trivia questions as teams competing in a Jeopardy-style game format. How much
will you be willing to wager on final jeopardy?
102. BIODIVERSITY IN YOUR BACKYARD
Michael Boller, Ph.D. (St. John Fisher College)
Nature surrounds us. Understanding its diversity is important if we hope to live in harmony with
the flora and fauna. In this session, we will explore the biodiversity of St. John Fisher College’s
suburban campus. We’ll head outside and learn to identify our local species and investigate the
factors that influence their ecology.
103. BIRDS: COOLER THAN YOU THINK
Gregory Cunningham, Ph.D. (St. John Fisher College)
Penguins in South Africa, albatross in Sub-Antarctic, crows in Hawai’i and songbirds in northern
Canada are a few examples of birds Dr. Cunningham has worked with in the past 20 years. He’ll
share field stories and studies and you’ll learn some interesting things about avian anatomy,
physiology, behavior, and ecology.
104. POLYMERS
Timothy Cawley (Rochester Museum and Science Center)
In a mix of hands-on activities and demonstrations, students will work with different polymers
making slime, piercing an inflated balloon, extracting DNA from a banana, and more.
105. TURTLES AND TORTOISES
Tina Crandall-Gommel
Turtles and tortoises have a fascinating natural history. Today there are approximately 300
remaining species, over half of which are endangered or critically endangered. We will explore
famous fossil finds and you will meet some turtle and tortoise friends, live!
Science Exploration Day - May 19, 2017
106. STRANGE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE AMAZON
Peter Debes (Naturalist)
See the sometimes grisly reality of what eats what, and how even humans are a part of natural
cycles in the Amazon rainforest. Mr. Debes has worked as professional naturalist in the tropical
rain forest and is eager to share his knowledge with you. His curiosity has led him to go poking in
places most people wouldn’t think of looking or dare to try. His striking pictures may fascinate
you, and repulse you too! But you’ll be all the wiser at the end.
107. MASTODONTS IN THE MUCK
Jutta Siefert Dudley, Ph.D (Rochester Academy of Science, Fossil Section)
Many swamps across the Great Lakes region contain the skeletal remains of elephant-like creatures
called mastodonts that were part of the Ice Age ecosystem. How did these animals live and why
did they become extinct? Come find out what we know so far. You'll examine some samples and
see how paleontologists digging in the muck uncover the past.
108. LASER FUSION
Reuben Epstein Ph.D. (University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics)
At the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, the powerful 60-beam OMEGA laser compresses and heats
tiny hydrogen targets to conditions found near the center of the sun. We will explain how these
experiments produce thermonuclear fusion, similar to the fusion power source of the sun, and how
this could develop in the future into a commercial power source. We will also present highlights
from our Summer High School Research Program.
This lecture is most appropriate for high school students.
109. INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS ON THE CORAL REEF- A VIEW THROUGH THE
UNDERWATER LENS
Kevin Fager (Rochester Teachers’ Association, retired)
Interested in the ocean, photography, scuba, snorkeling, and coral reefs? Come learn about the
complex interactions that occur on the coral reef between fish and invertebrate communities. I will
show images that illustrate these interactions and discuss how you can photograph this
environment.
110. SLEUTHING SEASHELLS, TREE LEAVES AND MORE
Joan Flint (retired teacher Webster Central School District)
Learn how to use dichotomous keys to identify natural objects such as tree leaves and sea shells.
You may take the shells home with you.
This activity is most appropriate for grades 7 and 8.
111. SAVING AND HEALING LIVES THROUGH EYE, ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION
Karen Guarino (Lions Eye Bank at Rochester)
Team up with others to play STAT RUN, an interactive game that introduces students to the field
of eye, organ and tissue donation. Learn what can be donated and how donations are healing and
saving the lives of thousands of people every year.
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Science Exploration Day - May 19, 2017
112. WHITE-TAILED DEER: HISTORY AND BIOLOGY
John R. Hauber (retired, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
While our forebears and Native Americans once depended on deer for survival, now the deer
depend on us. We will discuss deer biology, including antler development and deer aging
techniques.
113. CAUGHT ON CAMERA! USING TRAIL CAMERAS TO STUDY BIODIVERSITY AT THE
MULLER FIELD STATION
Nadia Harvieux (Finger Lakes Community College)
The Finger Lakes Community College Muller Field Station, located in the southern Honeoye
Valley, utilizes trail cameras to conduct biodiversity studies of mammals found on the property.
You will analyze some images to determine which habitat has the most biodiversity: wetland, field
or forest. Learn which mammals prefer each habitat and the importance of trail cameras as a tool
for studying wildlife!
114. FUNGI: FRIENDS OR FOES?
Maryann Hermann, Ph.D. (St. John Fisher College)
Let’s explore the amazing and often hidden world of fungi, slime molds and water molds. We will
examine fungal specimens, infected plants, rotted foods, and fungal products. You will make your
own pet slime mold. Learn about current research on fungi, their importance in agriculture,
medicine, technology, and food, and hear about their nasty side.
115. INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NANOPRODUCTS
Kelly Hutchinson-Andersen, PhD (Nazareth College)
You’ll work together to test the effectiveness of various nanoproducts, including nanofabric, and
nanopaint. Given what companies say about the products, you will put the products to the test.
116. LLAMAS AND THEIR USES
Barb Kurzowski (llama owner)
Meet some llamas and watch how they behave, learn how they are cared for and how humans use
them.
117. FORESTRY: WHAT’S THE VALUE OF A TREE
Garret Koplun (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
Get outside and learn how to measure tree height and diameter with the tools of a professional
forester. See how tree height and diameter affect the value of a tree and how foresters can help
determine forest stand values and the ecosystem services trees and forests provide.
118. SPILLS AND REMEDIATION
Pete Miller & Tom Hall (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
How do you clean up a hazardous spill? What equipment is needed? What exactly is remediation
and environmental clean-up? Come talk with a NYSDEC Spills Responder and Remediation staff
to learn just what it is they do and just how they oversee and clean-up a hazardous spill.
119. YOUR DRINKING WATER
Jim Nugent (Monroe County Water Authority)
Clean water in important! Find out why that’s true, how water is treated, where our water comes
from, and how it gets to your house.
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Science Exploration Day - May 19, 2017
120. LIGHTNING EXTRAVAGANZA
Jamie Oliver (Kodak Alaris)
Witness a continuous lightning discharge from an 1800 watt Tesla coil and experience plasma
forming. Learn about Nikola Tesla, one of the world’s genius inventors and how his discoveries
influence our everyday lives.
121. BUILDING A WEB PAGE: FROM KEYBOARD TO ’NET
Robert Palmer (Web Design Consultant / Editor)
Learn the basics of web page construction. You’lll manipulate fonts, add images and backgrounds,
and edit content. Bring a thumbnail drive to save the coding.
122. ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
Mary Anna Russo (Helmer Nature Center)
Learn how animals’ physical traits and behavioral instincts help them survive. Animals we’ll
observe may include a ball python, box turtle, hissing cockroaches, and a rabbit.
123. WILDLIFE DETECTIVE
Ron Schroder (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, retired)
You’ll learn how to detect the wildlife that lives around us by identifying the clues they leave
behind. Hands-on samples will aid your sleuthing.
124. METHANE TO MONEY
Erik Schneider (Avon SHS)
In the modern world we are all looking to make our lives “greener” and live cleaner. Come in and
learn about Methanogenesis: how to turn the waste products of our lives into an infinite source of
income and extra money in the form of methane!
125. NOISE HURTS!
Ramona Stein, Au.D. (Sounds for Life)
Hearing loss in teens is on the rise due to ear bud use with smart phones and portable music
players. What is the short term and long term impact of this preventable hearing loss? Come find
out and learn some strategies to protect your hearing from hazardous noise levels.
126. TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES OF RISKY DRIVING
Jean Triest (Monroe County Office of Safety)
A presentation on how poor choices through distraction and inexperience can lead to tragic
outcomes. Jean Triest, Traffic Safety Specialist, will discuss the TRUTH of risky driving
behaviors, how they lead to crashes, including the physics of reaction and stopping times. A
Trauma/Burn Unit Nurse, will show the CONSEQUENCES from trauma on the body and the
realities of a trauma resuscitation, hospitalization, and rehabilitation. We will offer alternatives to
many peer-pressure related scenarios when teens are passengers and drivers in motor vehicles.
127. THE GEMSTONE JOURNEY
Lee Tutt, Ph.D. (Rochester Academy of Science, Mineral Section)
Follow a pebble from its discovery in a faraway rough gemstone mine to a finished gemstone. We
will begin at the mine and end in the stonecutter's workshop. Along the way we will look at the
geography, geology, and mineralogy of gemstones. You will see how the principles involved in
designing finished gemstones are applied, and how gems are “cut” and polished.
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128. OPTICS & PHOTONICS – THE NEXT BIG THING!
Alexis Vogt, Ph.D. (Monroe Community College)
Rochester is the birthplace of the optics industry and MCC is the only community college in the
country offering an associate degree to train workers for this field. This session provides a
snapshot of optics and photonics in each of lives, in the Rochester community and worldwide.
129. WILD BOARS AND OTHER INVASIVE WILDLIFE IN NY
Mike Wasilco (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
Wild boars are the newest invasive animal to threaten the ecosystems of NY. Learn about the
threats they pose and why they are marked for eradication. We’ll discuss some of the problems
with other invasive animals that have come to NY as well.
130. INTERACTIVE HANDS-ON FORENSIC WORKSHOP
Timothy Wilson and Deborah Janes (Eastman Kodak Company)
We will investigate evidence collected at an imaginary crime scene and apply scientific principles
to analyze the evidence. The principles involved are those scientists use every day to solve
problems. No chemistry background needed to participate in this workshop, just the willingness to
participate in a fun and imaginary scenario with real world outcomes.
131. THE CHANDRA TELESCOPE
Jon Kriegel (Rochester Engineering Society)
Chandra is a telescope orbiting earth that sees the universe through X-ray eyes. It detects high
energy sources in the universe and helps scientists study neutron stars, quasars, black holes and
other amazing objects in galaxies far, far away. The telescope was fabricated at Eastman Kodak
and you will hear its story from one its designers.
132. FIRST ROBOTICS
Larry Lewis (FIRST Robotics Team 1511, Rolling Thunder)
Interested in robots? The FIRST family of programs provides exciting challenges no matter what
your grade level. You’ll learn about challenges from the current season, get a chance to meet some
of local team members and see what they are doing. See how this robotics program will help you
learn more science, technology, engineering and math opening doors to a bright future.
133. GETTING UNDER YOUR SKIN
Noveera Ahmed, Ph. D. (St John Fisher College)
Skin is our larger organ, measuring 20 square feet, on average. It protects us from dehydration,
U.V. rays, chemicals, and infections. It is essential for regulating our body temperature. Without it
we wouldn’t be able to feel that fur is soft or that coffee is hot. We use it to recognize each other.
This organ has shaped human history, and been cause of wars and revolutions. To better
understand this important organ, we are going to explore the histology of skin using prepared
slides. We will also explore other parts of the integumentary system, hair and nails, as well as our
sense of touch and skin color.
134. ADVENTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
(American Society of Civil Engineers)
The role of the civil engineer in solving problems and providing solutions for the benefit of the
public is presented through graphics and group discussions. You’ll see what a civil engineer does
and may want to make a career of it!
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Science Exploration Day - May 19, 2017
135. CRITTER RACES
Sheila Brady Root (St. John Fisher College)
Join teams of students to observe racing "critters," make hypotheses, collect data in Excel and
graph results. To enrich your understanding of the results you’ll take away a list Web sites.
136. USING SATELLITES TO FIND BACTERIA
Fernando Ontiveros (St. John Fisher College)
Satellites are constantly surveying our planet. The science of remote sensing helps us detect and
measure physical, chemical and biological features over large areas that are otherwise difficult to
access. We will explore the basics of this technology and learn about a project that uses satellite
images to try to predict the presence of microorganisms in water.
137. HOW GENETICS AFFECTS WHAT YOU EAT
Amy Szewc-McFadden (USDA – Agriculture Research Service)
Breeders need a tool box that helps them create new varieties of plants. A useful tool is
understanding the genetics of the crop of interest. By exploring acidity in apples and the genetics
behind it, we start the discussion of how important understanding genetics is. Further the
understanding with extracting DNA from banana and analyze genetic results. Genetic analysis is a
real game changer in agriculture from understanding conservation to what consumers buy.
138. NEWS FROM THE MESOZOIC
Michael Grenier (Rochester Academy of Science, Fossil Section)
Hear about the latest cutting edge discoveries in bird, pterosaur and dinosaur research. You’ll learn
about new fossil species, amazing fossils showing soft parts and even protein from dinosaurs and
birds, the development of flight and warm bloodedness, Tyrannosaur tracks, dinosaur barf, and
much more!
139. ORIGAMI PRINTED ELECTRONIC TIGER!
Bruce Kahn, Ph.D. and Mike Buffalin (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Functional printing uses printing processes to produce devices instead of just graphics. 3D Printing
and printed electronics are examples. In this activity, students will use principles of origami and
printed electronics to produce a tiger with eyes that light up! Electronic components will be
attached to printed metal lines, and folded into a tiger. When a button is pressed, the tiger’s eyes
will light up.
140. EVERYONE’S A MAKER
Dan Schneiderman (Rochester Mini Maker Faire and Rochester Insinteracttitute of Technology)
Do you want to tinker, craft, build, paint, solder, or make things? Have you ever been to a
makerspace or a maker faire? Learn how to start prototyping your ideas and making things at home.
See examples of what can be created: robots, electronic fashions, toothpick sculptures, soup can
chandelier, and more!
141. SAVING LIVES WITH YOUR IPHONE
(Ugandan Water Project)
Students will interact with a Ugandan Water Project specialist to investigate rainwater collection
principles & assessment processes and how technology and smart phones have revolutionized
water development. Students will analyze data from locations in Uganda in need of clean water
resources, learn how the Ugandan Water Project uses cloud-based platforms to identify and
prioritize sites, and help evaluate actual locations for our next installations.
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Science Exploration Day - May 19, 2017
142. FIGHTING INVASIVE SPECIES
Hilary Mosher (Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management)
Invasive species in the Finger Lakes and beyond, impact us all. Come find out what is being done
to manage the alien plants and insects that have invaded our region. Learn how you and your
community can help in the effort.
143. INSTANT SNOW AND INVISIBLE INK
Irene Kimaru, PhD & Renuka Manchanayakage, Ph.D. (St. John Fisher College)
In this session we’ll do some hands-on chemistry involving polymers and a so-called starch blueblack complex. You’ll find out how well polymer chains can stretch and hold water. The resulting
instant “snow” will reveal how superabsorbent diapers work. Using paper, we’ll create a starchiodide complex and see how it absorbs wavelengths of light to make a purple color. Let’s see what
happens when it interacts with lemon juice.
144. WILL WE EVER MAKE IT TO MARS?
Tara Sweet (Nazareth College)
Could humans live on Mars? Could they survive the trip to get there? What are some of the
physiological barriers to space travel and what is being done to address the concerns?
145. GENES AND COURTSHIP BEHAVIOR
Huey Hing, Ph.D. (The College at Brockport)
Genes control many aspects of our personality. Whether genes control our behaviors is a
controversial topic. To address this question, my laboratory studies the mating behaviors of
Drosophila. We recently found mutant flies that exhibit aberrant mating behaviors. Our goal is to
identify the underlying genetic defect, which will lead to better understanding of how genes control
animal behaviors.
This lecture is most appropriate for high school students.
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