Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science Science Essay Competition for High School Students

The Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science (http://www.dartmouth.edu/admissions/docs/isec-2014.pdf) is sponsoring an international science essay competition for high school students. I am writing to ask your help in sharing this information with students in your schools who may be interested in participating. By providing an interdisciplinary forum for sharing undergraduate research, the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science highlights the important and exciting work being done by Dartmouth students and faculty. Through the international science essay competition, the undergraduate editorial board seeks to include a broader array of voices in exploring the recent effects and future promise of science in our society. A complete explanation of the contest, along with rules for participation, can be found online (http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/isec-2014) . Thank you in advance for sharing this with your students and best wishes for the new school year. Maria Laskaris Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Dartmouth College

Forensic Students Bite Mark Comparison Lab

In their study of forensic impressions the students were given a photograph of a bite mark on a person of interest in the ongoing fictionalized crime case they have been investigating over the course of the school year. The person of interest claimed the bite mark was received in an altercation in his local pub. However, the authorities think he may have something to do with a victim whose body was found in a burnt out car. The students are comparing bite impressions from the bar patrons and the crash victim to the photograph of the suspect's bite mark.

Bite mark impressions lined up on one of the lab tables.

Catie is taking measurements of  "characters" of the impression which will be used for comparison.

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Claire dons plastic gloves in preparation for handling her assigned impressions.

Photograph of the bite on the person of interest.

Comparing the photograph to an impression, looking for "characters" they may have in common.

Francie get ready to carryout her impression comparisons.

Arson Debris Analysis

In their continuing examination of a simulated crime scene, the students in the Forensic Science used a simple colorimeter test to determine whether or not an accelerant was the source of the fire damage in the car wreck which was found outside of the small Appalachian community.

Materials to test if the accelerant is diesel fuel. There is the Standard Sample, which contains a piece of car carpet that has been exposed to diesel fuel, the piece of carpeting taken from the car wreck, the diesel colorimeter in a sealed vial, clay and a washer to open the colorimeter vial.

Materials to test if the accelerant is gasoline. There is the Standard Sample, which contains a piece of car carpet that has been exposed to gasoline, the piece of carpeting taken from the car wreck, the gasoline colorimeter in a sealed vial, clay and a washer to open the colorimeter vial.

The colorimeter vial is inserted into the chamber containing the Standard and the chamber containing the evidence. Both are gently heated to release the volatile accelerant from the carpet samples. The volatile gas' only exit from the chamber is through the colorimeter vial which is tightly sealed using "clay".

While waiting for the volatile accelerant to vaporize, Kailey exhibits her sculpting skills using her groups excess clay sealant.

Kailey's dapper penguin points to the positive color (green) change beginning in the bottom of the gasoline colorimeter. This indicates the presence of gasoline in their carpet sample. As the green color moves up onto the scale in the tube, they will be able to esitmate the gasoline concentration in ppm (parts per million)

Mouse, elephant, pig, turtle and dapper penguin sculptures created by Kailey.

Kailey's clay menagerie.

Students Begin the Hair and Fiber Evidence Analysis of the Crime Scene in the Mondelo Case

Throughout this year as the students have learned different forensic specialties, they have been presented with evidence related to one specific case. They are currently examining hair and fiber evidence from the truck abandoned in New Mexico and comparing it to fibers found in the cabin which contained the bodies of a make and female victim.

In the lab each group has received 5 packets of fibers from the cabin, a tape of fibers removed from the carpeting in the abandoned truck, and samples from two suspects to compare with the fibers from the cabin and the truck. The students have to share their finding as there are a total of 30 fiber samples from the cabin and quite possible an equivalent amount of fiber gathered from the truck.

The students have begun by making a slide of each piece of evidence. The slide includes a casting (mold) of the hair/fiber surface and a whole mount of the actual fiber. The slides will them be examined for characteristics which will be noted on an evidence sheet. Slide will be examined under both dissection and light microscopes, from which characteristics and sketches of the evidence will be recorded.

Chrissy is organizing the Evidence sheets and transferring the evidence sheet serial number to the accompanying evidence slide.

Cabin evidence bag, the slide made of the evidence from this bag, ans the evidence sheet for the analyst's notes and sketches.

James does the same with his groups evidence.

 

Forensic Science Students Study Blood Spatter

Bloodstain pattern analysis is a powerful forensic tool used in crime scene investigations. If the investigator understands the dynamics of an altercation, how blood behaves when it exits the body, and how it reacts when it contacts a surface, then an attempt can be made to understand what happened and to determine if a crime occurred. 

The trained forensic scientist looks at the patterns made by shed blood and tries to determine what did and/ or did not happen. Interpreting the bloodstain patterns involves physical measurement of blood droplets, pattern recognition using known photographs or experiments, the use of trigonometry, and knowledge of the physics of motion. 

Katie and Chrissy are examining their blood drop test sheet to determine which drops to measure as examples of blood droplet hitting a surface from a specified height at a specific angle.

Vivian enters the length and width of droplets previously measured into a data table. The data will eventually be compiled in an Excel spreadsheet designed to determine the angle of incidence for the blood droplet and the height from which the blood droplet originated.

Jesse measures a different sample of blood droplets.

Nick is completing his data table for the vertical blood droplet study. Entering his measurements for blood droplets falling from different height, all of which have a 90 degree angle if incidence.

Roberto and Steven are creating a low speed blood spatter pattern  produced when the angle of incidence is 90 degrees. This is done by putting a sample of blood on the back of one hand and slapping the sample with the other hand, pushing it towards the surface.

The results of the 90 degrees low speed spatter.

Kailey, Kylie, Claire and Catie make sure they have the proper height measurement on the metric side of their tape measure before they begin to make their blood droplet samples into the angle of incidence apparatus.

Kailey drops the simulated blood from a Pasteur pipette at the height indicated by Kylie.

Two droplets done!

Three droplets done!

Francie is preparing multiple blood droplets from a fixed height.

Kylie and Kailey are working on "stringing" the blood spatter on the walls of their "cabin". The cardboard box represents a 1/8 model of the crime scene where the bodies of a male and a female were found.

Vivian, Chrissy, Katie, and Matt's model is almost complete. The strings represent the "direction" from which the blood spatter originated.  The places where the strings converge are the probable positions of the victims when they were attacked.

Lower Hudson Valley Engineering EXPO

On Sunday, March 30, 2014, the Foundation for Engineering Education will present the eleventh annual Engineering EXPO, to educate regional high school and middle school students about engineering as a career. It will be held at White Plains High School, White Plains, NY (Westchester County), from 11 :00 AM to 4:00 PM. Last year's EXPO saw attendance of over 3,000 students, 40 colleges, and 50 engineering or technology based businesses and societies.

The goals of the annual Lower Hudson Valley Engineering Expo are as follows:

 1. Recruit grade 8-12 students interested in math and science and teach them about careers in engineering. We need to convey all options: Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Materials, etc., and perhaps we can attract them with interesting careers in some of the new and exotic fields like nanotechnology, biomedical engineering and aerospace. It is imperative that we recruit the best and the brightest into our profession.

2. Inform juniors and seniors about requirements for engineering degrees. Several colleges in the region with engineering programs will set up booths or tables with information about admission and curriculum.

3. Enlighten the students about careers in engineering. Most do not realize that 8 of the 10 highest paying Bachelor degrees are in engineering fields. Various firms and industries have volunteered to set up displays and be available for discussions with interested students. Some very exciting work goes on in our industry. There is much to be proud of.

NYU GSTEM Summer Internship Program for Girls

NYU GSTEM (http://cims.nyu.edu/gstem/) is a six-week program designed for young women in their junior year of high school. During this program, you will live at home and commute to New York University and internship sites throughout New York City! You will have an opportunity to work on a small project alongside researchers in the mathematical and physical sciences, produce a brief paper about your work, and deliver a short oral presentation to your peers. You will be supported by experienced STEM tutors who will be matched to your area of interest and provide guidance throughout the program.

Apply online starting on February 1st!

Program Dates: July 7 - Aug 15, 2014

Monday, July 7-Friday, July 11: Orientation Week
Lectures, workshops, and information sessions on campus to help you prepare for the program.

Monday, July 14-Tuesday, August 12: Internship Weeks
Internship research four days per week and one campus day each week.

Wednesday August 13-Friday, August 15: Final Convocation
Program completion with final lectures, papers, and student project presentations.

Tuition Cost: $2,750

A generous grant from the Sloan Foundation has underwritten this program.

Scholarships may be available for students who cannot afford the full tuition.

For questions, contact Dr. Matthew Leingang, Rebecca Stern, or Dr. Mark Saul: gstem@courant.nyu.edu

Summer Programs

We have recently received information on two summer programs available to students interested in pursuing the study of science over the summer months.

 

http://www.summerscience.org/home/index.php

http://www.seas.upenn.edu/saast/