Public School Outreach Program
Numerous Sigma Xi members are willing to interact with public school teachers and students in a variety of ways to enhance science education in central Oklahoma. Many of us visit a number of local schools for science or career days, and for science enrichment activities in a variety of classroom settings from elementary to high school. Below is a list of the science specialties of our members that may be useful in determining if someone from Sigma Xi might be able to talk to your students. Also note that many of our speakers have a number of hands-on experiments that might be very beneficial to your students and their understanding of science.
If you are interested in getting a scientist
from Sigma Xi to visit your school, please contact David Stensrud at David.Stensrud@nssl.noaa.gov
for help in establishing contact with the correct Sigma Xi member.
Please note that our members may or may not be available on specific
days, and that contacting them well ahead of time will increase the
chance that they can meet with your students.
Science Topics
Aerospace Engineering
Learn how engineers design airplanes
that can carry larger loads, and rockets that can launch satellites and
reach the other planets in our solar system.
Aviation and Weather
Airplanes and weather are best off when
they don't interact. Learn how the aviation industry uses weather
information to keep flights away from dangerous situations.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry is the
study of chemical compounds and processes occuring in organisms.
Find out what is happening inside your own body.
Chemistry
Chemistry is the
study of the composition, structure, and properties of substances and of
the transformations that they undergo. Many science disciplines
require a working knowledge of chemistry.
Climatology of Severe Weather
Where and when is severe weather most
likely to occur in the United States? How does our annual cycle of
severe weather compare to other countries?
Cyclones and Winter Weather
Cyclones, or low-pressure systems, play
a large role in both the atmospheric circulation and day-to-day weather.
Learn how cyclones influence the weather in your backyard and why winter
weather is so difficult to predict.
Environmental Microbiology: Pollution Mitigation using Microorganisms
Microorganisms can help us limit the
damage done to the environment when oil is spilled from tankers. How is
this accomplished?
Energy and Natural Resources Policy Issues
In today's world where energy is crucial
to economic growth, the government plays a strong role in defining how
energy is used and how we are influenced by it. Learn how energy policy
influences our lives on a daily basis.
Geology: Igneous and Metamorphic Rock Systems
Learn about the geology of Oklahoma and
the differences between igneous (volcanic) and metamorphic rock systems
and why they are important.
Interactions between Government and the Private Sector in Meteorology
Weather is a field in which the
government and the private sector must interact, since weather knows no
geographic boundaries and can threaten lives and property.
Weather-related concerns have led to a number of international data
sharing agreements unique to this field.
Learning as a Limitless Adventure
Learning does not stop when you graduate
from high school. Learning is a part of life. Hear one
scientistsÕ perspective on how learning will enhance your life
and your job prospects.
Lightning and Storm Electricity
Lightning is the
most dangerous and frequently encountered weather hazard that most
people experience each year. It is the second most frequent killer in
the United States with nearly 100 deaths and 500 injuries each year.
Learn how lightning is produced and get the latest information on
sprites and elves? lightning that moves upward from the tops of
thunderstorms.
Oklahoma Archaeology
Learn about the study and preservation
of Oklahoma's unique cultural heritage.
Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
What conditions lead to the development
of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes? How do we better understand these
violent creations of nature?
Storm Chasing in Fact and Fiction
The picture of storm chasing the media
often presents, through movies and television, is inaccurate. Learn the
truth about chasing storms and why it is beneficial to society.
Storm Photography
View excellent weather-related
photographs, and learn what makes a good picture.
Turbulence
Learn about what makes a fluid
turbulent, and how turbulence influences the design of structures we use
every day.
Using Doppler Radar
to Understand and Issue Warnings on Severe Thunderstorms
Through the Doppler effect, a physical
phenomena marked by a change in frequency depending on the motion of an
object toward or away from a point, the radar can give a picture of the
winds within a storm. If, within a small area, high winds toward the
radar are adjacent to high winds away from the radar, a circulation has
developed and forecasters prepare to issue a severe weather warning.
Learn how radar has influenced meteorology.
Weather Forecasting
How are forecasts produced, and what
elements go into making a good forecast
Women and Underrepresented Minorities in Science
Learn about some
famous women and minorities in science and the status of women and
minorities today in scientific fields. View statistics which
reveal disciplines in which women and minorities are more likely to
attain productive careers. Find out what is being done to improve
the environment for women and minorities in science, in order to
encourage them to persist through to degree attainment, and to thereby
increase the US scientifically-educated workforce.
Zoology: Diseases caused by Ticks, Mosquitoes, and other Backyard Insects
Rocky Mountain spotted fever and lyme
disease are only two of the diseases that can be transmitted by insects.