Ocean Depths Sonar Activity

I mentioned our second grade sonar activity in my post last week. Just like with real sonar technology used by submarines and many marine animals, kids at Brown Elementary used the depth of a spot on the "ocean floor" to get a sense of what could be there. We didn't have a sonar transducer, but we were able to use a dowel as a ruler to determine how deep objects were by poking through the holes in the lid of the box. This data was collected and analyzed to map out what we thought the inside of the box looked like.

As an example of how we analyzed our data, the reading in square 1A was 9 units away, but the reading in square 2A  was 6 units away. This told them that there must be something in 2A that is taller (or closer) than whatever is in square 1A.

The kids had a hoot, although they were rather anxious to open the box! If you'd like to learn more about sonar technology, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website through this link: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sonar.html

Til next time, friends!

-A. Judge

Brown Elementary Explores the Weather

A few weeks ago, students in the after school STEM program at Brown Elementary learned all about weather, and we finally finished a display to showcase their work. Third graders made kites, second graders made weather vanes, and our kindergarteners colored compasses. Some students took their creations home, but a few were kind enough to let us put their masterpieces on display for a little while! 

Now, whoever walks into the school will see what they've created and hopefully learn a little bit about the weather while they're at it. I'm so proud of these kids and the work we're able to accomplish, even when it's been a long day at school and they just want to go home or run around on the playground.

After finishing up the display, I had the chance to work on an activity for our second graders for next week. I created an "ocean floor" by taping objects to the bottom of a box on a grid. The lid has the same coordinate grid taped to the top. Kids will insert a ruler through holes in the box to see how far down the ruler goes, similar to how submarines and whales send out sonar waves to see how far away the ocean floor is.

Not only will they learn about how sonar technology works, but they'll learn valuable skills about how to collect data and analyze it. I'm looking forward to it--even if they'd rather just open the box to see what's inside instead of using our "sonar technology" (kids were already asking to see inside the box as I was poking the holes).

Can't wait for next week at Brown's STEM Lab!

-A. Judge

Trichy the Trichomonas

Meet my cheeky, new Trichomonas friend! Trichy is a plush version of the protozoan that I research, Trichomonas vaginalis. This parasite is the cause of the most common non-viral STD in the world, trichomoniasis. You can read more about trichomoniasis and my research in my recent blog post. Trichy has already accompanied me to JHS to help present my research, and they'll be accompanying me on all of my future trips!

Who wouldn't want to learn about scientific research from a plush protozoan who's this cute?!

-A. Judge and Trichy

Mrs. Thompson's Class at WPES (3/9/16)

My visit with these adorable kids at White Plain Elementary didn't have much to do with my platform, but how could I not fill you in on the great time I had???

Until today, I didn't fully realize the impact that simply wearing my crown and sash can have on young kids. I heard a hushed whisper as I walked down the hallway, "It's a princess!" That moment was when it hit me that these visits can truly make a child's day. Before I cracked open a book; before I uttered a syllable; before I even waved hello, these kids smiled just because I was there. My crown and sash give me a power and responsibility which I will never again underestimate.

Once I got to Mrs. Thompson's first grade class, I quickly realized that it is full of well-behaved and inquisitive young minds! I wanted to make sure they got to hear me read some books they'd never heard of before, so I brought two of my favorites from when I was their age (way back when). These included "Go Away, Big Green Monster!" and "Go, Dog, Go!" As you can tell from the titles, I enjoyed lots of exclaiming and action, which is why I thought these little ones might, too.

As much as I love promoting STEM, it's great to go back to the basics of reading, since there would be no science, technology, engineering, or math without reading. Soon, I plan to combine the two by coming up with my own short story, featuring my trusty sidekick Blossom, to read to classrooms just like this one. By creating this new book, I hope to inspire reading-based and STEM-based creativity in young minds.

I'll be back, Mrs. Thompson's class, with my own storybook to share!

-A. Judge

JHS AP Biology and AP Chemistry Visit (3/9/16)

I visited my alma mater, Jacksonville High School, in Jacksonville, AL today. I was happy to be there, and Ms. Howard was almost as happy to have me!

When I e-mailed Ms. Howard a week ago about coming, we mentioned me speaking to her AP Biology class, and that was it. This morning, I got an e-mail saying: "I have invited the AP Chemistry class also. And we may have some admins and our media team too. Sorry - I bragged about you coming :)" Needless to say, THAT was a surprise! I couldn't believe that so many people were interested in what I have to say, and I was so extremely honored! It's wonderful to think that the teachers who inspired me to pursue a STEM career are still invested in where I'm going and what I do.

As far as the talk about my research, let me just say that these AP students knew their stuff! We had a grand ol' time going over how RNA is isolated and then translated into DNA using RT-PCR. As juniors and seniors in high school, I think they took away a lot of information about how undergraduate research works and whether they might like to take on their own research projects once they get to college; plus, they seem plenty prepared for the AP Bio exam!

My upcoming classroom talks will likely be back in Mississippi, since that's where I spend most of my time, but I don't want to limit the bounds of my platform to one state. I hope to reach throughout Mississippi, Alabama, and beyond through my platform. The next state to check off my list will be Tennessee, so stay tuned!

-A. Judge

Trichomonas vaginalis and its virus

You may have seen me running around telling students about my research, but now you'll get a chance to hear about it yourself!

The focus of my reseaarch is the single-celled organism pictured above called Trichomonas vaginalis. This parasitic protozoan is the cause of trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) worldwide. Typically, the disease is easily cured with one round of the antibiotic metronidazole; however, trich is associated with numerous long term health concerns in women (cervical cancer, high HIV risk, pre-term birth in pregnant women, and pelvic inflammatory disease). The increased risks for these conditions are likely the result of inflammation and pH changes in the vagina caused by the parasite.

More specifically, my lab at Millsaps College is curious about four different viruses known as Trichomonas vaginalis virus (TVV) 1, 2, 3, and 4, which can infect the protozoan. That's right, the organism that causes the STD trichomoniasis has its own disease! Any strain of T. vaginalis can host up to four of the viruses in any combination. So far, we have typed over 40 isolates to see which viruses (if any) they contain.

The purpose of this study is to match specific viruses with one of the many symptoms listed above. For instance, maybe cells infected by TVV2 cause more vaginal inflammation than those which don't, or maybe cells with TVV1 result in higher incidence of HIV contraction. There is already evidence that virus-positive cells are different than virus-negative cells; a study found that infected cells have been shown to be less resistant to the antibiotic metronidazole, and another study found that cells with virus have supressed protein expression.

We are currently collaborating with researchers at the Univeristy of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) to match symptoms in local patients to specific viruses, as discovered in our lab. Our work will be submitted for publishing in approximately two months.

I hope that my explanation was understandable, and if not, I'm always happy to sit down and discuss my research with interested listeners!

-A. Judge

New Team Member, Blossom!

Meet Blossom!

Blossom is the all new addition to my platform team. As an empassioned flowering plant committed to STEM education, they'll be making appearances within my computer game, coloring book, and everything else I do while promoting "Kids Blossom from the STEM."

You might be wondering whether to call our new friend Blossom a he or a she. The truth is, flowering plants have both male and female reproductive organs. This means that, like many other things in nature, Blossom is a hermaphrodite. To read more about what that means and how flowers act as reproductive organs of the plant, visit this convenient Wikipedia page: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant_sexuality. We hope these fun facts will get you interested in learning more about the science of flowers!

Blossom and I can't wait to work together, and we hope you'll follow our journey!

-A. Judge and Blossom

Spring has Sprung at Brown Elementary! (3/2/16)

My weekly trips to Brown Elementary to volunteer with their after school STEM program are always rewarding, but this week, I have a beautiful new door decoration to show for it!

The door underneath all this pretty paper has peeling orange and green paint (yuck!), so Mrs. Sarenac and I thought it needed some revamping for spring time. The first things that popped into our heads were flowers—but we wanted to make sure our decor was STEM related. That's when it hit me: the anatomy of flowers! Now, our K-5 students will have a chance to see how much goes on between the petals.

Before I had even started labeling plant parts, a first grader in the hallway wanted to know what I was making. Don't you love how curious kids can be, especially when they're encouraged? I want to feed that curiousity, until these kids blossom into beautiful flowers themselves!

Next up, I'll be decorating a display for my kids' science projects. They're very excited to have their kites displayed at the front of the school!

-A. Judge