AT LARGE Engaging with Houston communities. A STEM SOLUTION FOR EDUCATIONAL A STEM SOLUTION: The educational DISPARITY need in Houston is great, but R-STEM Carolyn Nichol was born with the curi- and Carolyn Nichol ous mind of an engineer. As a child, she are doing their best enjoyed taking things apart, and even to help solve the disassembled her grandfather’s odd clock, problem. which ran counterclockwise, just to see how it worked. In middle school, she won the science fair by making a solar oven for baking cookies. In high school in North Carolina, she was the only girl in her physics class and was constantly picked on by the boys because she was an outstanding student. Nichol went on to receive her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in chemical engineer- ing. She now is director of Rice’s Office of STEM Engagement (R-STEM). The three main goals of R-STEM are to provide resources to teachers and Continued on Page 2 ❱ ❱ SUMMER YOUTH CAMP PREPARES STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE Luz Deleon remembers the first time she heard the word “valedictorian.” She was in second grade, attending an older sibling’s high school graduation. “I knew I wanted to go to college too, but there was no way my parents could afford it,” said Deleon, who is the youngest of eight sisters and brothers. “My parents came from Mexico and it’s a very different culture. They didn’t want me to go away.” But Deleon was undeterred. She told herself, “I’m going to become valedictorian so that I can get a lot of scholarships and go to college for free.” And she did. In high school, she received straight-As all four years, became valedictorian of her class at Houston’s Northside High School and received a full ride to Skidmore College, where she’s a rising sophomore. Deleon attributes her success in large part to her early exposure to the concept of high ❱ FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS RICE UNIVERSITY Continued on Page 4 ❱ ❱ ISSUE 37 ❱ FALL 2018 CAROLYN underserved students, to provide — women who have succeeded in ods thanks to ConocoPhillips’ a platform for Rice faculty to do their engineering careers. Applied Mathematics Program NICHOL their outreach and disseminate “To see women conquer- (AMP!). “This is a unique program Continued from Page 1 their research results, and to help ing the world of STEM was very because we pair math and science close the disparity gap in public encouraging to all of the girls,” teachers for a professional devel- education. said Raidah Ahmed ’21, a Rice opment course,” Nichol said. The office manages more than student who worked as a teach- About 80 teachers come 15 outreach programs, ranging ing assistant in the program. together for five days in the sum- from two-week intense courses “The mission of this program is mer and eight days during the to larger and longer programs. to encourage these girls to not academic year to study subjects All the programs, however, are shy away from the subject and that are seemingly unrelated, such designed to engage students and encourage them to pursue STEM as algebra and biology, and find teachers in experiential learning. regardless of the social perception out how they can work together “Whether they are elementary that STEM is meant for men.” to solve scientific problems. For students, graduate students or Another issue that Nichol example, in one lesson, teachers teachers,” Nichol said, “we provide would like to solve is the educa- explored how different cancer them with resources so that they tional disparity among students treatments impact the growth rate can go out and understand the in public school education. “It’s of tumors. Nichol helped launch world in a better way.” wrong whenever so many kids the program through a generous About 200 middle and high have little access to high qual- donation from ConocoPhillips, school students go through the ity education and enrichment,” which also provides staff members “Whether they summer programs at Rice each Nichol said. “But I think we can as guest speakers to talk about how are elementary year, and about 100 middle school help them.” they use mathematics in their jobs. students, graduate teachers attend the professional R-STEM has created a pro- “The staff, the energy, overall development courses offered by gram, the Science Technology this was the best professional students or R-STEM. According to the Texas Engineering Mathematics development that I have been to teachers, we Education Agency, a middle Fabrication Academy (STEMFab), because it was so hands on,” said provide them with school teacher instructs about 125 to help Spanish-speaking students Murissa Mayes, an eighth grade resources so that students a year, so the impact that learn about careers in science and teacher at Key Middle School. “I R-STEM is having on students is technology. The program is free feel confident in implementing they can go out and in the tens of thousands, Nichol and uses Spanish and English what I learned from this experi- understand the asserted. to communicate to students the ence in my classroom.” world in a better One group that Nichol espe- opportunities available in STEM Another teacher, Kaylyn way.” cially wants to reach is women. careers. HISD, a sponsor of the Court, a seventh grade math “One of my passions is to get more program, selects the students teacher at Mayde Creek Junior — CAROLYN NICHOL women into the fields of science from HISD high schools, includ- High, said the program “stretched and engineering,” she said. “In ing Scarborough, Furr, Milby and forced” her to become a better high school, I was the only girl in and Austin. Students learn a teacher. “With great materials and physics; in college I was the only basic understanding of computer resources, AMP! allows teachers to woman in chemical engineering programming and electrical engi- really explore and be submersed at the University of Massachusetts, neering through rapid prototyping in the inquiry lesson design and and I was one of three women and circuitry. By the end of the how it can be implemented in the in my Ph.D. program at the two-week camp, students know classroom.” University of Texas. So I really how to operate a 3D printer and The educational need in want girls to go into science and enjoy making objects, especially a Houston is great, Nichol said, but do well.” printed owl with blinking eyes. Rice is doing its part to help solve To that end, she manages a “The STEMFab program gives the problem. “It’s a lot of hard course called Design, Connect, students the opportunity to use work to raise money to run these Create: Physics for Young Women. their natural artistic and creative programs, but when they are in The two-week, free program caters abilities while familiarizing them- session and you can see the good to high school girls who have selves with current technology,” that we are doing, I just completely completed algebra I and plan to said Isaias Cerda, assistant direc- forget how hard it is to write all take physics in the fall. Immersive tor for STEM and a lead organizer those grants for the programs. It is and hands on, the summer camp of the program. so rewarding.” ■ offers an array of scientific topics Students aren’t the only to explore such as static electricity, ones benefitting from R-STEM. — DAVID D. MEDINA forces and motion. The students Teachers are also brushing up on DIRECTOR also get to listen to guest speakers their science and teaching meth- MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY RELATIONS 2 RICE AT LARGE GIVING TO LEARN: RICE STUDENTS AWARD $50K TO LOCAL NONPROFITS Last year, Rice became Carter Taft, Sonia Torres and tions. There, Rice students pitched the 22nd partner of the Seyvion Waggoner formed three their chosen grantee for further Philanthropy Lab, a Fort fact-finding groups under the funding and debated with other Worth-based organization guidance of Avery, the author student ambassadors the best way dedicated to supporting of “Philanthropy and Higher to disperse an additional $150,000 philanthropy education at Education: A Fateful Hour in grant money. universities. Rice joined a Creating the Atlanta University At this year’s conference in cohort of schools, includ- System.” June, Rice students Sara Meadow ing Harvard, Stanford and The students read Avery’s and Jiatian Qu championed CHARITABLE COURSE: Rice Columbia, that offers an writings as well as Bill Gates’ Houston’s TXRX Labs, a nonprofit students raised $50,000, which annual course in charitable 2017 Harvard commencement hackerspace in the East End that they distributed to several nonprofit giving that culminates in dis- speech, in which he encour- offers courses and access to a organizations in Houston. tributing real money to local aged graduates to “be activists” rapid prototyping lab, woodshop, organizations. and “take on the big inequities” machine shop, electronics lab and of Refugees: Awarded $6,375 to This year, Rice students in through philanthropy and public a variety of other tools in its 30,000 extend its Global Learners sum- Giving To Learn: Philanthropy policy. The students also read square foot space. The Giving to mer program from two to three in Theory and Practice awarded John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon, Learn class awarded TXRX Labs weeks, giving middle school-aged nearly double the amount raised “A Model of Christian Charity,” $7,960 to expand its programs refugee students more time for by the 2017 class, present- that he delivered to American into Second Ward high schools educational and personal growth ing $50,000 to seven Houston colonists aboard a ship bound for through their Made to Market pro- before starting school in the fall.