{"458901":{"#nid":"458901","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Catch the Bio Buzz","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThey swarmed the Georgia Institute of Technology bio-community, hundreds of them, dipping their eager hands into science. Among other things, they made silly putty, they touched eyeballs, hearts and snakes, toured research laboratories, and were instructed in stem cells and biomaterials by real experts. And finally, they dropped eggs from high places without breaking them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience facilitated all of this on Saturday, Oct. 10, for the Buzz on Biotechnology, an annual open house for high school students and their families.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cThis has evolved into one of Georgia Tech\u2019s most effective outreach programs,\u201d said Loren Williams, professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and a longtime faculty member of the Petit Institute. \u201cIt brings in top Georgia high school students with their parents, siblings, peers and teachers and introduces them to our students, facilities and research programs. It presents the best of Tech to the outside world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EOrganized and presented by the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS), this year\u2019s Buzz featured 18 different demonstrations, 24 tours of six separate Petit Institute research labs, and four back-to-back seminars for 350 students, parents and teachers from 36 schools and 20 home school groups.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ESome parents, especially from the home school crowd, brought younger students, the idea being that it\u2019s never too early to start thinking about college.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cThis is an amazing event, great for any age student who is interested in science,\u201d said Tasha Wolford, who brought her 10-year-old home-schooled son, Austin, who stood nearby, enthusiastically nodding his ascent. \u201cThe hands-on stuff, that\u2019s what gets kids really excited about the science. And to have the college students, to be able to talk with them and see how excited they are about what they\u2019re doing, that was really valuable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe BBUGS were stationed at tables throughout the Petit Institute atrium, the Suddath Room and outside in the quad. They demonstrated some basic science principles with fun, hands-on presentations, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Viscoelasticity: In this demo, attendee students learned how to make silly putty out of common household chemicals, and learned how this famous toy\u2019s chemical properties are used in science and the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Genes by All Means: DNA is the template of life, but it can also be extracted from food using everyday household products.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Egg Drop: This exercise teaches about the important design criteria for protective helmets. So, high school (and younger) students use this knowledge to design a \u201chelmet\u201d for a raw egg. The eggs are then dropped them from the second and third-floor balconies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Liquid Nitrogen: What happens when you flash freeze a flower, or a tortilla, or fresh produce? What is dry ice and why does it steam? How does liquid nitrogen stay a liquid? In the one demonstration table operated by faculty, Loren Williams answered these questions and made some fans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cWe met a crazy professor outside, and he\u2019s one big reason to come to Georgia Tech, just to take his classes,\u201d Tasha Wolford said after seeing Williams\u2019 presentation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cI totally agree,\u201d said her son, Austin, again nodding his head vigorously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cThe response from the attending kids is so positive,\u201d said Williams who, like the BBUGS who plan and carry out the event, is a fixture at the Buzz on Biotechnology each year. \u201cI personally have a blast entertaining them with science tricks and stunts because they are so responsive. Buzz on Biotechnology really works for Tech and for the visitors. Our students have to be congratulated for this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIf there were student workhorses for the event, they were Kyle Blum, Jenn Pentz and Marissa Ruehle, from the BBUGS education and outreach committee, who pulled together all of the volunteers, solidified final details for the demos, lab tours and seminars, and sent more messages than an army of carrier pigeons.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThen they brought all of the disparate pieces together on Saturday for an event that seemed to flow easily.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cMy primary measure of success was that all the lab tours and demos went smoothly, without any day-of crises, and that I saw a lot of smiling faces, both from participants and volunteers,\u201d said Ruehle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe day of the event was a low-stress affair, said Blum, because of the advance planning by the BBUGS and Petit Institute staffers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p3\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s especially fun and challenging to come up with ways to teach complicated scientific concepts in a visually-intuitive way,\u201d Blums said. \u201cBuzz on Biotech is always an important event for me, because it\u2019s our biggest chance to make a serious impact on the lives of high school students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe makeup of the visitors was as diverse as the demonstrations, people from communities surrounding and within Metro Atlanta, all of them with one thing in common: an interest in science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cScience is a great field, because it is everywhere, and everyday concept,\u201d said Renula Rajasekaran. She teaches advanced placement chemistry at Luella High School near Locust Grove, and brought 10 students and their families.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cSomething like this gives our students more exposure than they can get in the classroom, which is extremely valuable as they think about their futures,\u201d said Rajasekaran.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIn addition to the exposure to science and experimentation, the Buzz on Biotechnology also served as a kind of unofficial recruiting tool for Georgia Tech. A representative from Georgia Tech Admissions was on hand to answer any questions about applications or student life. But the best feedback in this regard was unsolicited and unexpected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EA 16-year-old student, one of the 350 visitors on Saturday, made a point of stopping to talk with Ruehle and her colleagues that as a result of the event, she was now planning to pursue an engineering degree.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cShe had been interested in becoming a doctor,\u201d Ruehle said. \u201cBut after learning that engineers are involved with health applications at Buzz, she felt more interested in engineering and science than in medical school.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe young student also said that meeting so many \u201cnormal girls\u201d at the event was very important to her, and that really made an impression on Ruehle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cI think that her experience is a prime example of two reasons that make this event so important,\u201d Ruehle said. \u201cIt introduces people to options they were truly unaware of, and it dispels stereotypes about research science and scientists!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Annual Buzz on Biotechnology brings 350 guests to the Petit Institute for hands-on science"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAnnual Buzz on Biotechnology brings 350 guests to the Petit Institute for hands-on science\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Annual Buzz on Biotechnology brings 350 guests to the Petit Institute for hands-on science"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2015-10-14 11:18:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:47","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-10-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-10-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"458751":{"id":"458751","type":"image","title":"The BBUGS","body":null,"created":"1449256347","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:27","changed":"1475895204","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:24","alt":"The BBUGS","file":{"fid":"203554","name":"bbugs2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bbugs2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bbugs2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3947460,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bbugs2_0.jpg?itok=3qzuMoE7"}},"458781":{"id":"458781","type":"image","title":"Brennan in lab","body":null,"created":"1449256347","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:27","changed":"1475895204","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:24","alt":"Brennan in lab","file":{"fid":"203555","name":"dsc_0357-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dsc_0357-1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dsc_0357-1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1892200,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dsc_0357-1_0.jpg?itok=p_xK2uuw"}},"458801":{"id":"458801","type":"image","title":"Young Scientist","body":null,"created":"1449256347","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:27","changed":"1475895204","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:24","alt":"Young Scientist","file":{"fid":"203556","name":"little_scientist.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/little_scientist_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/little_scientist_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1267782,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/little_scientist_0.jpg?itok=9qKlNt29"}},"458821":{"id":"458821","type":"image","title":"Loren Williams Buzz","body":null,"created":"1449256361","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:41","changed":"1475895204","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:24","alt":"Loren Williams Buzz","file":{"fid":"203557","name":"loren_hammer.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/loren_hammer_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/loren_hammer_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":910073,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/loren_hammer_0.jpg?itok=0njm3Rmd"}},"458831":{"id":"458831","type":"image","title":"Egg Drop","body":null,"created":"1449256361","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:41","changed":"1475895204","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:24","alt":"Egg Drop","file":{"fid":"203558","name":"drop2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/drop2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/drop2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2534203,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/drop2_0.jpg?itok=zaOmH_A_"}},"458841":{"id":"458841","type":"image","title":"Snake!","body":null,"created":"1449256361","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:41","changed":"1475895204","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:24","alt":"Snake!","file":{"fid":"203559","name":"snake2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snake2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snake2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":767239,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/snake2_0.jpg?itok=Ygy4qYLv"}},"458851":{"id":"458851","type":"image","title":"Craig Forest Buzz","body":null,"created":"1449256361","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:41","changed":"1475895204","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:24","alt":"Craig Forest Buzz","file":{"fid":"203560","name":"craig.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/craig_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/craig_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2129224,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/craig_0.jpg?itok=M1pSCkNm"}},"458871":{"id":"458871","type":"image","title":"Buzz DNA table","body":null,"created":"1449256361","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:41","changed":"1475895204","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:24","alt":"Buzz DNA table","file":{"fid":"203561","name":"girls_table.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/girls_table_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/girls_table_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2902525,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/girls_table_0.jpg?itok=rBrjK4th"}}},"media_ids":["458751","458781","458801","458821","458831","458841","458851","458871"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13564","name":"Buzz on Biotechnology"},{"id":"23411","name":"community outreach"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}