About Me:
Hello! My name is Meredith and I’m currently an 8th grade science teacher at Raynham Middle School. This is my second year participating in the RET program. I enjoyed last summer so much, so it was a no-brainer that I am thrilled to be back this year. (It’s worth the hour+ commute each day!) In addition to teaching, my other full-time job is being a Mom to two beautiful girls Sophie (7) and Sammie (2). In whatever spare time I have, I enjoy cycling indoors and outdoors, hanging out with my two dachshunds, attempting to garden, crocheting, and reading things that are not student work.
About the Lab:
I have been lucky enough to be placed back in the same lab as last year, with Dr. Pratap Rao and Dr. Ceren Yilmaz-Akkaya in the SYNer-gy lab (formerly Nanoenergy). They have several projects in the works at this point. The lab in which I am working within this department is discovering, understanding, and developing advanced materials for many applications, including solar energy conversion catalysis, printed electronics, sensors, and functional coatings. This lab includes work in materials science, materials and mechanical engineering, solid state physics, and thermal sciences.
Project Title:
My project’s focus is on combating harmful algal blooms (HABs) and the cyanobacteria using a renewable source. We are using a photocatalyst, a solid material, which will use sunlight to speed up chemical reactions to (hopefully) kill off the bacteria and algae. This material will be tested for its efficiency in simulated freshwater that has the same hardness, meaning the compounds and their concentrations found in it. Algae may also be grown in the lab to test. The possibilities for testing are numerous, so I look forward to seeing what will the focus will be! This work is part of a grant-funded project from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that was awarded to WPI. It’s a two year grant, and I am privileged enough to be here at the very start and be part of getting it going.
More about the project: https://www.telegram.com/story/news/environment/2024/06/10/wpi-researchers-work-to-rid-local-lakes-of-harmful-cyanobacteria/74000008007/
Weekly Updates:
- Week 1 (June 27 – July 5): Hit the ground running this year! Since I was already acclimated with the lab and know all the fantastic people, I was able to start collecting data the first day after orientation. We’re using a lamp in the lab that is meant to emulate natural sunlight- so my job was to figure out at which height above the sample the lamp should be. I characterized the lamp using a spectrophotometer and compared the wavelengths at each height to those in the light within the visible range. I also began to investigate what the composition of the water samples should be- and it was decided we would formulate a artificial freshwater sample which mimics what is found in Worcester. This water will be used throughout our testing so it is more authentic to the actual conditions.
- Week 2 (July 8 – July 12): This week was incredibly busy with different experiments to figure out what concentrations of the material to use with the artificial fresh water, and setting up the controlled experiments with crystal violet instead of the algae to start. The tests were done in darkness and underneath the “sunlight” inside the lab to see how the absorbance of the light changed. In these experiments, the goal is for the absorbance of light to go down, which means the concentration of the substance is also going down, therefore degrading! It was a lot of playing around with concentrations and timing, but it’s been gratifying to see good changes with the result. I was able to present my findings to the lab group, and it was nice to hear that my work was well explained and more progress was made! I think my experience as a teacher has been helpful when I’m explaining what I’ve been up to and interpreting the data. We had a great group lunch at a local spot and then toured the Fire Protection Engineering lab which is actually in my lab building. WPI is one of the VERY few educational institutions where such a program exists, so that alone made it fascinating.
- Week 3 (July 15 – July 19): This week we provided an update to our cohort of educators about our research. I got to hear much more about the other projects which was very enlightening. More testing was done in the lab, and we are getting closer to running our tests on the algae itself to test how it will respond to the photocatalyst in the water. The algae arrived to our l
ab, and work is being done to figure out how we will track the degradation of it and report our results. I cannot believe it is already mid-July. I’m even more comfortable than before with using the equipment, knowing where things are, and being independent with my studies. I have a clear plan for the lesson I will be doing with my students which aligns with my research. I can’t wait to show what I do with my students and provide them with an authentic experience with renewable energy that is both relatable and very important to them! The week was also filled with more laughs and fun in the lab and a lunch outing. Everyone here has made me feel like I am a part of a very important team, which motivates me even more to do my best work. - Week 4 (July 22 – July 26): This week was full of more testing with the photocatalyst and crystal violet. Once we were able to establish a good ratio between them for optimal performance, I was able to learn how to coat the powder on thermoplastic polyurethane paper (TPU). It is actually heated on a hot plate and the powder is smeared on very carefully to create a film of the photocatalyst. There was a lot of trial-and-error involved with the temperature and powder amounts, but there was success! Best of all, this particular TPU paper is able to float in the water, and stay afloat. This is encouraging for the eventual 3D printing- if this paper is used, we know it can support the powder and remain on top of the lake’s surface, which will make it easy to retrieve. The algae is on its way to being grown- I’ve gotten to know and work with Jules who is an undergrad here and simply so much fun, and she is been the integral person in getting the algae growth going… our two worlds will be colliding soon enough.
- Week 5: (July 29 – August 2): More testing was done to look at the efficiency of the immobilized particles versus the mobilized ones. Reaction rates are wildly different between the two, but at least something is going on. I was busy with collecting samples, analyzing data, and then being able to report it out to the lab group. It was encouraging to see the project moving along, and I was especially happy to hear I was getting some valuable data that can be used in reporting to the EPA in progress updates. My husband and daughter stopped by for a visit which was incredibly special. The girls got to hear about just what “Mommy is doing all day” and look at all the instruments. Getting a seven year old to stop reaching at things is a tough task, but she was happy to learn how to use a micropipette.The poster is just about done- and there is certainly a lot to report and comment on. I have gotten to spend a great deal of time with my lab group, and I think I may be having an even more enjoyable experience than last year, which I didn’t think was possible. I am also pleased to be able to present at the NEACT (New England Association of Chemistry Teachers) conference next week at Clark University. I plan on representing WPI with pride, as I share my experiences and my knowledge of integrated STEM education. Did I mention my lesson plan for this year yet? It’s coming along, and while it is more my “comfort zone” it has been a challenge to create an engaging and worthwhile experience for my 8th graders. However, it is something I am so glad to share with them- it’s great to be able to tell them that it’s okay if they don’t know everything right away… if these summers have taught me anything, it’s, “I certainly don’t know either… but let’s figure it out and celebrate our discoveries together!” I’ve already been asking if I can be making some periodic in-person visits or online meetings throughout the year just so I can check in and see how things are going.
- Week 6: (August 5 – August 9): The last week featured the wrap-up of all the work done over the summer. The last edits for the poster were completed, after much time spent making sure everything was aligned and all content presented clearly. There was a lot of data to disseminate, and ensuring it was all represented appropriately was a challenge. I had the absolute honor to represent WPI and the RET program at the NEACT (New England Association of Chemistry Teachers) conference a Clark University, where I presented last year’s lesson plan, and highlighted the importance of Integrated STEM. It was great to have support from WPI faculty and staff while there- it was my first time presenting at a conference. The last professional development featured more hashing out of what will be going into our lesson for the year. I don’t have as clear of a picture as last year, but that just means I have many more ideas to pick from! The lab team, with the RET cohort, paid a visit to Coes reservoir in Worcester to learn how to take samples from the lake. We had the opportunity to learn about the different sampling techniques, and to try them out for ourselves. This was especially important for my lab group, as we will be taking samples to bring back to the lab and test our photocatalyst on the algal blooms. Of course, we didn’t go to the contaminated water this time, but knowing the procedures is important for later on. (I was already online looking for supplies for my classroom- and secretly hoping we had a contaminated lake near my school… not that it’s a good thing, just convenient!) The final day was so bittersweet, as it was fun to present my work, but also so sad to have it be over. Networking with other companies was a big deal, and I hope I can bring more back to the classroom to enrich the experience of my students. Being recognized for all of my hard work was a great feeling, and will motivate me to reach even higher! I drove away from WPI in tears, as I will miss it so much, but also so happy from the experience.
Final Poster:
Loading...
Reload document 
Open in new tab