PICNICS provides summer research experience for high school students

Eight area high school students participated in real-world research this summer at a science-based program offered at Bowling Green State University.

The PICNICS program (Parents Involvement with Children, Nurturing Intellectual Curiosity in Science) introduces high school students in 9^th-12^th grades to science careers.

Participants this year included Tressa Greiner and Dylan Kroggel from Bowling Green High School (BGHS); Josh Egnatuk and Ashton Hill, Eastwood High School (EHS); Olivia Thomas, Fremont Ross High School (FRHS); and Raisha Patel, Danielle Sun and Ramya Talla, all from Ottawa Hills High School (OHHS). Since 2018, the program has hosted 16 high school students from these schools and Springfield High School.

The program was developed by Dr. Jayaraman Sivaguru, photochemical sciences, as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant when he was at North Dakota State University (2006-2017). Since 2018, the BGSU Center for Photochemical Sciences and the Department of Chemistry have continued the program under Sivaguru’s leadership.  A major goal of the program is to keep high school students informed about the impact of science and technology in their lives,” said Sivaguru. “Additionally, it provides them with opportunities to experience a cutting-edge research in a STEM discipline for six weeks in the summer, working with graduate students and post-doctoral scientists.”

Students selected for the program participate in weekly group meetings and day-to-day laboratory activities ranging from synthesis of molecules and materials, to characterization and spectroscopy. At the end of the program, the students present their research in a public poster session.

Greiner of BGHS, who worked with Dr. Joseph Furgal and his graduate students on “Synthesizing T10, a Silica Cage,” said “It was a great learning experience that solidified my career plans of being a Science Teacher.”

Kroggel worked on “Synthesis and Characterization of Colloidal PbS Nanosheets” with Dr. Liangfeng Sun. “The program gave me a chance to witness the research process, observing and learning with graduate students and Ph.D. researchers.  I learned about photochemistry while a student in high school that I never would have learned without the PICNICS program,” Kroggel said.

“I enjoyed the research and seeing what it was like to work in a laboratory,” said Talla of Ottawa Hills. She worked with Dr. Marshall Wilson and graduate students on her research topic, “Investigation of Photo-induced and Thermal DNA Damaging Agents Containing Pyridinium.”

The other students’ work included “EPR Studies of Drying and Curing latex Paint” by Egnatuk with Dr. Malcolm Forbes, director of the Center for Photochemical Sciences; “Porous Materials as Bug Desiccants” by Thomas with Furgal; “Light Induced Cycloaddition Reaction Between Alkenes” by Danielle Sun, and “Light as a Reagent for Synthesis of Cyclobutanes” by Patel, both with Dr. Sivaguru; and “Defects in Metals and Wide Band-gap Materials” by Hill with Dr. Farida Selim.

"This program is an excellent example of the commitment of the BGSU Department of Chemistry, the Center for Photochemical Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences toward furthering the public good as a public university and promoting STEM careers for future generations" Sivaguru said.

Two of the principals of the high schools represented in the program praised the opportunities PICNICS offered their students.

 “Picnics provided a "graduate level" experience for our students that will gave them a taste of what their university education will look like,” said Jeff Dever, principal at BGHS.  “Dr. Sivaguru has started this program to introduce a glimpse of high-level learning and it gives students an introduction to a rewarding career in science.”

Brian Zeller at Fremont Ross said, “Our students have been able to experience the sciences in a way that is impossible to replicate in the traditional high school environment.  The most exciting part of the program is talking to the students about what they worked on throughout the summer.  We look forward to continuing our participation in the program and hope to get more students involved.”  

The Center for Photochemical Sciences, established in 1985 at the Department of Chemistry at Bowling Green State University, is world renowned for its activities in the photochemical sciences. It features faculty from the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, and Biological Sciences.  Its unifying intellectual theme focuses on the study of the interaction of light with physical, chemical, and biological systems, and on the quest for practical applications of that basic knowledge, which stimulate new technology.  The Center serves to expand the synergy of research, teaching, and applications in the photochemical sciences. It is the only institution in the world that can offer a PhD in photochemical sciences. The hall mark of the center is its collaborative and interactive nature in an interdisciplinary research setting that leverages effective use of resources to enhance knowledge for future generations.