Williamson Fellows Outreach - College of Mines and Earth Sciences

Chuck and Cathy Williamson

Science Communication Fellowship

The Williamson Fellowship is aimed at increasing geoscience communications and encouraging diversity in the geosciences. The Williamson Fellows will develop relationships with 7-12 public school programs, engage youth in geoscience, increase public science literacy, and provide opportunities for U of U geoscience students to gain outreach and science communication experience.

All teaching resources & activites

Meet Jeremiah and Sam!

2021-2022 Williamson fellows

JEREMIAH BERNAU

Jeremiah Bernau is a 5th-year PhD student in Geology and Geophysics working with Dr. Brenda Bowen. His research focuses on the interactions between water and evaporites on daily to millennial timescales and how these changes influence the development of landscapes and environmental records. He enjoys doing fieldwork at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, a rapidly changing modern salt pan. Jeremiah received his bachelor’s degree in Earth Science at Vassar College in New York; and his master’s degree in Geology at West Virginia University. Jeremiah has done science outreach and communication through talks to elementary school students, Science on Tap, and contributions to art exhibitions. Jeremiah spends his free time hiking, baking, and reading. He is excited to help students discover the wonders of geoscience and increase their participation in STEM.

Jeremiah Bernau

SAM LOPEZ

Sam Lopez is a 4th-year PhD student in the Department of Geology and Geophysics working with Dr. William Johnson. His research is focused around methylmercury production and transport in the Great Salt Lake. Sam received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Grinnell College in Iowa, where he also played collegiate baseball and took part in research focused on mercury cycling in agriculturally dominated wetlands. Sam often spends his free time fly fishing, skiing, backpacking, and enjoying other outdoor activities that the beautiful state of Utah has to offer. Sam has previously worked with youth in science through STEM oriented summer camps and tutoring programs. He is incredibly excited for the opportunity to further promote youth participation and diversity in geoscience through the Williamson Fellowship.

sam

2021-2022 News

SLCSE Jordan River Field Trip

JORDAN RIVER TRIP, LESSON PLANS

Enthusiastic students went out to the local Jordan River to conduct a "Bioblitz" activity using the iNaturalist app. They attempted to identify any plants and animals they could see, and pondered the life in water samples. They used their field trip observations to reconstruct a Jordan River foodweb.

SLCSE Bryant Middle School Field Trip

FOSSILS & THE U,
LESSON PLANS

One hundred students in two groups from SLCSE Bryant Middle School had a December field trip day at the Sutton building on campus. Led by our Williamson Fellows - Jeremiah Bernau and Sam Lopez, and the SLCSE teachers Tommy Good and Lucas Matelich, the students participated in several geology “stations” exposing them to describing what they could see in polished rock slabs, touching real fossils, looking at minerals, scavenging through the rock pile, and more. Through these activities they addressed topics of “change” and “time”, and got a better feel for a college campus. These students enlivened our space, and we hope a few might return as majors to the U in another 5 years.....!

Citizen Science Water Fair

On Oct. 26, 2021, there was a terrific turnout at SLCSE Bryant for a Citizen Science Water Fair. Over 200 students brought water samples from their homes to be tested by Dr. Jennifer Weidhaas from the Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. While families were waiting, they engaged in a number of water-related activities, including the water taste-test (tap, distilled, spring, salt, and carbonated) and testing (pH, TDS, hardness, alkalinity, and conductivity) activity that the Williamson Fellows created. In all, a big success!

Citizen Science Water Fair

Great Salt Lake Field Trip

GSL FIELD TRIP,
LESSON PLANS

The 2021-22 Williamson Fellows developed and led their first field trip of the year to the Great Salt Lake State Park. One hundred 8^th graders from SLCSE Bryant Middle School rotated through 4 stations to:

Observe the unique ooid sand and past lake levels
Locate spiders, birds, flies and shrimp and piece together the GSL food web
Collect weather and temperature data at different locations to compare how water affects air temperature and motion (wind)
Compare density of salt water vs. fresh water, and discuss implications

Students were amazed and intrigued (and some disgusted…) with the unique setting of the Great Salt Lake shoreline – many of whom had never visited the lake! Field trip planning information and student handouts will be shared soon.

Williamson Fellows at the Great Salt Lake State Park

Connecting with K-12 Students During Covid

Geological society of America (GSA) Abstract

GSA Slide Presentation

Tommy Good, a science teacher at SLCSE Bryant Middle School, will oversee this year’s cohort of the Williamson Science Communication Fellows. Tommy received his Bachelor’s degrees in Music and Geoscience from DePauw University (2010), his Master’s of Science in Geology from the University of Utah (2013), and his Master’s of Education from DePaul University (2015). He taught in Chicago Public Schools before moving back to Utah to help further the mission and expansion of the Salt Lake Center for Science Education within the Salt Lake City School District.

Goal: Our main goal this year is to develop and organize a variety of field trips around the Salt Lake City area. Research shows clearly that experiential, in-situ experiences help students make connections to academic learning, increases student awareness of our community, and helps to shrink the opportunity gap. These field trip plans will be widely shared to be accessed by educators in Salt Lake and beyond.