Williamson Fellows Outreach 2023-2024 - 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 & activities

Meet Emily and Sandra!

2023-2024 Williamson fellows

EMILY CUNNINGHAM

Emily Cunningham is a 3^rd year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geology and Geophysics working with Dr. Sarah Lambart. Emily’s research is focused on studying mantle sourced lavas with the goal of expanding our knowledge of the upper mantle’s composition. Emily earned her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 2018, and then her master’s degree from the University of Missouri in 2020. Since the beginning of her academic career, Emily has been passionate about teaching and outreach, taking any opportunity to connect with people interested in learning more about the geosciences. She enjoys spending her free time with her partner and their pets, as well as reading, skiing, and climbing. Emily is grateful for the amazing outreach opportunities provided by the Williamson Fellowship, and excited to share her knowledge with the next generation of scientists while learning from them as well.

Mikelia Heberer

SANDRA (Sandy) RAMIREZ

Sandy is a 2^nd year Ph.D. student in the Department of Geology and Geophysics working with Dr. Peter Lippert. Her graduate studies focus on low-cost alternative methodology development for air quality monitoring and assessment in Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and her hometown, Mexico City. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Earth Science from UNAM in 2019 and 2022, respectively. After obtaining her bachelor’s, she worked at the UNAM Science Museum, where she started her outreach career. She enjoyed working with kids and found a way to connect with people through science communication. Sandy enjoys swimming, hiking, and watching good sci-fi movies in her free time. From the Williamson Fellowship, Sandy expects to gain and practice outreach skills that would help her in all aspects of her career. She is enthusiastic about promoting her research in a fun and exciting way.

Victoria Pavlovics

BENEFITS OF FELLOWSHIP

EMILY CUNNINGHAM

Though my time as a Williamson Fellow was relatively short, the things I learned I will carry with me for the rest of my career as a scientist. I spent one day each week in the fall semester of 2023 working with two groups of students at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education. I spent time with Elizabeth Moretz’s 11^th grade biology class, as well as Joshalynn Marino’s 9^th-12^th grade geology class. I got to know students by helping them with assignments, including some lab experiments in the biology class, and doing a few short presentations and activities. I was fortunate to be able to join the students on a number of field trips, including a hike through Catherine’s Pass up Little Cottonwood Canyon to measure tree trunks, and a walking tour of prominent downtown Salt Lake City buildings where the students were observing different geological building materials and learning about what those materials are and where they came from. I was also able to join the middle school for two days of activities at the Great Salt Lake where I taught students about the levels of Lake Bonneville, and they learned what makes Great Sale Lake ooid sand special.

My favorite day of the semester was when I was teaching the biology class about fossilization methods, which included a short presentation and several fossils for them to look at and answer questions about. While I was running the activity for Mrs. Moretz’s students, another 11^th grade biology teacher happened to come into the class and loved the activity, so she asked me to also bring it to her room to share it with her students. Even though I had never met those students before, they were so engaged and attentive which made it a fun time for everyone involved.

I truly loved and appreciated the opportunity to not only bring my own science into their classrooms, but more importantly to learn from them and their teachers how to best communicate what I do to a broader audience. This is an experience I will carry with me forever, and I am so grateful to have been able to participate in this program. Thank you for the opportunity and please enjoy the photos included below.

2023-2024 News

Williamson Fellows' Great Salt Lake Field Trip and Bio/Ecology Station

Williamson Fellows Emily and Sandy have been enjoying their time in their respective classrooms developing and supporting lessons, giving presentations, and helping with hands-on lab experiences. They've also been getting out on a few field trips! Tori supported a 7th grade September field trip to Great Salt Lake (pictures below).

Goblin Valley Experience

Sandy Ramierez

Visiting Gobin Valley was a fantastic experience for the students! They learned about rocks, minerals, and erosion. They organized activities and developed teamwork skills. We hiked inside canyons and talked about the characteristics of the formations that we observed through them. The students learned about the minerals in the sandstone formations and sedimentary structures. We also collected samples to learn about the rock cycle later in the course. Learning about teamwork was a crucial goal. The kids learned to set up a tent, navigate within the goblins, and plan. They also journaled their experience and understood the San Rafael Swell origin.

Meet the NEW Williamson Assistants!

This year, we have two enthusiastic undergraduates who will shadow our Williamson Fellows and learn about how to share and communicate science in the public school classrooms! This spring 2024, the Williamson Assistants have been shadowing the Williamson Fellows.

Angee

Angee Colvin

Angee Colvin is a transfer student from SLCC and is currently a junior in the geoscience program. She was previously a child development major but took a break to raise her three kids. When she returned to school, she switched her major to geology because she loves the mountains and hiking. She loves working with kids and is also a former gymnastics coach. Angee hopes to get kids excited about earth science and showing how it connects to every STEM field.

Jeremy Shurtleff

Jeremy Shurtleff is currently in his fourth year at the University of Utah studying Earth Science Teaching and Educational Psychology. Having had an interest and desire to be a teacher for many years, Jeremy finally decided in his mid-thirties to make a career change by returning to school to learn more about subjects that he is passionate about, geology and the natural world. He loves spending time outdoors and in open spaces, whether it is mountain biking, hiking, or backpacking. Jeremy hopes to one day share my enthusiasm for the natural world and get students excited to learn more about science and our planet.

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.