Page 7 - Eureka! Fall 2008

Student success students in Billig’s honours algebra Community engagement
Chalmers is one of five exceptional
class. The professor, seeing their
potential to go further than most,
has been teaching the students more
advanced math, and encouraged them
to apply for NSERC funding.
Billig supervised the summer re-
search of Jonathan Ladouceur into a
new mathematical method for digital
image processing that reconstructs
texture by capturing its statistical
properties, and the computer experi-
ments of Daniel MacDonald and Alex
Weekes on the highly advanced theory
“Mathematics is addictive, the problem is to find time for everything else,” says Professor Yuly Billig (left), who of elliptic curves and its applications
makes time to tutor exceptional students in his algebra class, like Noel Chalmers (right). in cryptography. Trevor Burn conduct-
ed his summer research work in the
Research experience adds up physics department at the University Students in the earth sciences enrichment mini-
of Lethbridge.
course program try their hand at identifying
“All of them made excellent prog- rock. The samples in the rock kit are collected by
soliton—that solitary wave that student Noel Chalmers has been ress through the summer,” says Billig. The greatest resource on earth professors and students during field work for Beth
Halfkenny’s outreach program.
A maintains its shape while travel- working on ways to solve the equa- “I assigned individual projects to
ling at a constant speed—can be found tion using hierarchies, rather than each student, but their collaboration
in blood pressure pulses, roll clouds, tackling equations individually. was encouraged and often it is a team n a country with a resource-inten- —teachers don’t need to find things says Sean Clark, a Grade 12 teacher at
tidal bores, Jupiter’s red spot, and With an Undergraduate Student effort. We achieved the goal of this I sive economic base, it makes sense on their own,” says Halfkenny. “I want Sacred Heart High School in Stittsville,
light pulses in fibre optics, making it Research Award from the Natural endeavour, which was to give under- for Canadians to understand the basic people to know that we’re here and Ont. “It gave me a wealth of resources,
of interest to physicists and applied Sciences and Engineering Research graduate students a taste of research geological processes that gave us oil we’re willing to help.” both tangible and theoretical, that I
mathematicians. Theoretical attempts to Council (NSERC), Chalmers spent the in mathematics.” sands, coal deposits, diamonds, rich Among the services provided by the could bring directly into my classroom.”
understand solitons have been almost summer working on soliton equations That taste of research was enough agricultural lands, and lake upon lake outreach program are courses in the For teachers new to the earth and
exclusively mathematical; most famous- under the supervision of Yuly Billig, to shape Chalmer’s future. upon lake. Yet earth sciences play only a university’s enrichment mini-course space sciences course, the workshop
ly, the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation professor in the department of math- “I was uncertain what to do after minor role in elementary and secondary program for high school students; a can help them get up to speed. “As this
describing waves in shallow water. ematics and statistics. my undergraduate degree,” he says, school education, leaving many students half-day campus visit for Grade 12 is a course new to my school, I had no
A more complex soliton equation, “Having just finished second year but “but now I know I want to continue in to stumble upon it in university. earth and space sciences classes to teaching resources whatsoever—the
the 2+1 dimensional Bogoyavlensky doing graduate-level math meant there my studies in applied mathematics. For Beth Halfkenny, curator and attend a lecture, tour the facilities and workshop provided me with ample
equation, generalizes the KdV to the was a big learning curve for the theory,” This research opportunity has given geological technician for the depart- participate in a laboratory activity; supplies to get rolling,” says Karen
point where it leaves the physical says Chalmers. “But if it wasn’t chal- me the confidence to pursue graduate ment of earth sciences, this just and prepared activities for teachers or McGaffey of Donald A. Wilson Sec-
realm: it is purely math. Third-year lenging, I wouldn’t be here.” studies.” won’t do. Halfkenny spearheads the visiting experts to use in the classroom ondary School in Whitby, Ont. “All the
department’s active outreach program on mineral identification, radioisotopic instructors were extremely helpful,
to increase awareness of the earth sci- dating, dinosaur footprints, mining, and presented their content at a level
ences and support educators seeking crystal growing and more. All the just high enough above what high
Carleton’s Faculty of Science now has to bring it into the classroom. activities are designed to be hands on, school teachers need to cover to give
over 10,000 alumni living all over the “Earth sciences is a way to observe giving students the opportunity to in- us the confidence to deliver a quality
world — and some are online right now! the world around you and open your vestigate and discover for themselves. program to our own students.”
eyes to what you’re already seeing,” A three-day interactive workshop Not restricted to school groups, the
Find your former classmates today says Halfkenny. “We try to create op- for high school teachers each spring outreach program is also available to
in the Carleton Café — the exclusive portunities in schools to talk about the is proving to be a popular offering. the community. In October, to celebrate
online community for Carleton alumni. field and increase the reach of science.” Designed to provide support for the International Year of Planet Earth
Get in touch with our new online post-
login to the Café for more info login to the Café for more info login to the Café for more info Administered by enthusiastic under- secondary earth sciences curriculum, and National Science and Technology
card tool. Use your alumni ID number graduate and graduate students, staff the workshop introduces teachers to Week, Halfkenny organized a field day,
to log in at carleton.ca/alumni. and faculty, the outreach program takes current geological issues, provides Explore Geoheritage Day, for the public
hands-on methods, and introduces
to learn about Ottawa’s geological heri-
a “what can we do for you?” approach.
Over 10,000 By providing resources, samples and possible field trip destinations in the tage. She has done sessions with junior
Ottawa area.
naturalist clubs and seniors groups.
subject experts, the program enhances
“I always say yes to requests, and
“The workshop helped to clarify some
science alumni worldwide Carleton University Department of University Advancement existing courses, trains teachers, and of the issues I had been struggling to then figure out how to do it,” says Half-
creates a community of educators.
“We’re a conduit for information find ways to share with my students,” kenny. “Outreach is a positive pursuit.”
6 fall 2008 EUREKA 7