Brandeis MRSEC

Partnership with Waltham Public Schools:

Science Pizza Talks

Director Anique Olivier-Mason, Ph.D.

Waltham High School Pizza Talks

Marisa MaddoxWHS Biology teacher

Vivek VimalBrandeis PhD Student

Pizza Talk Goals

Introduce future scientists at WHS to materials science

Showcase the diversity within the sciences

Explore the various paths into science

Improve science communication skills among Brandeis trainees

#youngscientists

Brandeis MRSEC and WHS

Science Pizza Talks

—FREEPIZZA—When:Tuesday,February23rd

1stand2ndLunchesWhere:3rdFloorLectureHall

Interested?Sign-upwithMs.Maddox,Rm244

ABrandeisundergraduateresearchscien stpanelwithJuliaSchiantarelliandOmarScruggs

‘15-’16 Waltham Pizza Talks

AndrewBalchunas,aPh.D.candidateinPhysicsatBrandeisUniversity,willdiscusswhatexciteshimaboutcurrentphysicsresearchandhowitcouldleadtothedevelopmentofnewmaterialswithapplica onsinmedicineortex les.GrowingupinBoston,hespentmostofhisfree meintheCityorplayingvideogamesbutbecameseriousaboutsciencea ertakingphysicsinhighschool.Andrewexploredastrophysicsasanundergraduate,buthedecidedtopursueotherphysicsresearchwhenheheardaboutresearchbeingdoneatBrandeisthatwaspar cularlyinteres ng.Andrewisfascinatedbymaterialsthatcannotbeclassifiedstrictlyasasolid,liquid,orgas.Itturnsoutthatthesematerialshaveinterac onsbetweenindividualpar cles,onamolecularscale,thatbringaboutinteres ngeffectsatlargerscales.Hewilldiscusshowthesematerialsworkandwhycompanieslookingtomanufacturethe“nextbigthing”aresointerestedinthisresearch.

Brandeis MRSEC and WHS

Science Pizza Talks

—FREEPIZZA—When:Thursday,April14th

1stand2ndLunchesWhere:3rdFloorLectureHall

Interested?

Sign-upwithMs.Maddox,Rm244

Ph.D.CandidateVeronicaFloreswillshareherstoryofhowshefoundhernicheinscience.Shewilltalkaboutthe“upsanddowns”she’sexperiencedinscienceasafirst-genera oncollegegraduatewithimmigrantparentsfromCentralAmerica.Veronicawillspeakaboutwhyshethinksmentorshipisahugekeytosuccessandhowherhighschoolmentorshelpedhertoreachonceunimaginablegoals!Veronicawillsharehowherworkwithbirds,rodents,monkeys,andhumanshelpedherfindwhatques onsinsciencearethemostfascina ngtoher.Asanundergraduate,shestudiedhowsongbirdsremember,make,andlearntheirsongsthattheypassonforgenera ons.A ercollege,sheswitchedtostudyhumansandmonkeystoinves gatehowthebrainisaffectedbydiabetes.CurrentlyatBrandeis,Veronicausesratstoexplorehoweachtasteexperiencehelpsformourfoodpreferences.Evennow,asastudentherself,sheisamentortotenundergraduatesatBrandeisandhelpsthemfindtheirwayinSTEM.Inthefuture,Veronicawouldlovetobeacollegeprofessortomentorandsupportfuturestudentsfindwhatscienceresearchexcitesthem.

Brandeis MRSEC and WHS

Science Pizza Talks

—FREEPIZZA—When:Thursday,March10th

2ndand3rdLunchesWhere:3rdFloorLectureHall

Interested?

Sign-upwithMs.Maddox,Rm244

Ph.D.candidateBernardHishamundawillsharethestoryofhisjourneyfromRwanda,asmallcountryinEastAfrica,tostudyingso ma erphysicsatBrandeisUniversity.Throughouthistraining,hehaspursuedhisjointinterestsinbusinessandscience:firstasabusinessownerwhilepursuinghisphysicsbachelor’sdegreeandnow,ashetakesfinanceclassesandpar cipatesinconsul ngventureswhilepursuinghisphysicsdoctorate.Duringthistalk,hewilldescribewhatdrewhimtoscienceandhowhiscurrentworkrelatestocu ngedgescienceandbusinessapplica ons.Asanundergraduate,hestudiedappliedphysics,createdaphysicsclub,andwasinvolvedinvariousengineeringventuresacrossthecountry.HethenworkedasanInforma onTechnologymanagerforaRwandanhotel.Assomeonewholikessolvingproblems,hewantstousehisscien ficskillsandbusinessacumentotackletomorrow'sins tu onalandorganiza onalchallenges.

Brandeis MRSEC and WHS

Science Pizza Talks

—FREEPIZZA—When:Tuesday,January12th

2ndand3rdLunchesWhere:3rdFloorLectureHall

Interested?

Sign-upwithMs.Maddox,Rm244

Brandeis MRSEC and WHS

Science Pizza Talks

Ph.D.candidateMadelenDíazwillshareherstoryhowafirst-genera onHispanic-Americanisnowpursuingherdreamofbecominganeuroscien st.She’llsharehowherexperiencesofgrowingupinMiamiinfluencedherdecisiontogotograduateschoolinBoston.She’lltalkaboutpreviousandcurrentneuroscienceprojectsandhowyoucanbeinvolvedasahighschoolstudentandundergraduatestudent.MadeleniscurrentlyathirdyearPh.D.NeurosciencestudentintheRosbashLabatBrandeisUniversity.Beforegraduateschool,shea endedMiami-DadeHonorsCollegeandtransferredtotheUniversityofMiamiwithafull-researchscholarship.MadelenbeganherresearchcareerasacollegefreshmaninMiamiChildren’sHospital,wherethegoalwastomoreaccuratelypredictwherethesourceofepilep cseizureswasorigina ngfrom.Sheworkedwithactualpa entdataandateamofclinicians,butbecauseshewasdoingclinicalresearch,alotofthebasicques onsatthemolecularlevelwerele unanswered.Madelenisnowworkingontheotherendofthespectrumusingthefruitflyasamodelorganismtoinves gatetheinnermechanismofthebiologicalclock.Madelen’sul mategoalistobecomeaneuroscienceprofessorandmentorstudentswithapassionforscience.

—FREEPIZZA—When:Tuesday,December15th

2ndand3rdLunchesWhere:3rdFloorLectureHall

Interested?

Sign-upwithMs.Maddox,Rm244

Brandeis MRSEC and WHS

Science Pizza Talks

Ph.D.studentLinneaMetcalfwillsharethestoryofherpathintoscience.Shewilldiscussthechallengesofworkinginamale-dominatedfieldandtheexci ngexperiencesthatledhertoacareerinphysics.Shewilltalkaboutherworkthataimstobothanswerthefundamentalques onsaboutthelawsofphysicsandtohaveapplica onsinthefieldsoftechnology,medicineandrobo cs.Mostimportantly,shewilltalkabouthowyoucangetinvolvedincu ng-edgeresearch.Linneaisnowafirst-yearPh.D.studentinthePhysicsprogramatBrandeisUniversity.BeforeBrandeis,shestudiedatJohnsHopkinsUniversity,researchingthestructuralproper esofliquidcrystals—thematerialsbehindLCDtelevisionsandotherelectronicdisplays.Sheisnowworkingwithoscilla ngchemicalnetworksaspartofalargerprojecttocreateachemicallyfueledrobotthatmoveslikeasmallfish.Herworkispartofafieldcalledso robo cs.Inthefuture,Linneaplanstodoresearchateitherauniversityoratechnologycompany.

—FREEPIZZA—When:Thursday,November19th

2ndand3rdLunchesWhere:3rdFloorLectureHall

Interested?

Sign-upwithMs.Maddox,Rm244

Brandeis MRSEC and WHS

Science Pizza Talks

Ph.D.CandidateLauraLaranjowillsharewithyoutheobstaclessheovercametogettowheresheisnow.Shewilltalkaboutthechallengesshefacedasanimmigrantstudent--withnoEnglishbackground--andthefunexperiencesshehadduringherpathintoscience.Shewilltalkaboutherpreviousandcurrentscien ficresearchinDNAdamageandhowYOUcanpursueresearchasahighschoolstudentorasanundergraduatestudent.SheisnowasecondyearPh.D.studentintheMolecular&CellularBiologyprogramatBrandeisUniversity.PriortoBrandeis,LauraworkedatNortheasternUniversitycrea ngabiosensorcapableofmeasuringglucoselevelsintheperspira onsystem.AtUMassLowell,LauraanalyzedlampreybrainsandstudiedTAUprotein,aproteinassociatedwithAlzheimer’sdisease.Inhercurrentlab,

LaurausesE.coliandyeastinherresearchtostudyhowhumanmuta onsareavoided.Cancer,musculardystrophy,andbone-relateddiseaseshavebeenassociatedwithoneofthemuta onssheisinves ga ng.Furtherdowntheroad,Laurawantstobecomeacollegeprofessorsoshecankeepmo va ngstudentstopursuescience.

—FREEPIZZA—When:Tuesday,October20th

2ndand3rdLunchesWhere:3rdFloorLectureHall

Interested?

Sign-upwithMs.Maddox,Rm244

Praise and Press for the Series

"His energy and passion is extremely motivating and interesting and he's funny.”

“It’s personal, helps people understand why to get into science.”

“I liked how she made her life relatable to ours and how everyone can contribute to science.”

The Pizza Series: the MRSEC-WHS Partnership Backbone

Heather Metallides, Waltham Science Head:

“Due to this collaboration, I believe our students will be able to connect what they are learning in the classroom to the real world.”

“Tickets to leave” student feedback

Informal discussions with WHS teachers and Brandeis scientists

Requests for field trips and invitations to expand programs

Efforts to Measure Impact

Acknowledgements

Brandeis University

Prof. Seth Fraden

Dr. Nate Tompkins

Vivek Vimal

Waltham High School

Marisa Maddox

Heather Metallides