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Jeffrey Burkert ’11 was one of several students who explored techniques that might improve mathematics education among elementary and middle school students. He discussed research and advances in the field of mathematics and shared ways to en- gage students using innovative approaches to teaching. In con- trast to the traditional lecture model is a technique called spaced repetition—learning less material more often versus learning more material less often. Efforts in this area, he said, could raise mathematics literacy and help the nation remain competitive on a global scale. Burkert’s advisor was political science/environ- mental science Professor Paul Steinberg.
Tied in Knots Surgery on the vocal cords requires the physician to manuever inside a small tube with very long instruments, similar to try- ing to tie one’s shoelaces with barbecue tongs. Brian Wong of the Beckman Laser Institute asked four Engineering 4 teams to create a knot-tying assist device for ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgical applications, such as robotic surgery, endoscopic surgery, cancer and voice surgery of the head and neck. This 30-minute procedure requires specialized skill and involves using two grasp- ers to manipulate sutures to tie knots inside the small space of a laryngoscope. Wong requested that teams’ devices work in a 10- to 15-inch-long space that is 1 to 2 cm in diameter and that they create knots that would not slip. The team of Neil Pearson ’14, Vijay Ramakrishnan ’14,
Brent Stapleton ’14 and Brianna Thielen ’14 created five proto- types, including an oversized version to test the concept. They focused on creating a simple, easy-to-use design that ties knots quickly while minimizing tissue damage. Their semi-automated knot-tying device, resulting in a seven-minute procedure, pushes one loop of the knot at a time down the laryngoscope and into place on the tissue by threading the suture through two holes in the device. The project advisor, engineering Professor Patrick Little, said that each of the teams came up with interesting and creative designs. “It speaks to the creativity of the students in the class that we could develop so many good solutions to a very difficult problem,” he said.
Mirror, Mirror Large mirrors are used at Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants to concentrate sunlight so that thermal energy can be converted to electricity. But these mirrors, often located in dry,
A Clinic team will present their soil research at the SolarPACES conference in Spain.
dusty areas, must be cleaned frequently to maximize their effi- ciency. Soil-resistant mirror coatings are available, but they must be tested before applying to the mirrors. Clinic sponsor National Renewable Energy Laboratory sought ways to quickly test the durability and effectiveness of various coatings. The team of Julia Diaz, Sam Keene, Ashley Nelson, Evann Gonzales, Dalar Nazarian and Ethan Susca analyzed soil from several CSP plants using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray fluorescence and x-ray diffraction, and sought answers to questions like “what makes mud sticky?” Team members plan to present their soil research in Spain at the conference for SolarPACES, an international cooperative network of experts who focus on the development and marketing of concentrating solar power systems. The team also built an apparatus with simulated day and night cycles that applies the soil to mirrors using the same mechanisms as the natural environment. “The results of the soiling studies were very interesting
where a novel platelet structure was found in clay materials,” said Cheryl Kennedy, senior scientist who leads the Advanced Materials Team at NREL.
18 Har vey Mudd College SUMMER 2011
KEVIN MAPP
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