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The Humacao Strange Matter Exhibition: Prem Brings Materials Science and Nanotechnology to Puerto Rican Communities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Idalia Ramos
Affiliation:
iramos@mate.uprh.edu, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Physics and Electronics, CUH Station, Humacao, 00791, Puerto Rico, 787-850-9381, 787-850-9308
Ramón A. Rivera
Affiliation:
r_rivera@mate.uprh.edu, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Physics and Electronics, CUH Station, Humacao, 00791, Puerto Rico
Nicholas J. Pinto
Affiliation:
nj_pinto@uprh.edu, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Physics and Electronics, CUH Station, Humacao, 00791, Puerto Rico
José Sotero
Affiliation:
jse@mate.uprh.edu, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Mathematics, CUH Station, Humacao, 00791, Puerto Rico
Esther Vega
Affiliation:
ez_vega@uprh.edu, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Biology, CUH Station, Humacao, 00791, Puerto Rico
Natalya Zimbovskaya
Affiliation:
n_zymboskaya@uprh.edu, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Physics and Electronics, CUH Station, Humacao, 00791, Puerto Rico
Pablo Negrón
Affiliation:
pnm@mate.uprh.edu, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Mathematics, CUH Station, Humacao, 00791, Puerto Rico
Mirza Rivera
Affiliation:
mirrivera@rcm.upr.edu, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences, Río Piedras, 00926, Puerto Rico
Gladys Colón
Affiliation:
gcolonr@coqui.net, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences, Río Piedras, 00926, Puerto Rico
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Abstract

The “UPRH-PENN Partnership for Research and Education in Materials” (PREM) is sponsored by the Division of Materials Research of the National Science Foundation and since 2004 it has contributed to increasing the participation of Puerto Rican men and women in materials research and education. The program integrates K-12, undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty collaborating through research and education in a partnership between the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao (UPRH) along with UPRC and UPRRP and the University of Pennsylvania Materials Research Science & Engineering Center. The UPRH-PREM has strong links with schools in the eastern region of Puerto Rico and has successfully integrated K-12 students and teachers into the program through workshops, web resources, open houses, a Summer Program and research experiences during the academic year. In an effort to integrate the wider community into the outreach efforts, from October to December 2007 PREM hosted the presentation of the Interactive Materials Science Exhibition “Strange Matter”. “Strange Matter” was designed and produced by the Materials Research Society (MRS) in conjunction with the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto. Funding for the project is being provided by the National Science Foundation and industrial partners 3M, Dow, Ford, Intel, and Alcan. The exhibition brings interactive activities that highlight the fact that materials science is all around us. This exhibition is the first and only one in the island of Puerto Rico and was presented at UPRH's Casa Roig Museum, a historic plantation house located in downtown Humacao. Local scientists complemented the exhibition with live demonstrations and talks to provide deeper explanations and motivate young visitors to study materials. To make the exhibition possible, PREM integrated UPR-Humacao administration, faculty, students, non-teaching workers, Casa Roig staff, schools, Humacao municipality, local businesses and individual citizens. Dozens of students, faculty and other members of the community were mobilized as volunteers to support all aspects of the exhibition.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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References

1 Crone, W. C., Bringing Nano to the Public: a Collaboration Opportunity for Researchers and Museums, edited by Koch, S. E. (Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2006).Google Scholar
2 Rivera, M. and Colón, G., Strange Matter Exhibition Description & Assessment, PREM Program External Evaluation Report, 2007 (unpublished).Google Scholar