Training and Outreach
REU Short Course
Undergraduate research students participate in a one-week short course designed to introduce them to working in a research lab, light microscopy techniques and analysis. Topics include keeping a lab notebook, a day in the life of a lab researcher, basic light microscopy, working with confocal and electron microscopes, and quantitative image analysis. As part of their outreach preparation, participants engage in pedagogical areas such as active learning, universal design for learning, and effective communication for a wide variety of audiences. Students are also introduced to best practices in working with an ASL interpreter and Deaf/hard-of-hearing colleagues.
Undergraduate research students participate in a one-week short course designed to introduce them to working in a research lab, light microscopy techniques and analysis. Topics include keeping a lab notebook, a day in the life of a lab researcher, basic light microscopy, working with confocal and electron microscopes, and quantitative image analysis. As part of their outreach preparation, participants engage in pedagogical areas such as active learning, universal design for learning, and effective communication for a wide variety of audiences. Students are also introduced to best practices in working with an ASL interpreter and Deaf/hard-of-hearing colleagues.
Outreach Activities on Microscopy
Students in the REU prepare outreach materials and hands-on activities that are taught to high school students in the Catalyst summer camp. Students are challenged to teach microscopy concepts without using a microscope!
Students in the REU prepare outreach materials and hands-on activities that are taught to high school students in the Catalyst summer camp. Students are challenged to teach microscopy concepts without using a microscope!
- 2024 Outreach materials. Our 2024 cohort designed educational materials for high school students that included using blocks to demonstrate pixel size, a laser maze to demonstrate light paths, and various colors of flashlights and filters to image different colored model organelles. For students with visual challenges, alternative activities utilized sound waves to represent similar concepts.
- 2025 Outreach materials. Our 2025 cohort designed educational materials for high school students that included seeing if certain materials fluoresce or phosphoresce, demonstrating the concept of refraction with lasers, and using oil and water to illustrate immersion in a “Where’s Waldo” activity.
- 2026 Outreach materials. Our 2026 cohort designed educational materials for high school students that included building a microscope out of 3D printed materials, making a word unscramble station with audio to illustrate the concept of photobleaching, and creating tactile slides to demonstrate resolution vs. magnification. For students with mobility challenges, alternative activities utilized a pin impression device to represent photobleaching.
Interested in accessing our educational materials on quantitative imaging and outreach activities? Contact us!
Interested in accessing our educational materials on quantitative imaging and outreach activities? Contact us!
