What will you discover?
On STEM Day on June 9, 2019, hundreds of alumni, families, and students shared an exciting day of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Didn't get a chance to attend STEM Day or missed the Women in STEM panel when you were there? A recording is now available.
Schedule of Events
11:15 a.m. -12 p.m. - Women in STEM Panel (Cinema, Second Floor)
- Brenda Aiken '77BC, '81PS, director of Medical Services at Columbia Health
- Charu Chaturvedi '01BUS, co-founder of children's coding program CodeAdvantage
- Georgia Papathomas '73, '74, '78SEAS, advisor, investor, and board member at Johnson and Johnson
- Isabelle Rouvellou '89, '91, '93SEAS, senior research and development manager, IBM
- Sara Sakowitz '18CC, founder of Blue Moon Box
-
Dr. Kelley Yan, a gastroenterologist at NY Presbyterian
11:15-12:30 p.m. - Lunch (Party Space, Lower Level; Broadway Room, 2nd Floor; Room 477, 4th Floor; Satow, 5th Floor): Boxed lunches will be available.
12:30 - 1:15 p.m. - Welcome and Keynote (Cinema, 2nd Floor; Webcast will be available in the Party Space) Hear from Nate Sawtell, associate professor of neuroscience at The Zuckerman Institute, about how all of us, especially athletes, use our brains to perform complex movements.
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. - STEM Fair Activities (Lerner Auditorium): Participate in hands-on activities and learn about research and programs put on by Columbia University and its affiliates.
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. - Scavenger Hunt (Meet in the North Lobby): Participate in team photo challenges and a STEM-themed scavenger hunt and then turn in your card for a chance to win a raffle prize. (Ages 7-18)
3:30 - 4 p.m. - Closing Reception and Raffle Prize Giveaways (Lerner Auditorium): After you visit all of the exciting booths at the STEM Fair, you will have a chance to win prizes.
Questions about the event? Email [email protected].
STEM Fair
Turn your window sill into an edible urban oasis! Join Urban Leaf to explore the importance of plants and how hydroponics works. The first 100 attendees will get a grow kit to upcycle a bottle into a self-watering hydroponic planter. (All ages)
Examine biological specimens using research-grade microscopes on BioBus, a solar-powered mobile lab.
Learn from HYPOTHEkids about the power of simple machines as you create a rubber band-powered catapult. Make a hypothesis on how far it will go and test it out! (All ages)
CodeAdvantage, a coding company for kids founded by two Columbia Business School graduates, will present some of its after-school offerings. (Ages 6-12)
Unearth insights about the dogs of NYC! Learn about the lifecycle of data through a hands-on activity involving dog-related interactive maps and visuals. As a citizen scientist, you can share your findings through Twitter. (Ages 8-14)
Columbia Engineering is dedicated to sharing STEM opportunities with local K-12 students and teachers!
Learn about all of the cool chances to explore STEM throughout the year with the School, including visiting labs through its Inside Engineering Program, engaging with speakers in the Engineering Speaks program, and participating in Engineering the Next Generation, where students from underrepresented high schools are welcomed on campus to conduct research.
Come and play, be curious, and discover the workings of the brain through hands-on activities with the Zuckerman Institute! Make a brain hat, design your own light-up neuron, or explore how cells communicate in the brain using virtual reality. (All ages; 12 and up)
Join Columbia University Irving Medical Center staff for health and fitness tests. Discover your aerobic capacity, using pulse oximeter monitoring for oxygen saturation and heart rate. You'll also be able to test flexibility, strength, using handheld dynamometers, and balance and coordination.
After your tests, view models of the musculoskeletal and neurological systems. (Ages 8-18)
Headache and concussion are major health problems among adolescents. In response, Dr. Mia Minen '03BC, chief of headache research at New York University’s Langone Medical Center and Alexandra Boubour '19BC, a neuroscience and behavior major, created The Headache and Arts Program, a medicine and visual arts program.
The pair found the use of a visual arts-based curriculum may be effective for migraine and concussion education among high school students. At STEM Day, they will educate attendees about migraines and concussions using computer visuals, and have children apply their knowledge to depict the experience of a migraine or concussion in a drawing. (Ages 14-18)
Students from the School of Professional Studies Construction Administration program are organizing LEGO-building competitions. Two teams will compete to build structures in 15-20 minutes. (Ages 8-14)
Meet Starship, a robot created by 2Train, a team of high school students and mentors. Each year, the team works during a six-week period to create a robot that can manipulate game pieces, as well as drive and cooperate with other teams.
2Train Robotics was founded by the Morris Campus High School in the South Bronx and later on joined forces with the Columbia Secondary School in Morningside Heights. Now, the team welcomes members from across NYC as they climb aboard the 2 train to Columbia‘s mechanical engineering lab each week during build season.
Later on in the season, the team takes the robot to regional competitions and hopes to move on to the national championships. (All ages)
"Microbes of Harlem," an initiative by Lars Dietrich, a biology professor at Columbia, will introduce you to the beauty of microbes via characterization of wild bacterial isolates around the neighborhood. Learn about bacteria vs. human cells, good vs. bad microbes, and how bacteria form intricate communities.
At this booth, look at samples through microscopes, figure out how much of the body is made up of microbes, and browse a library of wild Harlem bacterial isolates. (All ages)
Use Move38's origami building block kit to build a structure that requires no scissors, glue, or tape! Also, get a sneak peek of Move38’s latest creation, Blinks, an open-source, smart tabletop game. Enjoy 12 games made by the community and learn how to make one of your own. (Ages 8 and up)
In this hands-on activity from CAA Arts Access, build a sundial and learn how to measure time using sunlight and the relative position of the sun. (All ages)
Through hands-on learning activities, Columbia School of Nursing students will demonstrate basic first aid and how to use a stethoscope to listen to a heart and lungs. Booth visitors will take home a Henry the Hand coloring/activity book and crayons to help understand hand-washing best practices! (All ages)
Join NORY, a STEM summer camp, to make its famous Scribbling Robot, a friendly motorized contraption that moves in unusual ways and leaves a mark to trace its path! The robot is made from everyday materials and is set in motion by the vibrating offset motor causing it to move, bounce, spin, bump, and bump. (Ages 3-12)
We know that superheroes combine unique skill sets to work toward a common goal. So do the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientists behind the Snow on Ice project!
Visitors will learn how Lamont's "superhero" scientists work together to uncover answers about Greenland’s ice sheet. Collect superhero cards and take a picture in a life-size superhero cut-out. (Ages 5-18)
Come and look through a telescope, ask questions about outer space to members of the Columbia Astronomy Department, and experience the beauty of the cosmos! (All ages)
*Please note, this activity is weather-dependent.
Get oral hygiene tips, and get free toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and healthy snacks! (Ages 3-14)
Perform tabletop experiments with water, along with members of Barnard College's Summer Research Institute. Play with an interactive sand tank that illustrates how surface water and groundwater are connected. You can also explore water properties and density, dropping fruit in water, syrup, and rubbing alcohol, as a test. (Ages 4-10)
FAQs
Parking locations can be found here. Please note, parking is not included in the registration fee.
No, just provide your name at registration when you arrive. You will receive a name badge, which you will use to participate in all of the events during STEM Day.
Tickets include lunch, the STEM Fair, panel discussion, keynote, snacks, dessert, and entry into the raffle.
The biggest age range for kids is 8-10; however, the booths are designed for all children ages five and up. For a list of age ranges for specific booths, check out the booth descriptions above.
If you do not have a UNI, no problem! Just leave that question blank on your registration form.
Upon your arrival at STEM Day, you'll receive a program with a detailed listing of the booths and the schedule.
If you would like to request financial assistance to purchase tickets for STEM Day, please email [email protected]. Please note, not all requests will be met, but we will do our best to accommodate alumni in need. Thank you for your understanding.
We'd love for you to share your favorite moments from the day! Please use #CAASTEMDay on Twitter or Instagram for the chance to have your content appear on the big screen in Lerner Hall.
Thank you to our Columbia University partners: Barnard College, CAA Arts Access, CAA Programs Committee, College of Dental Medicine, Columbia Entrepreneurship, Data Science Institute, Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Mailman School of Public Health, CAA Regional Clubs and Shared Interest Groups, School of Nursing, School of Professional Studies, Columbia Engineering, Teachers College, and Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.