Science grad students look for solutions beyond their labsIGERT fellows reach out to different disciplines, into community

By RACHEL KIPP - The News Journal - April 13, 2009

UD grad student Cory Budischak uses a light bulb to show kids at the College School how a hydrogen-powered model car is charged by a solar cell.

The News Journal/ROBERT CRAIG

Heads together, hands reaching to take a turn, a group of children from the College School at the University of Delaware tried to make a plastic car move, a toy frog hop and a monkey figurine swing -- all without the aid of batteries or electric outlets.

Instead, they relied on the power of lamps that reacted to tiny solar panels fitted to each toy.

Although the problem seems relatively simple, on a larger scale it could be crucial to solving global energy issues. For now, those questions fall to the children's teachers, a group of UD graduate students. All part of different major programs in science and engineering, the UD students are part of an initiative built on the theory that no major world problem is solved in a vacuum.

"Lots of research hinges on more than one discipline," said Meghan Schulz, 25, a materials science and engineering major. "I didn't want to be stuck in a lab doing the same experiment for five years. This gives us context for working in the real world and to communicate with non-scientists."

UD is one of about 150 colleges and universities across the country to have an Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship, or IGERT, program. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program augments students' graduate education through multidisciplinary seminars, overseas study and outreach programs like the one that brought the UD group to the College School.

Each IGERT program has a specific focus area; at UD, students majoring in biological sciences; chemical engineering; chemistry and biochemistry; computer and information sciences; materials sciences and engineering; and plant and soil science study solar hydrogen and its potential to be an environmentally sustainable power source for homes, businesses, cars and machines.

"IGERT began as a new form of graduate education where students are not only educated in one realm," said Mo Bremner, coordinator of UD's program. "The idea was to involve different sciences and different disciplines to give students a more well-rounded education."IGERT fellows (from left) Dan Kasper, Glenn Catlin and Sarah

Mastroianni set up the hydrogen-powered model car before taking it to the College School to show students.

The IGERT initiative may provide a peek into the future at UD; multidisciplinary programs and research initiatives play a key role in the school's new strategic plan. The program is nearing the end of the five-year grant provided by the NSF, but UD officials are hoping their grant will be renewed, or that some of the initiatives can be continued.

"A traditional Ph.D. is very, very deep; you know everything about one area, but you're not very broad," Schulz said. "IGERT in general tries to give you more breadth without compromising the depth too much." Students apply to IGERT in the process of seeking admission to graduate programs. On top of course work, the students come together for a journal club, outreach program, and classes about fuel cells; solar hydrogen and renewable energy systems; solar energy systems; energy sustainability; and economics and policy. "Economics and policy was totally outside my comfort zone, but I was so glad I took the class," said IGERT fellow Cory Budischak, an electrical engineering major. "When most people begin deciding what to take, no adviser in their right mind will say take an economics and policy course, because you want time to do research. A lot of professors really want graduate students in the lab working."

The solar and renewable energy systems class, which was developed specifically for IGERT, was taught during this year's winter session. In groups of four, students from different disciplines were asked to come up with solutions to problems

to bring alternative energy to Third World countries and how Delaware could use power from a proposed offshore wind farm. "They looked at a lot of technical problems, a lot of social problems and came up with some really fascinating solutions," said Robert Opila, a professor of materials science and principal investigator of the IGERT grant.

In addition to learning to communicate their ideas to different types of professionals, UD's 18 IGERT fellows also are tasked with visiting schools and community groups, using simple diagrams and interactive gadgets to explain the ins and outs of solar power.

At a recent session at Brandywine School District's Springer Middle School, the IGERT group taught the students how much energy could be saved if Americans exchanged their incandescent light bulbs for energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

Later, the Springer students sent thank-you letters, many of them from boys and girls who went home and told their parents to "switch to the swirly light bulbs," Budischak said.

During the visit to the College School, the IGERT team led the students on a tour of UD's fuel-cell bus and helped them race hydrogen-powered model cars down the school hallway.

"I'm super excited about sustainable energy and when I can get the kids to be excited, it's great," said Sarah Mastroianni, 22, a chemical engineering major. "If they're excited now, I hope they stay excited in the future."

Young students from the College School are eager to answer a question posed by an IGERT fellow about renewable energy.

The News Journal/ROBERT CRAIG

Mo Bremner, coordinator of UD's IGERT program, speaks to kids at the College School before they see displays on renewable energy.Contact Rachel Kipp at 324-2386 or rkipp@delawareonline.com.