When the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) was founded in 1985, the state of Illinois charged IMSA with two mandates: (1) "The primary role of the Academy shall be to offer a uniquely challenging education for students talented in the areas of mathematics and science." (2) "The Academy shall also carry a responsibility…

Teaching and learning in the information age can be stressful. It seems only yesterday teachers were trying to imagine what the information age would be like. Now their brains are bombarded by billions of words every time they perform a "Google Search." There is a calm to the chaos when teachers focus on the foundation of their profession. Their…

This study compared the career skills and interests for students in two STEM schools to national data. Students completed the KUDER skills assessment and career planning online tools. Results were compared across school, grade level, and sex. The results provided evidence that STEM high school students expressed career intents in predominately…

This paper summarizes five phases of a comprehensive Economic Impact Study conducted by the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) from 2009-2011. The methodology and assumptions of those analyses is summarized for those wishing to conduct similar studies. The paper also documents highlighted results, such as the school's…

Plasticizers are chemical additives that enhance plastic flexibility. They are ubiquitous environmental contaminants and are commonly found in river and lake waters (Fromme et al 2002). The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a water-soluble plasticizer, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) on developing Medaka ("Oryzias latipes") embryos. Three…

The effectiveness of five different enzymes as treatments against Staphylococcus biofilm growth was measured in the presence of antibiotics and alone. Protease was the least effective enzyme in biofilm removal with all antibiotics, and pectinase was the most effective with dicloxacillin and clindamycin. Also, dicloxacillin was the most effective…

Innovation fuels the economy by creating jobs rather than just filling them. Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2009) says that innovation is (1) "the introduction of something new" and (2) "a new idea, method, or device." "Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators: Identifying and Developing Our Nation's Human Capital" (2010)…

In an evening seminar held in the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) auditorium, Lisa Anderson-Shaw, Director of Clinical Ethics Consulting Service at the University of Illinois Medial Center, posed a scenario that inspired a thirty-minute discussion of contemporary bioethics, during which speaker and students untangled issues of patient…

As Director of the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky for the past four and a half years, the author has had the distinct pleasure of leading an amazing group of students and staff in a residential program for high school juniors and seniors interested in advanced STEM careers. The years he has at the Gatton Academy…

Seventeen state-sponsored residential math and science schools have been created across the country to direct talented teens toward STEM careers. Admission is selective, based on competitive grades, standardized test scores, and references. Most of the schools also require preadmission interviews. However, selection interviews may be challenged as…

The purpose of this project was to construct and test an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system in which the power from a solar array could be stored in a rechargeable battery and a flywheel motor generator assembly. The mechanical flywheel energy storage system would in turn effectively power a 12-volt DC appliance. The voltage and current of…

Recognizing the potential of talented students, dedicated educators, and innovative leaders, NCSSSMST and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, convened a Roundtable for NCSSSMST STEM Leaders at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina on April 28-29, 2011. The product of the Roundtable will be a blueprint for STEM research in high schools that…

Diverse learners are capable of becoming talented professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)--but they need opportunities to develop. "Just as in generations past, there are talented students from every demographic and from every part of the country who with hard work and with the proper opportunities will form…

In conjunction with an NSF-funded mentoring program that partners University of Utah engineering professors and their undergraduate and graduate students with high school students from several Salt Lake City high schools that have a high percentage of low income and ethnic minority students, the Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science (AMES)…

Based on the data gathered and the interviews with administrators, the author makes the following suggestions. These twelve recommendations are targeted primarily toward educators wanting to strengthen their own mathematics and science offerings, possibly by establishing a school-within-a school or launching a charter school. The recommendations…