Lincoln Interactive Students Chat With Los Alamos National Laboratory Researcher

Cutting Edge Science Club students expand their horizons

MIDLAND, Pa., Dec. 13, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Interacting directly with important figures in the science community is a rare opportunity for high school students, but that is exactly what students taking the Lincoln Interactive online curriculum were able to do in an online video chat with Dr. Sebastian Mernild, a leading climate researcher with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

The students, as members of the Cutting Edge Science Club, participate in monthly chats with LANL researchers. Dr. Mernild answered a wide range of questions from the students from how he became a scientist to how his advanced computer models predict climate warming.

The video chat was moderated by Caroline Hardman, Special Projects Coordinator with the National Network of Digital Schools, which is the developer of the Lincoln Interactive online curriculum. Steve Stringer, with LANL's Technology Transfer Division, also participated. The Cutting Edge Science Club chats are the result of a cooperative agreement between LANL's Technology Transfer Division and NNDS to develop curriculum support materials, such as LANL-featured educational videos and other science and engineering-related opportunities for high school students.

Before a round of questions and answers about the scientific research that Dr. Mernild is conducting regarding ice melt and freshwater runoff on the Greenland Ice Sheet, Dr. Mernild shared how his school, military, and career path led him to his current position as a climate researcher.

"The Cutting Edge Science Club is a unique experience for both the students and experts who participate. We think this program is valuable in introducing students to interesting fields in science and helping them to see how work being done in these fields applies to their everyday life," said Hardman. "We often hear back from experts telling us how much fun they had chatting with the students, especially when we open up the floor so that students can ask more free-form questions."