ID3100 TEACHING METHODS IN MATH AND SCIENCE - 3CR

ID 3200 SHELTERED ENGLISH IMMERSION - 3CR

ID 3999 TEACHING PRACTICUM SEMINAR - 3CR

PQP TEACHING PRACTICUM IN BIOLOGY - 1.5CR

IQP TEACHING PRACTICUM IN BIOLOGY - 9CR

HUA Capstone: STEM Education & The Leaky Gender Gap Pipeline - 3CR

BB 2003 FUNDAMENTALS OF MICROBIOLOGY - 3CR

BB 1025 HUMAN BIOLOGY - 3CR

BB 2550 CELL BIOLOGY - 3CR

BB 2040 PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY - 3CR

BB 2920 GENETICS - 3CR

BB 3101 HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY: MOVEMENT & COMMUNICATION - 3CR

BB 2902 ENZYMES, PROTEINS, & PURIFICATION - 1.5CR

CH 1010 CM PROP, BONDING & FORCES - 3CR

CH 1020 CHEMICAL REACTIONS - 3CR

ENV 1100 INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES - 3CR

MA 1021 CALCULUS I - 3CR

MA 1022 CALCULUS II - 3CR

MA 1023 CALCULUS III - 3CR

MA 2611 APPLIED STATISTICS I - 3CR

FY 1100 GPS: THE WORLD'S WATER - 3CR

FY 1101 GPS: THE WORLD'S WATER - 3CR

TEACHING RELATED COURSES 

PSY 2410 SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY - 3CR

PSY 2401 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION - 3CR

SS 590 ST: LEARNING AND CREATIVITY - 4.5CR 

PSYCHOLOGICAL COURSES RELATED TO CLASSROOM SKILL

PSY 1402 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY - 3CR

PSY 1401 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY - 3CR

PSY 1412 MENTAL HEALTH - 3CR

PSY 2408 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY - 3CR

SOC 1202 INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY & CULTURAL DIVERSITY - 3CR

ENV 2400 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS & HUMAN BEHAVIOR - 3CR

Great Problems Seminar: (World’s Water), WPI, Sept-Dec, 2018

- Collaborated with an undergraduate research team to identify open-ended global health, water, and social/technical infrastructure problem in Nawalparasi, Nepal, to remove hazardous amounts of arsenic from their drinking water.

- Developed a technical and educational solution that would enable people to remove hazardous amounts of arsenic from their drinking water.

- Conducted several interviews with professionals

- Presented research to diverse audiences via poster presentations.

- Managed group meetings, objectives, and conflicts weekly.

Executive Summary

Project Goal and Objectives

Our goal was to develop a technical and educational solution that can enable people in Nawalparasi, Nepal, to remove hazardous amounts of arsenic from their drinking water. Our team achieved this goal by pursuing three separate objectives:

1. Research possible sources of arsenic contamination in the groundwater

2. Understand which illnesses are most common due to being exposed to drinking water contaminated with arsenic, specifically in Nawalparasi

3. Understand why the implementation of the Kanchan Arsenic Filter (KAF) was not successful when it was previously implemented and research implementation methods and strategies that could result in a more successful implementation

4. Research possible funding sources to implement the KAF filter, and successful research methods of community-led education

5. Develop practical workshops for grades 1-3 to interest them in STEM and water filtration, and develop workshops for women that educate them on the benefits of the KAF and how it should be maintained

Background of the Problem

The people of Nawalparasi, Nepal, drink arsenic-contaminated groundwater that they access through tube wells. The sources of arsenic are natural rocks and minerals that lie underneath Nepal’s surface. It also comes from the Siwalik Hills and Himalayan mountains, which arrive in Nawalparasi through the rivers (Maharjan, M.). The government has not been able to effectively address the issue of arsenic contamination in the drinking water. In Nepal, only 17.9% of water projects work in good conditions. As a result, people must rely on themselves or third-party organizations to effectively decrease the arsenic levels in their drinking water (Rai 2012). It has been shown that consumption of high levels of arsenic is directly correlated to the development of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, skin cancer, internal cancers, and diabetes.

Methodology

Our team researched databases and peer-reviewed journals to gain a more excellent knowledge of the arsenic contamination in Nawalparasi. As a team, we collected evidence on why the concentration of arsenic was so high in the area, previous efforts to address this issue and the health impacts associated with high concentrations of arsenic in the drinking water supply. Evidence on what possible solutions could be implemented to solve this issue was also researched. We conducted interviews with Donna Taylor and Shari Weaver of the Center for Project-Based Learning and the STEM Education Center to learn about effective education methods, women, and communities through workshops. Our team also attended a seminar held by the STEM Education Center. We had the opportunity to talk to elementary school teachers about teaching water filtration to children from first to third grade.

Project Results, Implementation, and Assessment

We recommend a solution that is both technical and educational components. We recommend implementing the KAF filter for our technical solution, which can filter up to 95% of arsenic out of water. Organizations, including the Red Cross of Nepal, can donate and distribute KAFs to families, as they have done in previous years. While the KAF filter was donated and distributed at earlier points in the community, it was not effectively utilized because it failed to educate people about why the filter was needed and how it works (CITE). Therefore, we recommend that the filter distribution is combined with an education program aimed at two different groups – women and children.

Women in Nawalparasi are responsible for collecting and managing water for their families. Therefore, we propose a workshop that teaches women how each part of the KAF works and its importance. HANDS, a local organization that focuses on educating women and children about filtering biological water contaminants, could conduct these workshops.

Children in this community are future scientists, engineers, and community members who could address the issue in the future. Therefore, we recommend a program to educate children about water filtration through four different workshops that guide them through the engineering design process. Children grades 1-3 were chosen because they have the highest dropout rates and have the most amount of kids. To further engage the community, there will be an event hosted by HANDS, where women and children can come together to make KAFs and fully understand how they work.

1. Collaborated with graduate research assistants and principal investigator to set objectives, review data, and design poster presentation

2. Analyzed data from eight focus groups and student reflections using NVivo qualitative data analysis software from different students' experiences that focused on gender and cultural biases, marginalization, backgrounds, identities, and student interpretations of social justice/equity terminology

3. Presented findings at the Spring New England Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Science Symposium (3rd Place)

Link to Poster 

1. Write professional development materials for teachers on how to use Graspable Math Activities.

2. Edit Graspable Math Activity lessons submitted by teachers to be posted on the software's featured page

3. Collaborate on a weekly basis with undergraduate research assistants, graduate research assistants, and a principal investigator to create content and professional development material

4. Links to pages

• The MAPLE Lab Webpage

• Graspable Math Activities Info Webpage

• Graspable Math Activities User Webpage