Saturday, March 28, 2020

The Chemical Sciences Doctoral Program at Pitt

The Chemical Sciences Doctoral Program at PittChoosing a Ph.D. program to pursue after you finish your chemistry major at Pitt is a wise decision for students considering a career in this field. Chemists provide support for the various companies that manufacture and market chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals. Chemists work in industry laboratories, hospitals, and research centers all over the world. Their job is to examine the chemistry and biology of products and substances to see how they interact with one another.A Bachelor's degree from a reputable university or college is a prerequisite for the Ph.D. major. A student intending to pursue this degree must complete at least three years of chemistry, and the student must also obtain some training in laboratory operations, physics, and engineering as well.After receiving his or her degree, the student will be assigned to an instructor to help him or her develop a research program. The research field may range from the stud y of chemical reactions, to the development of new methods of manufacture, to the search for new ways to control and eliminate allergens. The student's research team and professor will then create a thesis. The thesis provides the framework for the student's doctoral dissertation.Every student is required to take a final examination. Students who pass the examinations have their name printed on the master list. Once a student has graduated, he or she will be able to apply for employment in industry laboratories or universities.Chemistry majors are required to have a comprehensive understanding of thermodynamics, chemistry, and nuclear physics. It is crucial that the chemistry major at Pitt is a good candidate for a PhD program. Students have to be able to plan a proper research program based on the course load and what the department requires of them.Once you are awarded your doctorate degree, you will have some basic responsibilities. You will need to work as an assistant to an ass istant professor, and you will be responsible for helping the professor with a research project. In addition, a dissertation may involve collaboration with other researchers.Students at Pitt that plan to major in a science related field may want to take advantage of the department's opportunities for internships and fellowship programs. These opportunities will provide the student with valuable information to help them build up their resume before graduating. The doctoral program at Pitt is a fine way to further your knowledge and expertise in the area of science.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Kumon of West Chester Students to Compete in the First Lego League World Championship

Kumon of West Chester Students to Compete in the First Lego League World Championship Kumon of West Chester Students to Compete in the First Lego League World Championship L to R (Top Row): Rishika, Natasha, Isabella, Amisha, Joshua, and Bhuvan. L to R (Bottom Row): Cristina, Girish, Revanth, and Shishir. Science is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves.  It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world. -former U.S. President Barack Obama The education of science, technology engineering, also referred to as STEM, has been sweeping the nation and since gained popularity among young students. With a rise in the demand of STEM-related careers, education programs that have a focus in STEM have become vital for our future. These programs not only inspire our future scientists or engineers, they challenge their critical thinking skills and push them towards exploring the unknown. For a group of students in Ohio, their natural sense of curiosity and desire to find solutions to make a difference in the world lead them to an award-winning idea. It all started back in 2016, when a group of five students from Kumon of West Chester (Ohio) wanted to put their skills to the test and accept  a challenge presented to them by their Instructor, Lisa Williamson, along with other Kumon parents. They came together and recruited five younger students from the center to form the Robo Rangers, a Lego Robotics Team. The Robo Rangers went on to compete in the FIRST Lego League Robotics Challenge (FLL). The FLL seeks bright young students to research a real-world problem, such as food safety or recycling, and then develop a solution to the problem. The solutions developed by teams include basic STEM applications, critical thinking, presentation skills, and creativity. In their first year, the Robo Rangers walked away with a Judges Award at the Regional Tournament. The Judges Award is given in recognition to a team that may showcases unique efforts, performance, or even a story that sets them apart from the competition. The team did not stop there. In 2017, the Robo Rangers won their Regional Tournament Championship, landing them in a spot to compete at the World Championship Tournament in Detroit, MI. The stakes were high for the Robo Rangers at the World Championship Tournament, competing against 110 award-winning teams from around the world. The team came together to develop a solution to provide those in third-world countries with clean drinking water. Their solution dubbed the name “MorinGo,” a transportable barrel that uses moringa seeds (a drought resistant plant) to naturally filter water. The ground moringa seeds coagulate the dirt and bacteria from the water and settle to the bottom of the barrel. This then leaves potable water on top of the barrel. The transportable barrel is useful in third-world countries where people must walk for miles just to get to a water source. The Robo Rangers and their proud parents were awarded the Research Award at the World Championship Tournament. They were recognized with this award due their extensive research efforts and deep understanding of the problem that they identified. Fueled by their win, the Robo Rangers wanted more and went back to the drawing board to discover another problem to solve in 2019. After extensive research, the students discovered that astronauts were experiencing a decline in their eyesight due to microgravity. After an extended trip in space, astronauts Scott Kelly and Michael Barret were faced with this issue â€" leaving them almost blind. With this danger in mind, NASA has grown concerned about how this could potentially impact future space exploration for astronauts. The Robo Rangers created “Robo Vision 20/20” in hopes to eradicate this health risk for astronauts. “Robo Vision 20/20” adds a pin hole visor to the astronaut’s helmet. The design features a replica of a dragonfly’s eyes to protect the eyes from exposure to microgravity. A dragonfly’s field of vision is 360-degrees and are known to have exceptional tracking ability. By replicating a dragonfly’s eye in this helmet, not only enhances an astronaut’s field of vision, but also provides a layer of protection with the retinal implant. The judges  were again impressed by the research and the final product the team developed. The Robo Rangers were one of three finalists in Ohio to advance to the World Championship, taking place in Detroit this April. It is rare for a FLL Team to qualify for the World Championship in back-to-back years. Kumon wishes Bhuvan, Ananynaa, Joshua and Revanth the best of luck in the competition! “The Kumon Method was the foundation for the team’s success. The students were able to excel in their academics along with extracurricular activities,” said Lisa Williamson, Kumon Instructor of West Chester. The parents that coached the Robo Rangers inspired additional families from the Center to form six more robotic teams. The Robo Rangers were brought together by their common bond of learning through the Kumon Method.” You might also be interested in: With a Passion for STEM, this Kumon Student is Effecting Change Kumon Student is Committed to Spreading Kindness Kumon Student Competes on the Food Networks 6th Season of Kids Baking Championship Meet Gitanjali, a Former Kumon Student who Is Changing the World Kumon of West Chester Students to Compete in the First Lego League World Championship Kumon of West Chester Students to Compete in the First Lego League World Championship L to R (Top Row): Rishika, Natasha, Isabella, Amisha, Joshua, and Bhuvan. L to R (Bottom Row): Cristina, Girish, Revanth, and Shishir. Science is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves.  It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world. -former U.S. President Barack Obama The education of science, technology engineering, also referred to as STEM, has been sweeping the nation and since gained popularity among young students. With a rise in the demand of STEM-related careers, education programs that have a focus in STEM have become vital for our future. These programs not only inspire our future scientists or engineers, they challenge their critical thinking skills and push them towards exploring the unknown. For a group of students in Ohio, their natural sense of curiosity and desire to find solutions to make a difference in the world lead them to an award-winning idea. It all started back in 2016, when a group of five students from Kumon of West Chester (Ohio) wanted to put their skills to the test and accept  a challenge presented to them by their Instructor, Lisa Williamson, along with other Kumon parents. They came together and recruited five younger students from the center to form the Robo Rangers, a Lego Robotics Team. The Robo Rangers went on to compete in the FIRST Lego League Robotics Challenge (FLL). The FLL seeks bright young students to research a real-world problem, such as food safety or recycling, and then develop a solution to the problem. The solutions developed by teams include basic STEM applications, critical thinking, presentation skills, and creativity. In their first year, the Robo Rangers walked away with a Judges Award at the Regional Tournament. The Judges Award is given in recognition to a team that may showcases unique efforts, performance, or even a story that sets them apart from the competition. The team did not stop there. In 2017, the Robo Rangers won their Regional Tournament Championship, landing them in a spot to compete at the World Championship Tournament in Detroit, MI. The stakes were high for the Robo Rangers at the World Championship Tournament, competing against 110 award-winning teams from around the world. The team came together to develop a solution to provide those in third-world countries with clean drinking water. Their solution dubbed the name “MorinGo,” a transportable barrel that uses moringa seeds (a drought resistant plant) to naturally filter water. The ground moringa seeds coagulate the dirt and bacteria from the water and settle to the bottom of the barrel. This then leaves potable water on top of the barrel. The transportable barrel is useful in third-world countries where people must walk for miles just to get to a water source. The Robo Rangers and their proud parents were awarded the Research Award at the World Championship Tournament. They were recognized with this award due their extensive research efforts and deep understanding of the problem that they identified. Fueled by their win, the Robo Rangers wanted more and went back to the drawing board to discover another problem to solve in 2019. After extensive research, the students discovered that astronauts were experiencing a decline in their eyesight due to microgravity. After an extended trip in space, astronauts Scott Kelly and Michael Barret were faced with this issue â€" leaving them almost blind. With this danger in mind, NASA has grown concerned about how this could potentially impact future space exploration for astronauts. The Robo Rangers created “Robo Vision 20/20” in hopes to eradicate this health risk for astronauts. “Robo Vision 20/20” adds a pin hole visor to the astronaut’s helmet. The design features a replica of a dragonfly’s eyes to protect the eyes from exposure to microgravity. A dragonfly’s field of vision is 360-degrees and are known to have exceptional tracking ability. By replicating a dragonfly’s eye in this helmet, not only enhances an astronaut’s field of vision, but also provides a layer of protection with the retinal implant. The judges  were again impressed by the research and the final product the team developed. The Robo Rangers were one of three finalists in Ohio to advance to the World Championship, taking place in Detroit this April. It is rare for a FLL Team to qualify for the World Championship in back-to-back years. Kumon wishes Bhuvan, Ananynaa, Joshua and Revanth the best of luck in the competition! “The Kumon Method was the foundation for the team’s success. The students were able to excel in their academics along with extracurricular activities,” said Lisa Williamson, Kumon Instructor of West Chester. The parents that coached the Robo Rangers inspired additional families from the Center to form six more robotic teams. The Robo Rangers were brought together by their common bond of learning through the Kumon Method.” You might also be interested in: With a Passion for STEM, this Kumon Student is Effecting Change Kumon Student is Committed to Spreading Kindness Kumon Student Competes on the Food Networks 6th Season of Kids Baking Championship Meet Gitanjali, a Former Kumon Student who Is Changing the World

9 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

9 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile Photo Credit: linkedin.com 1. Your Photo. Your picture should be up to date, professional-looking, and should include only you in the shot no cropping you out of a group shot where you have somebodys unattached hand on your shoulder. Your photo should also preferably not have a distracting background and should be somewhat cropped in on your face so youre easily recognizable and front and center. If possible, avoid selfies. 2. Your Summary. Your summary is an absolute necessity to your LinkedIn profile but it shouldnt be too long or too short. While you may be able to use up to 2,000 characters, keep it shorter and use the space to really let other users get to know you in your voice and your tone. Discuss your major accomplishments, your background, and what your goals are, and make it personal; your description could make the difference between someone wanting to hire you and a potential employer choosing someone else. Make yourself stand out. 3. Your Headline. Though only 120 characters long, they are super important to your profile as they relay the most basic thing about yourself you want others to know. Be sure to include the most important keywords and how you are branding yourself as this is the first thing connections and possible recruiters will see on your LinkedIn profile. When coming up with your headline, try to keep in mind what your goals are for your career and write your headline based on what you want to do and be next while also highlighting your current experiences and or employment. 4. Your Groups. Similar to Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups are numerous and diverse, but important to join. Theyre great ways to network, find out about employment opportunities, get advice from others in your field or looking to get into your field, and increase your visibility. There are over 1.8 million LinkedIn groups you can consider joining, so try to find ones that are most relevant to you and your future and start interacting with other members in the groups you never know where those connections may lead. 5. Your Publications. Though you may not include links to your publications on your resume, on LinkedIn its super easy to add them to your profile and they are much more likely to be clicked on through the site. Be sure to add links to your published works to your LinkedIn profile or if there is no link, still include the name and date of the publication and perhaps a short sentence about what your work was about. You can also add links and info for interviews, videos, photographs, etc. Photo Credit: mashable.com 6. Your Connections.  Unlike Facebook, you dont have to know someone on LinkedIn to ask to connect with them (though people often follow the same rule on Facebook). Find someone whos interested in the same field as you? Consider connecting with them. Discover somebody who works at your dream company? Send them a request to connect. Having a lot of connections means you have the ability to more broadly network and reach out to people you otherwise wouldnt have even known about. Sometimes its about who you know, or who the people you know know. 7. Your Honors and Awards. This is where you get to highlight your awesomeness (#HumbleBrag). Anything from college and onward is okay to include here. Were you on the Deans List? Add it to this action. Were you the first Latina to receive a specific scholarship? List that accomplishment here. Anything you think is worth a potential employer knowing about that sets you apart and shows youre a go-getter, that you take initiative, that you work hard, and that youre an impressive person should be shortly listed in this section. If you rock at something, people should know about it. 8. Your Skills and Endorsements. This section of your LinkedIn profile is one of the most crucial as it allows other LinkedIn users and connections to affirm what skills you possess. By getting endorsements, it gives you credibility as others are willing to back up the skills you claim to have which gives future employers a bit more reliability as far as knowing what theyll get if they hire you. If youre having trouble getting people to endorse you, consider reaching out to a former boss and asking them to endorse a skill they know you have or endorse a friends skill and theyll probably endorse you back. 9. Your Recommendations. While the skills and endorsements are important, actual recommendations arguably carry more weight. Through LinkedIn, you can ask for a recommendation from a colleague, former boss, professor, or other connection who will write good things about you, which will look good to anyone looking at your LinkedIn profile or considering you for a job. So if you havent already executed these nine steps to improve your LinkedIn profile, theres no time like the present to do so. The sooner you improve and optimize your profile, the better your chances of being noticed by recruiters and gaining more connections and contacts, which is always a good thing.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Schools excluding pupils to protect their ranking in league tables - Tutor Hunt Blog

Schools excluding pupils to protect their ranking in league tables Schools excluding pupils to protect their ranking in league tables Schools excluding pupils to protect their ranking in league tablesSchoolsI attended a well known school that was acclaimed for its consistant high standing in academic league tables. It boasted impressive figures that proclaimed (according to my memory, faded now with age) `95% of pupils achieve an A, B or C at GCSE` - along with concomitant claims for A-level results`. Who wouldn`t be impressed by these results? What parent wouldn`t want to send their child to this school? Such exemplary grades could only be the result of some supreme teaching method. I recall hearing that the ratio of applicants to places exceeded ten to one. I was indeed lucky to attend such a prestigious place of learning, that could guarantee me such high grades. The way the school actually achieved such impressive grades was somewhat disheartening. It wasn`t so much down to exemplary teaching, or the creation of a nurturing learning environment, but something more basic and effective: if you weren`t expected to get a high enough grade, you were simply booted off the course. At both A-level and GCSE pupils were of course issued predicted grades - for those unlikely to achieve grades that would compliment the school`s standing in the league tables, they were ushered onto another course, or even granted more time to focus on their remaining subjects, with one less exam to concern themselves with. There are actually many schools that employ these practices, but that could soon be set to change. The Education Secretary Damon Hinds has said he will be penalising schools that exclude pupils with the aim to improve league tables. At the moment his proposal is only to be concerned with exclusions due to unruly behaviour, but it is hoped that this will shine a light on the practice of removing pupils from courses in order to favour the school`s league table placement. There has been a huge increase in the number of pupils being permanently excluded in recent years, and there are concerns that a significant portion are being removed mainly to protect the school`s league table results. The number of permanent exclusions fell by nearly half between 2006-7 and 2012-13. In the last 5 years however it has risen by a precipitous 40%. A recent Home Office report has highlighted the fact that teenagers who are expelled from school are far more likely to enter a life of crime. Hardly a surprising announcement: if a pupil has nowhere do go during the day, and is unbounded by the civilising constraints of teachers and parents, they are certainly in danger of straying into more unsavoury territories. The Education secretary said he could understand that individual pupils can have a hugely disruptive impact on the rest of the class, and can capitalise upon a teacher`s time, preventing them getting through their lesson schedule. He went on to say however that expelling a child should `only ever be a last resort`. `But being excluded should never be at the cost of a child`s education. No matter the obstacles they may face or the backgrounds they`re from, we want our young people to receive an education that fosters ambition and a confidence in their abilities.` A school should never compromise on its core mandate: to educate every pupil in attendance. To exclude a pupil because they are being disruptive is just passing the problem onto someone else - but to exclude a pupil because they may negatively affect the league table results is a deplorable abnegation of a school`s responsibilities. 16 months ago0Add a Comment

OrganicChemistry Tutor Free - What You Should Know

OrganicChemistry Tutor Free - What You Should KnowNowadays, the demand for organic chemistry tutor is extremely high, especially among students. It is no longer a question of whether to use the conventional chemistry methods in the classroom, but what type of preparation you will need to reach your goals.First and foremost, you should make sure that you study. There are so many alternatives, which you can apply to your course schedule in order to study as much as possible. This means that you should read your text book and do your homework during the day.If you do not have any help, you can still look for the assistance that you need. You can take online courses, or books which you can read at home. However, most of the time, this will not help you. There are people who do not have the time to learn.If you think that you need organic chemistry tutor for your study, you must first start with finding the best tutor. There are so many online companies who provide for organic chemistry t utors.Once you have found a good tutor, you will be provided with many benefits. First, the tutor will provide you with more information than a teacher would.Besides this, the tutor will be able to help you understand the course material easier and can provide you with tips on how to study. He or she will also be able to improve your own study habits. Plus, if you want to maximize your chances of success, you must be able to learn quickly and efficiently.Many online colleges offering organic chemistry tutor are known to provide you with a complete course in the laboratory with experiments. However, you have to be aware that most of these companies charge extra fees.

Where Do You Find Chemistry Textbook Answers?

Where Do You Find Chemistry Textbook Answers?Reading AP Chemistry textbook answers can be a daunting task to take on. There are many different authors and companies that have created this kind of reading a book, and a lot of websites exist which will offer different answers to common questions. This kind of problem solving method is known as 'discussion board' method.Finding a book that you really like but it is just not available at your area college library can be a real challenge. This is where the discussion board method comes in.These discussion boards are set up by the author or a company who has created the board site. This is a great way to find a book that you might not otherwise have access to. If the website seems too easy to use or seem overly complicated, this is probably not the right solution for you.Since there are so many people on these boards, there is a chance that you could run into someone who has already run into the same problem. You don't want to find yoursel f having to look up the answer because they've already found it. If you're hoping to learn something new about chemistry, then this is probably not the right option for you.A good science textbook should be fairly simple to use. You should not have to look up every single phrase in the text because that might be overkill. After all, you are looking for chemistry textbook answers to common questions, not memorizing the entire book in an attempt to memorize every single word.It's important to note that the board site is not affiliated with the author of the book. This is just a site created by someone who wanted to have some fun while answering questions that might not have been answered by the author of the book. For the most part, it's fine.As long as you are in the correct forum, there is no reason not to participate on the board site. Most will require you to sign up in order to use their website, and it's a free service. It's not a bad thing to register on the board, even if you don't expect to get any good chemistry textbook answers.

Organic Chemistry Practice Exams - How to Study Well For Organic Chemistry Practice Exams

Organic Chemistry Practice Exams - How to Study Well For Organic Chemistry Practice ExamsOrganic chemistry practice exams provide you with an opportunity to get a feel for the syllabus of the course, which is the most important factor in order to learn the course well. It's important to note that it is very much similar to the full course syllabus.There are three types of exams: local, public and international. Each has its own set of format. The local exam is usually offered during the school year. It is the exam that is given on the very first day of a new semester.The public exam is also a free one. It is given once every two weeks. The schedule of the exam changes every week. The international exam is the exam for the country that you are studying in.Before you even start studying for an exam, you need to know how many questions you will be required to answer correctly. There are two kinds of question papers. The multiple-choice one and the essay one. The multiple-choice paper is usually longer, with more subjects, and the essay paper is shorter, with a single topic.Exams are quite hard and the students who pass them normally get to go through the same course every year. But it's essential that you have some idea about the syllabus of your class before you start studying.The first thing that you need to do when you start studying for the exams is to read the periodic table and its chemical structure. Then you need to identify different elements and the number of each element in the periodic table. The element with the lowest atomic number must belong to the list of those you have read before. It is also imperative that you understand the electronic charge of the elements.Another vital element to remember about organic chemistry practice exams is the periodic table. Make sure that you study all the elements that make up this table and not the ones that are merely grouped together. The periodic table is not necessary for the organic chemistry course but is ve ry important if you want to excel at this course. So, remember to study everything about the periodic table.