Lots of energy and environment talk as high school students visit UOIT

YSTOP initiative provides students with opportunities to conduct research under the mentorship of UOIT faculty

More than 150 students in grades 9 to 12 heard influential speakers, toured the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) campus, and met members of the Faculty of Science and graduate students during UOIT's second annual Energy and the Environment Day on October 23.

The daylong event is part of the Youth Science and Technology Outreach Program (YSTOP), which provides high school students with an opportunity to conduct projects under the mentorship of UOIT's globally experienced science faculty. It is also an excellent chance for students to learn about the many possible career paths, research opportunities and post-degree study options that come with pursuing post-secondary science studies.

Following a welcome from Dr. William Smith, dean of the Faculty of Science, students learned about the Canadian energy industry from Shashi Tuteja, a senior manager in Deloitte Human Capital Consulting with a responsibility for Human Capital Management. Her presentation, Energy Industry Needs Talent, explained how the market has experienced instability over the past 15 years due to concerns about productivity and efficiency. In addition, 65 per cent of energy workers will retire over the next 10 years, and companies are beginning to prepare for the talent shortage.

"Tough challenges require new thinking," Tuteja said. "Interesting, challenging work is now a critical expectation of employees and companies are developing new retention strategies, including offering signing and retention bonuses."

Along with providing background and salary information for the energy industry, Tuteja hoped to pique students' interest in the field by communicating that the demand for energy workers will increase in the near future.

Kimberly Nugent, UOIT's YSTOP co-ordinator, kicked off an introduction to YSTOP by offering an overview of the kind of research being conducted within the Faculty of Science, including biofuels, parasitology, probiotics, anti-cancer agents, aquatic toxicology and microbial communities. UOIT has developed a national reputation for research excellence, earning millions of dollars in grants and awards to carry out innovative work that will make a difference for society.

"Energy and the Environment Day is such a unique opportunity for high-school students to gain hands-on experience in a research facility," said Nugent, who is also a senior laboratory instructor with the Faculty of Science. "The students were pretty excited about it. Many were interested in taking on the responsibility of working with faculty members and graduate students, especially since they will have access to equipment and materials not readily available at their high schools."

YSTOP enables students to gain hands-on research experience with projects in a variety of fields, including energy, life sciences, chemistry and engineering. The first step is attending Energy and the Environment Day and then writing a research proposal. Over the course of several months, students develop research projects under the guidance of UOIT faculty and researchers, culminating in March with a public exhibition of their results and findings.

"Everyone is preoccupied with energy lately. I don't think we need as much as people think so I'm going to focus my project more on the environment," said Cassi Rylance, a Grade 9 student at Cobourg District Collegiate Institute (CDCI) East in Cobourg, Ontario.

Her schoolmate Brittani Black, who's in Grade 11, agreed. "My main priority is having a clean environment," she said.

Later in the day, students enjoyed campus tours, including a look at UOIT's geothermal well field, the second largest in North America; a number of state-of-the-art research labs; and the innovative Crime Scene House, where crimes are staged for students gaining skills in forensic investigation as part of UOIT's Forensic Sciences program. They also enjoyed a solar car presentation.

UOIT researchers Dr. Brad Easton and Dr. Janice Strap, both assistant professors with the Faculty of Science, also addressed the students. Dr. Easton spoke about his fuel cell research and Dr. Strap spoke about her research related to environmental bioremediation. The day concluded with the YSTOP Challenge, where students were encouraged to submit project proposals, completed a survey and received research information.

The Faculty of Science's involvement with YSTOP was made possible through a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation in early 2006. Industry and community-based sponsors also contribute funding and in-kind donations for a total grant of $253,306 over a three-year period.

For more information about YSTOP, please visit http://w3.science.uoit.ca/ystop/

About Ontario Tech University
A modern, forwarding-thinking university, Ontario Tech advances the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. We inspire and equip our students and our graduates to make a positive impact in a tech-focused world. For us, it’s not only about developing the next tech breakthrough. Understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of technology differentiates us as university. Learn more at ontariotechu.ca.