College of Arts + Sciences STEM Education

About

The College of Arts and Sciences at Lawrence Technological University is committed to high school STEM education and outreach in our Metro Detroit community and beyond. The STEM Education Committee serves to facilitate and highlight the outreach efforts of our dedicated CoAS faculty and staff, build strong bonds with community partners, and provide memorable hands-on STEM experiences for high school students.

The STEM Education Committee is composed of Dr. Wisam Bukaita (Math + Computer Science), Dr. Bruce Pell (Math + Computer Science), and Ms. Erika Forest (Natural Sciences).

Interested in our programs for your high school students? Please reach out to stem-education@ltu.edu to learn more about our programs and schedule a visit!

College of Arts + Sciences Summer Programs

Every summer, the College of Arts + Sciences partners with the Marburger STEM Center to offer fun summer programs focused on cutting-edge topics in the natural sciences, math and computer science, and humanities, social science, and communication. Visit the Marburger STEM Center’s Summer Programs page to learn more and register today!

STEM Research at LTU

Want to learn more about how you can get involved with STEM research at LTU? Visit our Research  page to explore current Arts + Sciences research projects and apply to become a QUEST Scholar  (current LTU students) or MICUP Scholar (community college students).

MICUP

The Michigan College/University Partnership (MICUP) program was created by the Michigan State Legislature to help community college students overcome institutional barriers through research opportunities with local universities. As a proud supporter of MICUP, Lawrence Technological University’s College of Arts and Sciences partners with Henry Ford College and Oakland Community College to bring underrepresented students to LTU’s campus for an immersive summer learning experience.

MICUP Scholars join with a Lawrence Tech faculty member for a four-week summer research project spanning diverse topics such as AI, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, programming, health sciences, and the humanities. Scholars conduct hands-on research in state-of-the-art facilities, engage with faculty and LTU student peer mentors, and present their research experiences in a symposium at the conclusion of the program.

Lawrence Technological University is dedicated to the aim of the MICUP program and the larger King-Chávez-Parks (KCP) Initiative : to support students from economically or academically disadvantaged backgrounds, to drive institutional change within higher education, and to ensure that cutting-edge STEM education and research experiences are accessible to all.

Summer 2025 MICUP Research Projects

We are excited to announce the research projects for the Summer 2025 MICUP program. MICUP Scholars will choose their projects and faculty mentors at the MICUP Scholar Meeting at Lawrence Technological University on November 8th, 2024.

Apply to be a MICUP Scholar!

The LTU MICUP Site will host 15 Scholars per summer for six years and will be administered through LTU’s College of Arts and Sciences (CoAS) impacting 90 community college and transfer students. Our project will provide talented community college students (MICUP Research Scholars) with a four-week summer immersive learning summer experiences using diverse technologies such virtual reality (VR), applications of physics, chemistry, mathematics, AI and the Humanities fields.

Hidden Figures

The Hidden Figures Scholars Program is a hands-on STEM education initiative designed to inspire and empower high school girls interested in pursuing careers in mathematics and computer science.

Inspired by “Hidden Figures,” a biographical book and movie highlighting the previously-unrecognized Black woman mathematicians that helped NASA win the space race, LTU’s Hidden Figures Scholars Program aims to support young women by offering workshops, mentorship, and scholarship opportunities. By creating a supportive environment and providing practical experience in STEM skills such as mathematics, 3D printing, and programming, the Hidden Figures Scholars Program prepares girls for future academic and professional success in STEM careers.

The Hidden Figures Scholars Program is presented in collaboration with the Marburger STEM Center.

High School Outreach

High School Outreach Offerings

Lawrence Technological University’s Department of Natural Sciences is proud to offer exciting, interactive STEM education programs to high school classes.

In this free program, high school science teachers have the opportunity to bring their students to Lawrence Tech’s beautiful Southfield campus for a hands-on science activity presented by our dedicated faculty and staff. Teachers can choose from biology, chemistry, and physics programs designed to ignite student curiosity about scientific research, STEM careers, and how science is used in our everyday lives.

Visit Us!

Would you like to bring your class for a fun day of science at LTU? Please reach out to our science outreach coordinator at eforest@ltu.edu to share your school, top program interests, class size, and preferred dates. We look forward to bringing this fun STEM education opportunity to your students!

Biology Programs

The Case of the Contaminated Culture: A Microbiology Mystery

There’s a mystery in LTU’s microbiology lab: something is contaminating our agar plates! In this program, students will solve the mystery by identifying a species of unknown bacteria. Students will use colony morphology, Gram staining, and biochemical tests to investigate the contamination, determine bacterial species, and learn about the fundamentals of microbiology.

DNA Isolation from Fruit

In this session, students will examine how much DNA is in common food items we eat. Students will be given the tools to extract DNA from strawberries or similar soft fruits and vegetables both in a lab and at home with common household items. Students will also be able to extract and isolate DNA from their own cheek cells.

The Evolutionary Significance of Red Blood Cell Morphology

Over time, some larger animals have evolved to remove the nucleus from their red blood cells to accommodate more hemoglobin so they will have access to sufficient oxygen. We will examine the morphology of chicken and sheep red blood cells during the event. Students will create blood smears, stain their slides, and view the cells using a microscope.

Love Me, Love Me Not

Did you know that worms have preferences too? In this session, students will explore the chemosensory behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans . They will conduct an experiment observing how C. elegans respond to various chemicals. By adding attractants and repellents to the plates, students will learn about the sensory mechanisms guiding these tiny creatures. This hands-on activity will provide insights into the complex behaviors of C. elegans and the importance of chemosensation for their survival.

Personalized Medicine: A Journey from Mendel to Medicine

We learn more about the similarities and differences present in human beings every day. In this session, students will extract their own DNA, learn about single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and learn how this new knowledge of human genetic variation can lead to the better treatment of diseases.

The Speed of Your Nervous System

How fast do signals travel in your nervous system? In this session, students will use physiological sensors to measure the speed of their nervous system. We will compare the speed of your unconscious reflexive actions with your conscious reaction times.

Too Toxic for Turtles?

Is our restored wetland ecosystem suitable for endangered Michigan turtles? In this program, students will visit LTU’s habitat restoration project, a branch of the Rouge River running through our Southfield campus. Students will collect samples (weather permitting), perform water chemistry tests, and identify microorganisms to determine whether this wetland ecosystem could support an endangered turtle species.

Chemistry Programs

The Chemistry of Art: Cyanotypes

Make beautiful art prints while learning about chemistry! In this session, students learn about cyanotype photography and the chemical reaction that makes it work by creating their own colorful art prints to take home. Students will mix reagents, prepare their cyanotype, and witness the oxidation-reduction reaction that occurs when their cyanotype is exposed to UV light.

Glycoproteins: The Inside Story

Our blood type, A1c (in diabetics), connective tissue function, and immune response are all defined by carbohydrate-containing proteins, or glycoproteins. Some glycoproteins, like ones in cartilage, attach to a large number of water molecules, providing cushioning and preventing damage to the tissue when pressure is exerted. Sodium polyacrylate, a material used in diapers and astronaut garments, is able to absorb water in the same way as glycoproteins. Students will help prepare and watch a demonstration of sodium polyacrylate absorbing a huge quantity of water to learn how glycoproteins function in our bodies.

Hands-On Chemistry: Lotions in Motion

We use chemistry in our daily lives! In this program, students will learn about the chemistry behind a common skincare product by creating their own lotion. Students will explore the concepts of polarity, emulsions, and pH while learning about how chemistry is used in business to create new products.

How Functional is Your Filter?

The need for clean drinking water free of heavy metal contaminants has led to the popularity of filtering water pitchers. But how functional are these filters? In this program, students will test how well different water filtration systems remove heavy metals. Students will use an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer to measure heavy metal concentration in water and determine if the filters perform as well as claimed.

Metal Casting Using Wood’s Metal Fusible Alloy

Cast your own metal artwork! In this program, students will learn the basics of metal casting using a low melting point Wood’s Metal Fusible Alloy. This special alloy melts at 70 degree Celsius and allows students to quickly and safely perform metal casting in 30 minutes. Students will design and carve their own mold using clay and sculpting tools. and will have an opportunity to take photos of their metalwork to share them on social media. They will learn the concepts of melting point, freezing point, and phase transition through this hands-on experience.

Molecules in Medicine: The Wonderful World of Medicinal Chemistry

What does tree bark, an acne treatment, and aspirin have in common? In this program, students will learn about the chemistry of pharmaceutical drugs. They will use molecular model kits to understand the structures of medicinally important molecules and will complete a chemical reaction to prepare aspirin.

Physics Programs

Forensic Physics in Action: Blood Spatter Analysis

Forensic science is a very exciting field. Have you ever wondered how physics plays a role in solving crimes? In this program, students will conduct blood spatter analysis experiments to determine how distance, angle, and speed of blood droplets affect the splatter pattern. Using their knowledge of blood spatter physics, students will analyze blood evidence from a crime scene and solve a mystery.

Out of this World Astronomy

How can we use light to see what stars are made of? How can telescopes give us a closer view of the night sky? How can the study of physics help us better understand our universe? In this program, students explore these big questions through hands-on activities designed to ignite curiosity. See a rainbow of emission spectra, look through a telescope, see sunspots (if it’s a clear day), and learn about the exciting world of astronomy!

From Permanent Magnets to Modern MRI Machines

Magnets aren’t just found on your fridge! There are magnets in your microwave, in your car, and even in your phone. But how do they work? Learn about the magnetic properties of materials, electromagnetism, and electromagnetic induction and how these properties and phenomena are applied in the construction of new devices across many fields of science, technology, and engineering.

A Short Story About Our Universe

How much do we know about our universe? What is our universe made of? Students attending this session will learn about the origin story of our universe and what it is made up of. They will interact with toy models of elementary particles while learning about their properties and interactions. Students will be exposed to the fundamental questions in particle physics, while playing with models of hypothetical particles.

Using 3D Printed Shapes to Learn About Surface Tension

How can we use molecular forces to make square bubbles? The surface of liquids is held together and shaped by surface tension. Using custom-made 3D printed objects of various geometry, students will explore some unusual liquid surface configurations, such as square or triangular bubbles, made possible by surface tension.

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