The Nieh Lab participates in several programs that promote an interest in science and attendance at 4-year colleges for students from groups typically underrepresented in the sciences. These programs include:
ORBS: Opportunities for Research in Behavioral Science
ORBS is a program for undergraduates attending 2-year colleges. Schools currently participating are San Diego City College and Southwestern College. This program encourages students attending community colleges to transition to 4-year institutions and to pursue careers in the behavioral sciences. In particular, we assist students who are interested in transferring to UCSD by familiarizing them with the campus, the faculty, and the educational and research opportunities available.
High Tech High School
High Tech High is a charter school whose mission is to support and develop innovation in public schools by focusing on how students can make connections between workplace, academic, and citizenship skills. A particular goal of High Tech High is to increase the number of educationally disadvantaged students who succeed in high school and post-secondary education. The Nieh lab is pleased to be currently collaborating with teacher Jesse-Wade Robinson to develop greater interest in and knowledge of our native pollinators in San Diego while teaching basic principles about the scientific method and giving students hands-on research experiences.
HMC Upward Bound Program
The HMC Upward Bound Program provides an intensive summer program combining classes with hands-on internships and research experiences. Their goal is to help low income, potential first-generation college students in Los Angeles obtain the necessary skills and motivation to succeed in college. The Nieh lab began working with this program in 2010, and had a great experience with two interns. We will continue working the HMC Upward Bound Program in the summer of 2011. The intensive format of this program (in which students spend approximately 30 hours per week in the lab) facilitates training and data collection and allows students to make real research contributions.
The Teaching Bee
The Teaching Bee is where the Nieh lab publishes the exercises and other educational material that we have developed. Our goal is to help teach the scientific method by developing exercises that raise awareness and interest in bee biology. Please also visit the The Teaching Bee's Facebook Group.
On November 10, 2011, Dr. Eben Goodale and Jesse Wade Robinson, a teacher from High Tech High showed the results of their collaboration in a conference that featured students presenting their research on honey bees. This is the group photo showing all the students who participated. Please see the TeachingBee YouTube site. for detailed videos of the student presentations.
Dr. Eben Goodale shows students from High Tech High how to examine and identify insects under a dissecting microscope. Please see the TeachingBee YouTube site. for detailed videos of the student presentations resulting from this work.
Dr. Eben Goodale shows students from High Tech High how to dissect bees. Please see the TeachingBee YouTube site. for detailed videos of the student presentations resulting from these activities.
Students from High Tech High dressed up in bee suits to conduct research at the Biology Field Station at UCSD. Please see the TeachingBee YouTube site. for detailed videos of the student presentations of their experiments.
In 2011, we had two great Harvey Mudd Upward Bound Interns, Leonardo Huerta and Francisco Rodriguez, shown here entering in their final data. Thanks guys!
Nathan Peterson and Susi Sanchez were our two High Tech High Summer 2011 interns. They worked on studying the effects of predation on honey bees with Eben Goodale and James Nieh. Here we see Eben Goodale (postdoctoral fellow), James Nieh, and Nathan and Susi.
Middle School student, Lily Greenberg-Call, wins second place at the California Science Fair! Daren Eiri is her mentor and is currently completing his Master's degree in the Division of Biological Sciences at UCSD on the effects of imidacloprid on honey bees. To learn more about his research, please CLICK HERE.
Middle School student, Lily Greenberg-Call, with her poster and first place award for her science fair project (Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair) on the effect of the neonicotinoid pesticide, imidacloprid in honey bees. Lily also just received the San Diego Zoo Global Society award and is now competing at the state level with her research project. Daren Eiri (on the left) is her mentor and is currently completing his Master's degree in the Division of Biological Sciences at UCSD on the effects of imidacloprid on honey bees. To learn more about his research, please CLICK HERE.
Maria Bernal, former Nieh lab undergraduate mentee in the Opportunities for Research in the Behavioral Sciences Program (ORBS), shows a honeybee observation nest to a visiting kindergarten student from the UCSD Early Childhood Education Center. Maria was a student from Southwestern Community College who helped to conduct research in the Nieh lab.
David Iaea and Praschila Mistry, former high school students at the Preuss School, which is dedicated to providing a rigorous college prep education for motivated low-income students. Here they are shown conducting research on the effects of bumble temperature regulation in the Nieh lab.
PhD student, Elinor Lichtenberg, talking about native bees to Brazilian students at a ranch where she conducted her research (Fazenda Aretuzina, Bento Quirino, SP, Brazil).
Shawn Kessler, who came to Brazil to conduct research as an undergraduate in the Nieh lab, showing Brazilian students how to train bees to a sugar feeder.
Nieh lab members demonstrating research techniques for studying olfactory communication in stingless bees to Brazilian students from the University of São Paulo.
Felipe Contrera, former Nieh lab postdoctoral fellow, showing Brazilian students the outside entrances of stingless bee nests.
Felipe Contrera, former Nieh lab postdoctoral fellow, showing Brazilian students the observation nests of stingless bees.