While Americans reach deeper and deeper into their pockets to pay for gas, some of our local youth have been focusing on how to solve the energy crisis. Twenty high school students from across southern middle Tennessee attended ASM Materials^SM Camp at The University of Tennessee Space Institute the last week of June, studying some of the fundamentals of materials science with a special focus on alternative energy sources. Led by UTSI faculty, research staff and summer interns, students learned about materials science and structure, gases and liquid vapor, quantum mechanics, solid state physics and lighting, conductivity, internal refection of light, lasers, fluorescents, nanocrystals, rockets and space propulsion, harvesting solar energy, and global warming. Each topic of advanced science was tied into the week’s theme of solving the world’s energy crisis.

On the last day of camp, students presented their conclusions on how to save the Earth from our current energy emergency in a play entitled “Quantum of Solarz.” Written and directed by UTSI Post-doctoral researcher Brian Canfield, the play explained how the energy of the sun can be harnessed to provide energy for future generations.
While concentrating on such a serious subject, campers still had a tremendous amount of fun at UTSI and enjoyed the beautiful campus, nestled in the woods next to Woods Reservoir. Students performed many hands-on experiments, led by UTSI research staff and several undergraduate summer interns, and even got to work with UTSI’s world-class equipment and research materials.

ASM Materials^SM Camp is partially sponsored by ASM International, the society for materials engineers and scientists, a worldwide network dedicated to advancing industry, technology, and applications of metals and materials. UTSI offers enrichment programs for area youth throughout the year. All of UTSI’s youth programs are open to public school, private school, or home-schooled students.

ASM CAMP ENDS WITH A “GREEN PLAY”— ASM Campers, UTSI research staff, students and summer interns all participated in a play entitled “Quantum of Solarz” on the final day of camp. “Quantum of Solarz” was a theatrical presentation of the students’ conclusions on how to solve the current energy crisis using the power of the Sun. Pictured from left to right are Kate Lansford, Brittany Kriz, Densu Aktas, You Li, Cameron Brewer, James German, Kelly Carter, Justin Crawford, Marie Jarvis, Dan Krywaruczenko, Yelena White, Ryan Carter, Lino Costa, Julia Shi, and Connie Manko.

GETTING THE ROCKET READY — ASM Camper Anne Kelly and UTSI Graduate Research Assistant Joel Thompson are shown above preparing a bottle rocket experiment for launch. Once set the rocket, half full of water, will be pumped up with air until the intense build-up sends it soaring into the atmosphere.

ASM CAMPERS BUILD SPECTROMETERS — Graduate Research Assistant Jason King (standing in back) is showing ASM Campers how to build a homemade spectrometer with a CD. A spectrometer uses light to identify the chemical composition of matter, and is a frequently used tool of the trade in UTSI’s Center for Laser Applications. For example, a spectrometer “looking at” sunlight that has passed through the air above a city can detect what gases the air contains, including all the pollution from cars and factories. Shown above around the table are Brittany Krig, Anne Kelly, and Traci Lamas (backs to camera,) and Ryan Carter, Julia Shi, and Marcos More.

— UTSI Photos