Vuna Fa, co-sponsored by the University of Arizona Department of Immunobiology

Research in biotechnology has grown to encompass almost any imaginable field of scientific research ranging from the science of space exploration to the treatment of disease. Biotech research will undeniably continue to shape our world and ultimately lead to more fascinating discoveries. However, current tools and techniques used in biotechnology can seem both complicated and intimidating to many middle and high school students and even some teachers. This is particularly true if the students do not have a clear understanding of basic science. After a discouraging personal experience with the sciences in high school, I never imagined myself capable of doing anything science-related. As a business major in college my child was diagnosed with a prenatal heart condition exposing me to the world of medicine and ultimately medical research. Today, I am an immunology graduate student studying T cell development including how thymic T cells develop in microgravity. I believe that presenting the basic science behind current scientific techniques, along with the history and people behind them, in a hands-on and entertaining way will help these students to become more scientifically literate and may even be that “eye-opening” experience that leads some students to consider science as a career. My education outreach project consists of 4 presentations called Biotech Labs that present various topics including the race to discover DNA structure, DNA analysis, how diseases are discovered and treated, and why gravity is such a big deal. My target audience for these presentations are students traditionally underrepresented within the science field including underrepresented minorities, students from low-income homes, and students that would be first generation college graduates. Initially, I present these interactive Biotech Lab presentations in science classes after meeting with the teachers to help them prepare their class and to determine the level and needs of the class. I am also developing material for the teachers so that they can continue these Biotech Labs on their own in subsequent years. I am working with various charter and public schools in the Casa Grande, Coolidge, Tucson, and surrounding areas. I am also working on a website that will make these presentations and related material and links available to any teacher or student.

The NASA/UA Spacegrant fellowship is helping me to realize one of my true joys in teaching as well as helping young students to gain greater confidence and understanding with respect to scientific discovery.