On Tuesday, January 6, the G.R.O.W. girls ventured to the campus of Radford University. The girls were guests of Anne Pascucci, Director of Sponsored Programs and Grant Management. Mrs. Pascucci planned a wonderful day to introduce the girls to various careers in science. The girls first visited the Library, where they were completely amazed by the books, DVDs, and other media. We, then, headed to the planetarium, where Dr. Rhett Herman gave us a tour of the night sky. From there, we proceeded to the lab of Tara Phelps-Durr. The girls examined human and plant DNA and discussed how Dr. Phelps-Durr studies mutant genes in plants. Mrs. Pascucci whisked the girls off to RU West, where the Nursing Clinical Sim Center is headed up by Dr. Cynthia Cunningham. There, the girls examined simulation mannequins, taking their pulse and listening to their hearts.
After a delicious lunch sponsored by Mrs. Pascucci, the girls headed down to the research labs to visit the lab rats used in research studies at the University. After that, Dr. Donna & Cliff Boyd, Co-Directors of the Forensic Institute, hosted the girls in their Forensic lab. The girls analyzed animal and human bones as well as learned what can be learned about a person from their skeletal remains. A campus tour was arranged during our visit to give the girls an overview of college life. Lastly, the girls spent time with Dr. Matt Dunleavy, Asst Prof. School of Teacher Ed working with Augmented Reality.
This was an amazing experience for each of the four girls. The girls’ eyes were opened to what lies beyond their neighborhoods and were introduced to various career paths that they may not have known about before. This experience took my breath away!
Please also see the article in The Roanoke Times that documented our trip for more information on our journey.
