Prather Research Group

We go out to community events and elementary schools periodically throughout the year. We bring our instruments for measuring air (ATOFMS) when we make our visits.  Please contact Prof. Prather if you want us to come and visit your school!

Kerri describing Shirley to 5th graders at Valley Center Elementary School, 5/08

Some of the gang at Paul Ecke Elementary School, 6/08

Luis and Tim help a young visitor make a cloud in a bottle (left), while Liz shows off a cloud just made to two visitors (right) [SEA Days, May 2012]

Jack and Michelle (Bertram Group) look on as a visitor tests the pH of an acidified ocean.[SEA Days, May 2012]

Past Outreach Events

On May 19, 2012  Jack Cahill, Tim Guasco, Luis Cuadra-Rodriguez, Liz Fitzgerald, Matt Ruppel, Timia Crisp (Bertram Group), and Michelle Kim (Bertram Group) participated in the Birch Aquarium's SEA Days: Breathing in Climate Change event.  A series of demos were on display for the public to interact with, detailing issues relating to aerosols, health, and climate change, and we were able to interact with the general public from the smallest children and up in a friendly setting.

From January to May 2011, a rotating group of undergraduate, graduate, and post docs participated in an outreach event to Paul Ecke Elementary 5th Grade classes, reinforcing science education with hands-on experience with scientists!  This monthly program cumulated with a school wide science show demonstrating chemistry for all ages!

On March 5, 2011, Cassie Gaston, Lindsay Hatch, and Liz Fitzgerald along with Olivia Ryder (Bertram Group), Ashley Corrigan (Russell Group), and Amanda Frossard (Russell Group) participated in the Expand Your Horizons (EYH) program.  The program is designed to encourage middle school and high school girls to excel in mathematics and science.  Liz participated as a mentor while the rest of the group provided a workshop complete with demonstrations of how we use chemistry to solve real-world problems such as climate change.

On February 28, 2011, Melanie Zauscher participated as a panelist on the Graduate Student Panel in the CAMP Statewide Conference at the University of California, Irvine.

On February 5, 2011, Melanie Zauscher participated in two workshops during the 9th annual Latina Youth Leadership Conference held at the University of California, San Diego. The conference targeted junior high and high school level young ladies, who will be first generation college students.

On November 2, 2010, two 5th grade classrooms from Valley Center Elementary School came to visit UCSD to learn about college and also visited our lab to learn about air pollution. Doug Collins, Liz Fitzgerald, Cassie Gaston, Meagan Moore, and Melanie Zauscher from the Prather Group, as well Kristina Mitchell (Trogler Group) and Sergio Sandoval (Kummel Group) participated in this event.

Since 2006, Cassie Gaston has been a member of the Scripps Community Outreach Program for Education (SCOPE).  Through this organization, Cassie has led students of all ages and backgrounds on tours of the SIO Pier to demonstrate how this research platform is vital for making atmospheric measurements.