About 160 of the state’s top high school students will be doing DNA extraction, designing websites and conducting water quality tests at the 2007 Governor’s School for Math, Science and Technology at Lynchburg College.
This is the twelfth year that the College has hosted the program, which is directed by LC English professor Jim Koger. The school provides intensive, hands-on learning experiences in classes offered by Lynchburg College faculty and a core of faculty recruited from high schools and colleges. During their month-long stay from July 1 to 28, students live in College residence halls and enjoy the use of College facilities. They choose one of 10 classes of study. Classes include:
Brave New World: Understanding Your Genetic Future -- Topics in genetics and biotechnology will be explored in this class, which includes hands-on labs. Research reports on genetic disorders and bioethical topics will be presented by student teams. Field trips are planned to the Virginia Tech Bioinformatics Center, the VT Virtual Reality Cave, Carilion Biomedical Institute for a lecture on "Prenatal Testing," and the University of Virginia Medical School Genetics Department.
Better Living Through (Environmental) Chemistry -- This course will provide a hands-on introduction to the chemical interactions that shape our environment, and to the chemical problems in the environment. Efforts in the area of "green chemistry" as a way of eliminating or remediating these problems will be among the topics discussed.
Body Quest: An Exploration in Anatomy and Physiology -- In this aptly named study of anatomy and physiology, students spend much of the time dissecting a fetal pig and comparing it to humans. Students also spend some time comparing the anatomy of other vertebrates by dissecting a variety of specimens. In the past students have visited a necropsy lab, an autopsy lab, the College’s cadaver lab, a physical therapy facility, and a museum about medicine at the time of the Civil War to see how far knowledge has come.
2D Animation and Website Design with Macromedia Flash -- This is a hands–on introductory course in the basics of animation and website design with Flash. Students will learn how to use Flash’s drawing tools to design characters for an animated short and design an educational Flash document as well as a website.
Water, Water, Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink -- Voted by past students as one of the best Governor’s School experiences and particularly relevant in light of recent droughts in Virginia, this course provides a comprehensive field-and laboratory-based study of water resources. Basic hydrology, including water movement, stream and lake dynamics, as well as sources of pollution, laboratory techniques for water quality analysis, and water treatment techniques form the core for this course.
Each year since 1973, Governor’s Schools have offered opportunities for high school juniors and seniors from across the state to study together. Every public and private high school in Virginia is invited to submit nominations for students who have been identified as gifted in a particular area. Governor’s schools are also offered at other locations in the humanities, visual and performing arts, and foreign languages.
For more information, contact Shannon Brennan at 434/544-8609 or Dr. Jim Koger at 434/544-8628.