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‘VINSE Outreach’

Nine students from Clay County High School Join Forensics Lab On April 23

Apr. 23, 2024—On Tuesday, April 23, VINSE welcomed nine students from Clay County High School to our Forensics Lab. Their job was to find proof of “murderer” using the various tools in the lab before the end of the day! Our NanoGuides provided an introduction to the optical properties of natural and exotic synthetic materials, and led...

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Sixteen students from White House Heritage High School Join Forensics Lab On April 11

Apr. 12, 2024—It seems like nothing eye-catching at the “crime scene”, but what are the hidden clues that you should not miss out? On Thursday, April 11, VINSE welcomed 16 students from White House Heritage High School to our Forensics Lab. During the forensics lab program, the students solved a whodunnit-themed activity using several types of spectroscopies including Raman, FTIR,...

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Thirteen Students from White County High School Join Cleanroom Solar Cell Lab Today

Apr. 3, 2024—How does a solar cell work and how can you make one? On Wednesday, April 3, VINSE welcomed 13 students from White County High School to our Cleanroom Solar Cell Lab. They went inside the VINSE cleanroom, home of the cleanest air in middle Tennessee, and found out with hands-on activities!  The students created a...

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16 Students From Springfield High School Join Forensics Lab Today

Mar. 28, 2024—Imagine you are a detective investigating on a murder scene, where do you start? On Thursday, March 28, VINSE welcomed 16 students from Springfield High School to our Forensics Lab. During the forensics lab program, the students solved a whodunnit-themed activity using several types of spectroscopies including Raman, FTIR, absorption and photoluminescence. They also extracted...

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8 Students From Waverly High School Join Cleanroom Microfluidics Lab Today

Mar. 27, 2024—How differences in designs can alter the behavior of the fluid? On Wednesday March 27, VINSE welcomed 8 students from Waverly High School to our Cleanroom Microfluidics Lab. They went inside the VINSE cleanroom, home of the cleanest air in middle Tennessee, and found out with hands-on activities! The students stenciled with light to pattern...

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92 High School Students Join Blackberry Solar Cell Lab During Spring Break

Mar. 11, 2024—While the Vanderbilt campus is ramping down during spring break, VINSE outreach program is buzzing with energy! On March 11, VINSE welcomed 20 students from Harpeth High School to our Blackberry Solar Cell Lab. They made solar cells out of blackberry juice and measured the electrical power they produced. The students also examined the material...

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Field Trip of Mansfield Frontier STEM Academy from Texas

Mar. 6, 2024—On Friday, March 1 VINSE hosted students from Mansfield Frontier STEM Academy from Mansfield Texas to learn about nanoscience and nanotechnology during a day visit. Outreach experiences are tailored to fit into a variety of science courses. For the graphene work and the gowning session, student made their own 2D material, graphene – carbon that...

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Welcome the inaugural group of VINSE NanoGuides

Oct. 30, 2023—Meet our inaugural group of VINSE NanoGuides! These students will lead many of VINSE’s STEM outreach activities, including the VINSE high school field trip program, which offers hands-on learning designed to inspire K-12 kids to pursue careers in engineering and science. Theodore Anyika, Electrical and Computer Engineering Chris Boyd, Mechanical Engineering Jeb Buchner, Interdisciplinary Materials...

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From blackberry juice solar cells to forensic labs: VINSE outreach is shaping the next generation of scientists

Oct. 18, 2023—There’s a good chance many Middle Tennessee high school kids know more about nanotechnology than you do thanks to the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, which has been making strides in its educational outreach for more than a decade. VINSE’s mission is to drive innovation in science, nanotechnology and education that benefits society....

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NanoGuides Logo Design Competition

Oct. 12, 2023—Goal Create an attractive logo representing the NanoGuides Program. NanoGuides are graduate student volunteers with a passion for nanoscience outreach who will lead many of the VINSE STEM outreach activities. The winning design will receive a $300 cash prize. Rubrics The design must be exclusively your own and cannot include logos and trademark images No...

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