Clarkson University is proud to continue offering the IMPETUS for Career Success program (Integrated Math and Physics for Entry to Undergraduate STEM) to eligible 7th-12th grade students. Recently, the university was awarded a New York State Department of Education Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) funding worth a total of nearly $1.6M for 2020-2025 to support IMPETUS.
STEP provides students with academic enrichment and research experience in science, mathematics, and technology content areas and consists of summer and academic year components. IMPETUS activities range from a computer programming game challenge, conducting original research projects for a statewide competition, interacting with college mentors and licensed STEM professionals, to designing and analyzing a model roller coaster.
On April 22, Earth Day, Clarkson’s IMPETUS (Integrated Mathematics and Physics for Entry to Undergraduate STEM) held its first virtual campus visit with roughly 90 attendees. All three campuses participated in the celebration including faculty and students from the Potsdam, Beacon, and Capital Region campuses, along with more than 50 middle and high school students and teachers from 9 local school districts. Participants were led in Zoom Breakout Rooms by Clarkson undergraduate STEM outreach volunteers and MAT students where they completed an Earth Day-themed BINGO game. Clarkson faculty included Katie Kavanagh, Mike Ramsdell, Ben Galluzzo, Jen Knack, Brad Smith, Josh Thomas, Seema Rivera, Devin Kapper, and Melissa Richards, staff Mary-Margaret Small, Brigette Walsh and Deb Shipp, graduate students Freddie Amoah-Darko, Joseph Judge, Emily Hass, Luke Moore, Yao Xu, Yuzhou Pan, and undergraduates Mariama Jawo, Danielle Doyle, Nick Frost, Corey Ryder, Margaret McDonald, Brielle Cameron, and Carolune Shultes.
Everyone had an excellent time reconnecting in this regional program that typically convenes on campus once a month especially during the finale when the entire group shouted BINGO!
STEP has been in existence at Clarkson since 2006 and is funded jointly by the University to support 180 7-12th grade students annually. Drs. Katie Kavanagh (Mathematics) and Mike Ramsdell (Physics) are the program directors with support from faculty fellows, Drs. Josh Thomas (Physics), Jen Knack (Psychology), and Ben Galluzzo (Institute for STEM Education). The program has traditionally served 11 school districts across St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Franklin Counties and this year they will be working with the Beacon Central School District with coordination by Asher Pacht and Clarkson's Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries.
