Situation Simulations (SIT-SIMs)

Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 8 to 12:30
Oakton Community College, Room 1610
1600 E. Golf Road
Des Plaines

Students in middle school, high school, and college are invited to meet with industry representatives to learn about two of the following STEM fields:

• Biology
• Engineering, Alternative energy
• Ecology
• Industrial engineering
• Chemistry
• Mathematics

Schedule
8:45 Check-in
9:00 Session 1
10:30 Break
10:45 Session 2
12:15 Evaluation

DESCRIPTION of WORKSHOPS

Food Science: Magic Mixtures. Maria Tanner, Associate Chair, Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology and Laura Ferrini, Scientist at Kraft Foods
Normally water and oil don't mix, but getting these two opposites together is crucial for many foods. The scientific secret that makes this magic possible is known as an emulsion. In this session, student scientists will explore how simple and accessible ingredients can be used to create emulsions that improve the qualities of many familiar food products.

Monitoring Aquatic Ecosystems Michelle Groves, Oakton Community College
How do our actions affect the environment in which we live? We will take a look at Lake Oakton and the Des Plaines river, take water samples to analyze in the lab and collect macroinvertebrates to determine the health of these two ecosystems.

Art and Science of Industrial Engineering Houshang Darabi, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago
Explore the world of industrial and systems engineering – where engineering meets business. Learn how this unique discipline develops and evaluates integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, and more. Find out how to earn a degree in this fascinating field – and how industrial and systems engineering tools can help you make important personal decisions.

Effect of temperature and pH on enzyme activity Jonathan Chong, Oakton Community College
Enzymes are organic catalysts that function to speed up chemical reactions. Most enzymes are protein and sensitive to the effects of physical conditions such as temperature and pH on their overall three dimensional structure. The efficacy of the enzyme in accelerating the rate of a specific chemical reaction is dependent on proper binding of the substrates into the active site, called substrate-enzyme complex. In this simulation, we will determine the effect of various temperature and pH on the catalytic activity of an extracellular enzyme called pancreatic amylase enzyme.

Meeting Uncertain Demand Andy Roach, Oakton Community College
How do vendors know how many items to stock when they can't predict how many customers they will have or how much product they will demand? If the vendor stocks too few items, they will run out and miss possible sales. If they stock too much, they incur storage costs and risk spoilage. In this simulation, students will develop a stochastic model that can be used to determine optimal production targets in the face of uncertain demand.

Solar Energy Circuit Design Majid Ghadiri and Angelo Gero, Oakton Community College
Students use digital electronics circuitry to design, build, and test a model solar-powered vehicle.

DIRECTIONS
Please fill out this registration form for each person who will attend two workshops. You will be assigned two workshops.