To Catch a Thief
Hollywood has long been obsessed with “the big heist,” from Mission Impossible to the recently released After the Sunset, starring Pierce Brosnan as a master thief. Yet most security systems are based on similar technologies – a sensor picks up a signal, and triggers a response. In this workshop, students will model and test two security system components – one to detect light, and another to generate a piercing siren.

Presenters:
Stuart Schwalb, Bio Integrated Solutions
Majid Ghadiri, Oakton associate professor of electronics

Thinking Small to Do Big Things
While most people don't understand it, nanoscience is one of the most inspiring research fields of the 21st century. Scientists finally know for certain that size does matter! That’s because materials change fundamentally at the nano level (one nanometre is 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair), inviting the dawn of a new Industrial Revolution. Students in this workshop will explore future nanoscale applications.

Presenters:
Dr. Auste Vygantas, former research associate, Northwestern University
Dr. Connie Churchill, Oakton professor of chemistry

Presentation Files: Powerpoint File(8MB) | Notes for Instructors | Activity Directions

Running Hot and Cold
For most “weekend mechanics,” working on the family car has become a purely nostalgic activity. Today’s automobile electronics are designed and tested by engineers using sophisticated computer models to simulate temperature, air velocity, and pressure gradients. In this workshop, students will explore the practical side of thermal physics, including concepts such as heat transfer and forced convection.

Presenters:
Tony Asghari, senior staff engineer, Motorola, Inc.
Theodore Gotis, Oakton instructor of physics

Good Reflections
Like electricity, lighting must be controlled for maximum effect. Given the high cost of energy, each lumen of light produced should ideally be focused in a way that makes it useful. In addition to conservation efforts, there also is a growing concern about light pollution in the U.S. Students in this workshop will study the benefits of designing reflectors that optimize the amount of useable lighting generated by each fixture.

Presenters:
John Lund, Cortina Company
Dave Geller, Oakton assistant professor of manufacturing technology

Possibilities Abound
Not quite “fortune tellers,” actuaries professionally evaluate the potential of future events, and design creative ways to reduce the impact of undesirable events. This workshop will focus on the concept of “interest theory,” used to analyze annuities and investments, and how even small changes in certain risk factors can impact profits. Actuarial science is consistently ranked among the best five careers in the Jobs Rated Almanac.

Presenters:
Susan Farquhar, FSA, MAAA, 2nd vice president and actuary, Trustmark Insurance Co.
R. Michael Farquhar, Oakton assistant professor of mathematics

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