Posted on Mon, Feb. 14, 2005

Scientists spark students' interests in field
By Betsy Mason

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

LIVERMORE - The scene was almost surreal: an entire fourth-grade class with attention completely focused. There were notes being taken, hands being raised, thoughtful questions asked.

All eyes were on Art Krakowsky -- "Dr. K" to the children and a retired electrical engineer from Lawrence Livermore Lab -- using a battery, wire and compass to demonstrate how electromagnets work.

Soon the classroom buzzed with activity and shouts of glee as students teamed up to build their own electromagnets. They coiled wires onto nails, touched the ends of wires to battery contacts and used the resulting magnetic fields to pick up paper clips.

This picture is one that some say may help counter an impending shortage of scientists that could threaten the nation's prominence in technology. California schools rank among the nation's worst when it comes to science and math.

Krakowsky teaches science to fourth-graders at Jackson Avenue Elementary each Wednesday.

The students really respond to his classes, said fifth-grade teacher Carol Myllenbeck. "There's a great sense of anticipation when they get to go to science." For the second half of the year, he will teach fifth-graders.

Krakowsky is one of 17 retired or semiretired scientists and engineers volunteering to teach science in 11 Livermore schools. The program, known as TOPS: Teaching Opportunities for Partners in Science, began 12 years ago in San Joaquin County and now includes five counties and more than 30 scientists.

At least one professional society has shown interest in a national program modeled after TOPS.

"We realized that younger and younger, very competent people were retiring from science-related jobs," said Judi Wilson, director of science and special projects for San Joaquin County schools. "At the same time, we had a great need in the classroom."

In 1993, she and Hector Timourian, a biomedical scientist at Lawrence Livermore, conceived the idea during a ride to the airport after a conference for science educators.

Pairing retired scientists who boast decades of experience and time on their hands with schools with tight budgets and a need for scientific expertise is a boon for both, said Timourian. "Once you're retired from science, you're kind of isolated," he said. "So this is as much of a help to the retirees as to the schools."

TOPS also addresses a national issue of growing concern: an impending shortage of high-quality scientists and engineers. Though there is debate on the topic, many scientists and politicians are concerned and some businesses claim they already are feeling the pinch.

"Science enrollment in colleges is down and science retirement is up, and the pipeline isn't as full as it should be," said Krakowsky. "So there's a gap coming and it's hitting already."

At the same time, tighter restrictions on visas for foreign students and workers since the Sept. 11 attacks, and stiffer competition for top scientists from countries like Australia, India, England and Canada threaten to trim what had been a virtually limitless supply of foreign talent.

If trends continue, some fear a future U.S. competitive disadvantage.

In October, Wilson and Krakowsky were invited to Texas to make a presentation about TOPS to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

"We need to increase the propensity of young people to select an engineering career path, and we can't wait until college to do that," said Moshe Kam, the institute's vice president for educational activities. If kids don't see math and science in a positive light early on, by high school they will have discarded the idea of going into engineering, he said.

IEEE is looking for ways to give math and science an early boost nationally. The group was impressed with TOPS, particularly training received by scientists and the sustainability of the program.

TOPS volunteers take a two-day science education boot camp each summer and meet during the year to share ideas. The annual cost of training and screening scientists averages $1,400 per school. It is shared by schools, school districts, counties and donors such as the lab.

The scientists commit to spend one year in a particular school, and team up with teachers to decide where they fit in best. The program currently has volunteers teaching kindergarten through eighth grade.

T J Gilmartin, a retired Livermore lab physicist, teaches five eighth-grade classes each Tuesday at Mendenhall Middle School. "They call it T J Tuesdays," he said.

He was instrumental in bringing the program to Livermore in 2000. Today, 11 of the 15 elementary and middle schools have a TOPS scientist, but more are needed. "We're really hoping that by the end of the year we'll have at least one" in each school," he said.

At Jackson Avenue, Krakowsky works with teachers to develop lessons to complement what students learn during the week. His classes invariably involve demonstrations and hands-on experiments. "As long as they get to touch things and see it with their own eyes, they love it," he said. "I don't think they learn that well out of a book."

"We are extremely happy and excited to have Dr. K here," said fourth-grade teacher Alison Dozier. "He really explains things in a way the kids can understand."

"It's my favorite subject," said fourth-grader Jennie Harmison. "Especially with Dr. K. He's awesome."

After the electromagnets lesson, Jennie and nearly half the other students crowd Krakowsky, asking questions and trying to get a closer look at the electromagnets in a speaker he brought. Their teacher virtually had to drag them away to their next period -- even though it was recess.

Parents are noticing, too.

"She's very excited every time they get to work with him," said Lisa Harmison, Jennie's mother. "It's kind of sparking something in her."