18 Jun 2009CBMSPC partners with FOCUS! (Faculty Outreach Collaborations Uniting Scientists, Students and Schools)
The NSF-supported FOCUS! program seeks to demonstrate improved student achievement in mathematics and science through support of partnerships that join the efforts of teachers, administrators and guidance counselors in local school districts with science, mathematics, engineering and education faculties of colleges and universities.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
30 Jun 2009Dr. Nenadic participates at UC Irvine Math and Science Regional Master Teacher Leader (RMTL) Leadership Institute.
This NSF-funded component of FOCUS! provides opportunities for K-12 teachers to be actively engaged in leadership roles in their schools and through the region. Developing interesting and inquiry-based curriculum is part of the program to increase the teachers' leadership skills and encourage their retention in three high-need school districts in Southern California.
The presentation given by Dr. Nenadic focuses on changing the perception of engineering in K-12 education.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
10 Jul 2009CBMSPC hosts 20 high-school students from the Santa Ana Unified School District through the partnership of FOCUS! and AISS (Achievement Institute of Scientific Studies)
The main objective of the AISS foundation is to help economically disadvantaged students gain a university education in the careers of Math, Science, and Technology.
After listening to the presentation given by Dr. Nenadic, and participating in several exhibits, the students' attitudinal changes have been measured. Dr. Debra Mauzy-Melitz (FOCUS! Director of Development for Faculty Outreach Collaboration) and Po T Wang (CBMSPC graduate student) wowed the students with a successful real-time demonstration of a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI).
The video below shows Dr. Nenadic conveying some important messages to K-12 students directly from his brain with the help of BCI.
 
BCI demonstration
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
30 Jul 2009CBMSPC hosts 26 high-school students through the partnership of FOCUS! and YBS (Young Black Scholars) program.
The mission of the YBS program is to enhance the academic performance of African American high school youths through enrichment workshops and programs which support and prepare scholars to be competitively eligible for University admissions and success. The students participated in several exhibits and were treated to a live BCI demonstration (thanks to Po and Dr. Mauzy-Melitz). They found answering survey questions using the wireless i>clicker system especially entertaining, and may have set some sort of record by responding in less than 5 seconds. The presentation and the flyer summarizing the concept of BCI are posted here.
Dr. Nenadic greets Young Black Scholars (photo courtesy of Mr. Shawn Hill)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
06 Aug 2009In collaboration with UCI's Center for Educational Partnership (CFEP), CBMSPC hosts 68 community-college students who are participants in the Sumer Transfer Institute (STI) program.
The STI program is designed to increase the academic achievement and transfer rates of community college students to UCI. This program specifically targets first-generation college students and students with low family income who are attending low-performing community colleges.
The STI students enjoyed participating in real-time BCI demonstration (summary flyer) and several scientific/engineering exhibits. While some of these students are already in engineering/computer science track, we hope that after learning about making a difference through engineering many more will give an engineering career a serious consideration. We look forward to seeing these highly motivated individuals transferring to UCI engineering programs in the near future.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
12 Aug 2009Through partnership with FOCUS!, CBMSPC hosts 18 high-school teachers participating in the Science Education Project Summer Science Institute.

Dr. Nenadic and high-school teachers (photo courtesy of Dr. Debra Mauzy-Melitz)		 These teachers are from low-performing high schools in the area served by FOCUS!, and the primary purpose of their participation in this program is to reinforce their professional development and leadership skills. Development of inquiry-based educational activities and lesson plans for high-school students in collaboration with UCI faculty is an important aspect of this program. As did the other groups, the teachers enjoyed participating in real-time BCI demonstration (summary flyer), several scientific/engineering exhibits, and presentation given by Dr. Nenadic. We look forward to working with these dedicated professionals in the future.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
26 Sep 2009The members of CBMSPC participate in The Future of Science Conference held at UCI. Dr. Nenadic gave a presentation on mind reading with a computer. The spotlight, however, was stolen by Dr. An Do, a long-term affiliate of CBMSPC, who gave a human brain presentation, including a cadaveric human brain demonstration.