Students tackle challenges at Summer Science Academy
A group of high school students from across the state transformed a science laboratory at the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics this week into a fertile field for oil extraction.
The students puzzled over red Solo cups, plastic tubing, syringes and other simple materials as they built contraptions that would lift oil out of the ground and bring it to the surface.
It was all part of a teambuilding engineering challenge that was part of the annual GE Summer Science Academy sponsored by the GE Foundation.
About 40 students participated in the weeklong residential camp, attending classes on a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, tackling the engineering challenge and taking field trips throughout the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
The oil extraction project used vegetable oil and coffee grounds to simulate the challenge faced by industry every day, said Nicholas Drenzek, a senior geochemist at Baker Hughes, a GE Company, in Oklahoma City.
“The purpose of the engineering challenge is to get the students engaged in a practical problem that is central to our industry,” Drenzek said. “This is an exercise in artificial lift. We’ve taught them in generalities what types of techniques we use in industry and allowed them to innovate on their own to see what solutions they come up with.”
Young scientists
For freshman-to-be Grace Miller, a 14-yearold from Sand Springs, the academy was about more than building a device to extract oil from the ground. It was about self-discovery and working in teams.
“I’ve always tried to work more indepen- Allen Ortiz-Torres
dently because I work better without a lot of people around me,” Miller said. “But here, I have to learn how to do a lot of teamwork, and that helps quite a bit.”
For Allen Ortiz-Torres, a 15-year-old rising sophomore from Chouteau, the science academy was about learning new things and just having fun. He knew about the opportunity because an older brother had attended an earlier academy.
“I thought it would be fun and exciting to be in teams and create oil production, like minia- ture oil production using ordinary stuff,” OrtizTorres said. “My brother told me how they play games and also have classes that teach you about things. It’s a great way to spend your summer.”
Baker Hughes, a GE Company, provided a pair of engineers from its nearby Global Research Center to guide students through the engineering challenge, while the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics provided faculty and recent alumni to teach academic classes and serve as camp counsel- ors. Brent Richards, a professor at the school, served as camp director.
“I hope the students have a good time and they learn a lot,” Richards said. “But we also like the chance to show off the school. Most of them have never been here, and some of them had never even heard of OSSM. So, maybe some of them might like to come here as full-time students during the school year.”
The GE Summer Science Academy was underwritten by the STEM Empowers Oklahoma partnership from the GE Foundation with the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) and the school.
Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics is a two-year public residential high school created and funded by the Legislature. Frank Y.H. Wang, Ph.D., is president.
“We are so appreciative of the GE Foundation and OCAST for providing the funding for the GE Summer Science Academy,” Wang said. “There has been a buzz of excitement on our campus all week as these outstanding students tackle academic classes, the engineering challenge and the joy of summer camp activities.”