On Saturday, May 5,  faculty, graduate and undergraduate students from the Colleges of Education, Engineering and the Chemistry Department in CLAS, teamed up to provide an opportunity for adolescent girls in grades 7-12 to explore the science behind mood rings and check out facilities and research activities in engineering.

Dr. Sally Roberts, Director of the GO-GIRL program from the College of Education, coordinated the event and facilitated the conversation with parents during the Parent Café. Dr. Stephanie Brock spearheaded the Chemistry Team consisting of David Miga (undergraduate) and Asha Bandara (graduate student) who developed the lab on liquid crystals and 15 additional volunteers from Chemistry (faculty, graduate students, undergraduates) who worked side-by-side with girls during the lab. Drs. Guangzhao Mao and Eranda Nikolla from Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Engineering, along with 10 volunteers from the College of Engineering introduced girls to the College of Engineering.

The event, GO-GIRLs Go Material Girls, is part of a series of follow-up workshops for former GO-GIRL (Gaining Options-Girls Investigate Real Life) participants and their parents. The workshops are designed to continue to support girls and parents as well as build awareness of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) career opportunities. While girls don lab coats and safety classes and engage in hands-on experiments in the labs, parents meet to discuss how they can support their daughters on their paths to college.  

For more information or to get involved in the GO-GIRL program visit www.gogirls.wayne.edu or contact Dr. Sally Roberts at gogirls@wayne.edu.