Research Education
Along with our partners in the Broader Impacts Group (BIG), spectrUM regularly collaborates with 91次元 faculty to develop new exhibits and educational experiences that reach people of all ages in our museum and through programming in communities across Montana.
UM researchers, are you developing an NSF broader impacts plan or other projects related to science communication, outreach, or education? We invite you to connect with spectrUM to explore potential collaborations to engage people of all ages with your research.
Current National Science Foundation Projects
Every project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) includes a “broader impacts” plan to ensure that society tangibly benefits from the taxpayer-funded research. spectrUM frequently collaborates with NSF-funded principal investigators (PIs) on broader impacts activities that support science education and ignite students’ passion for discovery through science.
Smart Fires (Sensors, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence in Real Time for Fire Science) with Montana NSF EPSCoR
Through SMART FIRES, researchers from UM and other colleges and universities around Montana are working with state agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations to develop technologies, partnerships, and educational opportunities that strengthen our ability to prevent, respond to, and live with wildfire.
spectrUM is partnering with the project team to develop a wildfire exhibition that will visit spectrUM’s museum as well as rural and tribal Montana communities. The project also includes professional learning opportunities for educators and STEM role model engagement with K-12 students.
Modeling Bat Evolution and Infectious Disease Transmission with Drs. Erin Landguth, Julie Weckworth, and Casey Day
This project is studying how bats are adapting to white-nose syndrome, a rapidly spreading infectious disease that has significantly reduced North American bat populations in recent years. The research team aims to develop a new computer model that will forecast how bats move across large landscapes and how certain genes affect their ability to adapt to threats related to disease and climate.
spectrUM is collaborating with the researchers, as well as with Dr. Fred Peck (Mathematics), to develop hands-on activities and field trip experiences that engage students in mathematical modeling, as well as raise awareness about the importance of bats in our ecosystem.
The Chemistry of Wildfire Smoke with Dr. Lu Hu
Dr. Hu and his research team are seeking to better understand the sources and chemical composition of wildfire smoke. With spectrUM, the project has installed a weather and air quality monitoring station at Missoula Public Library that feeds data into the museum. Related field trips engage students with air quality sensors.
How Ph Impacts Brain Development and Disorders with Dr. Beverly Piggott
Dr. Beverly Piggott, Assistant Professor at the 91次元’s Division of Biological Sciences and Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience, secured a grant to investigate how cells adjust their own pH levels during brain formation. Human disorders ranging from Autism Spectrum Disorders to Alzheimer’s exhibit pH disturbances, so understanding cellular pH regulation has implications for these as well as other neurological conditions. Her research endeavors to unveil the impact of variations in acidity or alkalinity among neural stem cells on brain development and function, potentially elucidating their role in neurological disorders.
spectrUM is collaborating with Dr. Piggott’s lab to develop neurobiology and genetics activities and demonstrations that will visit spectrUM’s museum and mobile programs in rural and tribal communities.
Biodiversity and Infectious Diseases with Dr. Angela Luis
Dr. Luis’s project explores how species diversity affects infectious diseases in wildlife, including diseases such as hantavirus that spill over from wildlife (mice) to humans. The project’s collaboration with spectrUM has generated a fun, hands-on disease modeling activity that travels to spectrUM’s museum and mobile programs.
This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under the grant numbers listed above. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.