The objective of the course is to provide the students with hands-on experience in artificial intelligence applications for developing biomedical instrumentation. We will study what artificial intelligence is, its current uses, potentialities, challenges, and risks, in a practical and simple way. We will explore some algorithms and mathematical models that help machines "learn" and make decisions, including decision trees, support vector machines, and neural networks. From deep learning models, which are multi-layered neural networks, we will explore the amazing applications, and how can be used for detecting diseases. The students will be able to build their own artificial intelligence models using available data and data that they will collect in a simple experiment.

Students will understand what exactly artificial intelligence is, and will be able to explain the functioning of widely used machine learning algorithms. Students will be able to identify the applications of machine learning in biomedical instrumentation and its future opportunities in this field all through hands-on experiences in training artificial intelligence models.

• Learn the basics of artificial intelligence, including several machine learning algorithms
• Understand the applications of artificial intelligence to biomedical instrumentation
• Apply concepts of artificial intelligence in practical projects

Prerequisites: High School Math and Physics with a grade of C or higher, and basic understanding of programming

Building climate models is designed to engage students to investigate the physical basis of climate change and learn Python coding skills to solve mathematical and physical equations. Topics covered will include, principles of the conservation of energy, theories and observations of Earth’s energy balance and climate feedbacks. Throughout the course, a mixture of lectures and interactive Python exercises with Jupyter notebook to introduce scientific principles and step-by-step Python practices to students will be introduced. This course is unique in several ways: 1) it provides hands-on exercises for students to explore the physical principles of Earth’s energy balance and climate feedbacks; 2) it allows students to learn Python coding with Jupyter notebook and apply it to study a societally relevant scientific question, i.e., the physical basis of climate change.

This course will advance students’ understanding of dynamical models and the concept of climate change through hands-on practices of building dynamical models and exploring physical principles driving climate change. In addition, this course will also advance students' computer literacy through introductions and exercises on writing Python code to solve and visualize simple dynamical models.

These outcomes directly contribute to students’ college application success by providing students with the experience of taking a college-level class. Students will also gain demonstrative coding skills to computationally solve mathematic equations. Climate Change and/or environmental literacy is one of the core knowledge requirements of the general education at many universities. This course will prepare students for college-level courses that teach this literacy. Moreover, through coding exercises, students are also exposed to Python programming, which may inspire their interests and prepare them for the continued education in data science and computational physics and climate sciences.

1. Apply the concepts of energy balance and climate feedbacks to explain the Earth's temperature evolution
2. Construct models that describe Earth’s energy balance and climate feedbacks
3. Code and solve equations and make visualizations with Python coding and Jupyter Notebook
4. Lead or participate in collaborative group projects and make presentations

Introduction to Horsemanship and the use of horses for riding and competition. You will gain insight into the equine industry and the team of professionals it takes to prepare a horse for competition. Areas of focus in this course will help you to select a horse for athleticism and conformation and use as a riding or competition horse. You will be able to identify horses' breed, color, conformation and it's suitability and soundness for riding by evaluation of the gates. Topic to be included are anatomy, physiology, behavior, training, sports therapy and care. Topics will be introduced to students though lecture, hands on activities, and demonstrations. This course will give students hands on experiences that they can use to build a career in the equine industry as a veterinary, farrier, nutritionist, manager or trainer.

Upon completion of this course you will be able to select a horse for athleticism and conformation and use as a riding or competition horse. You will be able to identify horses' breed, color, conformation and it's suitability and soundness for riding by evaluation of the gates. You will gain insight into all of the different facets and career paths in the equine industry. You will gain practical skills in horse management and behavior that will enhance your understanding of the psychology of the horse and how it relates to training. This course will prepare you to take care of a horse and gain practical knowledge on the cost of horse ownership.

• Students will be engaged in hands on learning activities like grooming, bandaging, lunging, ground work, TPR, body condition scoring, tack fit, and riding.
• Industry professionals demonstrating and presenting in class.
• We will learn about the 6 key points of horse care turnout management, digestion and feeding, farrier care, vaccination, worming, and dental floating.
• Insight into horse training for riding or competition with a strong emphasis on the Dressage Training Scale and Natural Horsemanship.
• Evaluation of conformation and gaits of horses in comparison by judging show class.
• Evaluating soundness of the horse by the use of a pre-purchase exam.

The robotics engineering course is designed for high-school students to provide them with understanding of robotics as an engineering discipline. The participating students will learn about a number of newly emerging robotics technologies and their impacts on a variety of areas ranging from industrial sectors, such as manufacturing, medical, defense; home assistance to elderly and disabled people; to improving learning for autistic children/students. The main goal of the course is to motivate the students in pursuing robotics as an engineering discipline by providing them an introduction to behind the scenes science and art of robotics. The course will involve interactive and fun-filled group sessions that include video lectures, interacting with real world robots, and hands-on programming.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the robotics as an engineering discipline, state of the art in robotics and the relevant skills and knowledge required to become a roboticist.
• Describe the nature and type of research work conducted in robotics in various state of the art robotics disciplines and the impact of those on our world.
• Develop problem solving, critical thinking, and programming skills.

• Interactive introductory lectures on history of robotics and overview of robotics engineering as an interdisciplinary field.
• An overview of the three main areas of robotics engineering using a mix of video tutorials and class discussions. The areas are: Bio-robots, Human-robot interaction, Autonomous robots
  
• An invigorating hands-on experience of discovering the intricacies of electrical circuit wiring, programming on microcontrollers, and robot building using kits.
• Interaction with real world robots

Ashwin Dani received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Florida (UF), Gainesville, FL, USA, in 2008 and 2011, respectively. After graduation from Ph.D., he was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA. In 2013, he joined4 the faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) as Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA, where he is currently an Associate Professor. His research interests related to robotics engineering include human–robot collaboration, autonomous navigation of robots, nonlinear estimation and control, and machine learning. Dr. Dani actively participates in outreach and teaching activities related to robotics at UConn and is an active researcher in the field of controls and robotics.

Data science is a fast developing science of extracting meaningful information from massive data for better decision-making. It is interdisciplinary by nature, involving statistics, computing, and domain knowledge. Important principles of data science will be elaborated through interactive games and real applications in this course.

Students will have a basic understanding of the essential components of data science as well as the basic computing skills needed to explore this field further independently. The fun, game-based introductions will engage students' interest in data science.

• understand most important principles in data science;
• learn the basics of data science computing skills - data manipulation, visualization, and analysis;
• program in R to run simulations of games;
• practice on real applications with data from climate change to sports.

The Pre-Vet: Marine Animal Health and Veterinary Science course will be hosted at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT where students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the marine world. Throughout this course students will be interacting with aquarium research scientists, veterinarians, animal trainers and animal rescue professionals to understand the science behind their work. Students will gain knowledge and experience through labs and activities focused on animals at Mystic Aquarium including penguins, seals, reptiles and fishes.

Through this course students will participate in labs, tours and activities that will increase their scientific literacy in genetics, hematology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology. Students will learn about careers and education/career pathways directly from working professionals to understand if animal health and veterinary science is a desirable education and career path. Journal discussions will develop students’ skills in reading and analysis of primary scientific literature.

The course involves off-site visits to Mystic Aquarium and the UConn, Avery Point Campus. Supervised transportation is provided by the program and is included in the course cost and fees. Parents/guardians and students will be required to submit Mystic Aquarium participation forms prior to attending this course.

• Learn about a wide variety of careers in animal health and veterinary science, from professionals in all stages of their careers.
• Participate in lab programs focused on hematology, microbiology, molecular biology, anatomy and physiology, and learn how each is utilized to analyze an animal’s health.
• Observe feeding and training sessions with beluga whales, penguins and sea lions, and have the opportunity to learn from and ask questions of their animal care teams.
  • Please note: students will not have direct encounters with marine mammals.
• Visit behind-the-scenes areas to view animal care, research and veterinary staff at work. This will include a visit to the animal rescue clinic to understand the veterinary care of both animals at the aquarium temporarily for rehabilitation as well as animals permanently in our care.
• Explore current topics in marine mammal research during journal article discussions.

Prerequisites: Two years of High School Science and Math through Algebra II  with a grade of C or higher

Marine scientist strive to understand the properties of the ocean and coastal waters. This understanding will allow us to make decisions about how to protect marine life and sustain ocean resources. To do this, marine scientists make observations and collect data on plant and animal diversity, ocean temperatures, currents, chemistry, and geology.

This hands-on course will have you making these same observations both out on the Long Island Sound (LIS), along the shore, in the laboratory and on the computer. Over the week you will study fish diversity in a nearby cove and marine invertebrate inhabitants of our rocky intertidal as well as seagrass and seaweed populations. You will conduct plankton tows and study our campus tidal pools. Dissections and laboratory experiments will inform you about the physiology and adaptations of local marine animals. We will collect data on the chemical and physical environment using instrumentation and sensors. Highlights of the hands-on nature of the course are listed below.

By the end of the week you will have learned and worked with many different types of equipment and instruments. You will conducted lab work and instrumental analysis. However, the key to being a good scientist is to be curious and ask good questions. You will use math, test hypothesis and apply reasoning to interpret your data and explain your observations. You can then begin to answer some of these questions and generate new ones. This is the foundation of marine ecology. We will be using this approach throughout the week. Finally, we will converge all our topics, data and observations to develop a better appreciation of the marine environment and create a sustainability plan for eastern LIS. This will also involve the critical thinking which we will have incorporated throughout the week as well as creativity.

Our goals for you are:

1. That you leave the program with a better understanding of how scientists discover and explain the workings of the natural world
2. That you learn how oceanography helps us to appreciate and manage our planet’s resources
3. To understand that marine ecology is the interaction of marine organisms with each other as well as their physical and chemical environment
4. To appreciate that the survival of marine life depends upon our stewardship of the oceans
5. To always be curious and think critically

• You will learn the properties of marine waters using instrumentation and laboratory experiments
• Small boat trips are used for observation of eel grass beds and seaweed distribution
• Fish seining and plankton tows will give you further information about biodiversity in eastern LIS
• Dissections of fresh and preserved specimens will inform you about animal adaptations
• Influence of environmental parameters on animal physiology will be studied through laboratory experiments

This summer experience program focused on Earth and Environmental Science, high school students will explore the field via a course bridging camp and college-level study. Brought to you by UConn Department of Earth Sciences Faculty, Dr. Ouimet and Dr. Hren, students will have the opportunity to work side-by-side with field researchers and experts.

Geoscientists study all aspects of the Earth, including its history, structure, rocks, soils, rivers, oceans and atmosphere. The UConn Environmental Science pre-college summer course will introduce this wide-ranging discipline and discuss how earth and environmental scientists play a crucial role in understanding and making predictions about a diverse range of earth resources, processes and hazards, from mineral deposits to earthquakes to floods and climate change. Why is this important? Earth’s ecology is closely linked to sustainability and environmental science is key to this pursuit.

This Earth and Environmental summer course for high school students will integrate:

• lectures and dynamic learning modules on background geoscience material
• field and lab demonstrations
• collection and analysis of rock, soil and water samples
• guest visits from Geoscience faculty across the wide range topics in the discipline

• The many aspects of Geological & Environmental Science and the diverse methods and approaches Geoscientists used to study the Earth and Environment.
• How to analyze the mineralogy and environmental geochemistry of rocks, soil, water and sediments.
• How to understand and interpret the geologic history of Connecticut.

Michael Hren, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geosciences

Dr. Hren (Mike) is also an Associate Professor of Geosciences at UConn. His research and teaching is focused on understanding how Earth’s climate, ecosystems, and environment evolve over time and how Earth’s history informs its future. His work takes him to mountain ranges around the globe, from the high peaks of Patagonia to the mountains of Tibet to the Sierra Nevada of California, where he and his students collect sediment, rocks, soils and water to bring back to UConn for analysis. He is the director of the Stable Isotope and Organic Molecular Biogeochemistry laboratory, and when not traveling for research, can be found working in the laboratory with students and colleagues from UConn and visitors from around the world analyzing modern and ancient plants, sediments and even an occasional woolly mammoth, to understand Earth and life through time.

Everyone tells you that STEM education is important and that being a scientist, engineer or doctor is an excellent career path. Most people know Engineers build stuff and doctors heal people but what do scientists (specifically chemists) do? We’ll use each session to carry out fun hands on experiments that show different career paths open to chemists or other basic science majors.

There are hundreds of career paths you can follow as a science major. Helping sick people is a noble profession but it isn't for everyone. When you finish the course we hope you will have a better idea of some of the professions that STEM classes can prepare you for.

• Pharmaceuticals: Aspirin synthesis
  • Chemists do drug synthesis
• Natural products and pigments: Ultramarine- making one of the most expensive paints
  • Chemists make all of your favorite colors
• Metallurgy: The golden penny experiment
  • Chemists use metals for all sorts of things
• Innovative materials: Superconductor synthesis and things that glow
  • Chemists developed all of your LEDs and OLED screens.
• Cosmetics: The chemistry of scents
  • Chemists were involved if it smelled good or was a pretty color. Chemists also make lots of things that look like mud and smell bad.
• Food: Molecular gastronomy and artificial flavors in food.
  • Chemists had something to do with all those ingredients on a food package that you can’t pronounce.

Prerequisites: High School Chemistry with a grade of C or higher

This course will provide students with an overview of the entire drug development process. We will start with how pharmaceutical companies determine what disease they want to target and work our way through the entire discovery process over the one-week course, ending with post-approval monitoring by the FDA. Along the way, we will answer a variety of specific topics including the following: what is a lead compound, what are drug-drug and drug-food interactions, and how do clinical trials work. Much of our discussion on these topics will revolve around the development of currently used drugs such as Lipitor (high cholesterol), Januvia (type II diabetes), and Harvoni (hepatitis C).

By the end of their week in this course, students will be able to describe the general steps taken by a pharmaceutical company to produce a drug. Students will also gain hands on experience in both chemistry and biochemistry-based science experiments. Finally, students will be introduced to several career options associated with drug discovery, research, and pharmacy.

• Students will learn key steps of the drug discovery process.
• Students will learn about the interdisciplinary nature of drug research.
• Students will perform several chemistry-based experiments in the lab.
• Students will perform an experiment to test the anti-bacterial properties of several compounds.
• Students will tour several research labs at UConn.