Outreach
July 21, 2024 – Summer Sunday: Dazzling Discoveries at the National Synchrotron Light Source II!
During the annual "Summer Sunday" open house event at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Lab, all group members participated in giving tours and running demonstrations. The team collaborated with many other scientists and staff at NSLS-II to showcase the facility to visitors of all ages!
Top (left to right): The group; Dr. Yuxiang Peng demonstrated “Sound of light” to
the public.
Bottom (left to right): PhD student Adesanmi, Chirag, Xiaoyin gave tours to visitors
with Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart;
PhD student Adesanmi and Ankita demonstrated beamline to the public.
Top (left to right): Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart guiding the tour of high school students
who are attending the Garcia Research Scholar Program for High School Students at
Stony Brook University;
PhD student Chang-An demonstrated “ Vacuum: The sound of science” to visitors .
Bottom (left to right): PhD student Yichen performed“Eco Cars” to visitors;
PhD student Cheng-Chu demonstrated beamline to the public.
April 18, 2024- Annual Martin L. King Jr. Elementary School Career Day
Ankita Mohanty and Varun Kankanallu joined Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart to participate in the annual Martin L. King Jr. Elementary School Career Day!It was a fun day where we inspired young minds to become scientists through exciting experiments and demonstrations!
On the left, Varun demonstrates to elementary school children the working of a battery.
On the right Ankita, Varun and Karen pose with their scientific demonstrations.
July 23, 2023 Summer Sunday: Dazzling Discoveries at the National Synchrotron Light Source II!
During the annual open house event “Summer Sunday” at the National Synchrotron Light Source II of Brookhaven National Lab, all group members helped to give tours and run demonstrations. The team worked with numerous other scientists and staff at NSLS-II to showcase the facility to all ages of the public!
Top (left to right): Dr. Yuxiang Peng and Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart giving tours to visitors. PhD student Cheng-Chu Chung demonstrating kids in “Become a junior operator. PhD student Varun demonstrating “Eco Cars” PhD student Arthur Ronne demonstrating the use of liquid nitrogen!
Bottom left: PhD student Ankita explaining how does the synchrotron light source works. Bottom right: Prof. Karen guiding the tour of high school students who are attending the Garcia Research Scholar Program for High School Students at Stony Brook University
November 25, 2022 – Visiting National Taiwan University
Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart was invited to share perspectives on pursuing a research career in U.S. academia at her alma mater, National Taiwan University, in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering! It was such a privilege to speak with the future, up-and-coming materials scientists and engineers!
July 31, 2022 – Summer Sunday 2022: highlighting the science of renewable energy
During the annual “Summer Sunday” held by BNL’s NSLS-II at Sisters of St. Joseph Home of the Solar Array, the Chen-Wiegart group member Xiaoyang Liu and alumni Yu-Chung Lin and Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart ran demonstrations and answered questions about the science that happened at NSLS-II. The team worked with numerous other scientists and staff at NSLS-II to showcase the facility to all ages of the public!
April 8, 2022 - Career Day at Lafrancis Hardiman / Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School!
Professor Karen Chen-Wiegart and PhD student Nicole Zmich were very excited to have the opportunity to present in-person at the annual Career Day at the Lafrancis Hardiman / Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Wyandanch, NY. This year the team shared some cool material demonstrations: we explained how temperature affects materials with shape memory alloys, talked about how we used lights to study materials showing laser and diffractive gratings, and even presented some of the scientific tools scientists use every day in the lab. We were really impressed by the young school children’ enthusiasm for science; asking very inquisitive questions, and for giving us a new appreciation for these perceptive young scientists!
March 24, 2021 – Research 102 for undergraduate research!
Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart was invited by the Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) program and Student Leadership Council (SLC) of Stony Brook University to participate in Research 102, an annual event for first year WISE students, focusing on undergraduate research. Karen joined other faculty members to talk about their work and the best practice to start working on research projects.
March 19, 2021 - Career Day at Lafrancis Hardiman / Martin L. King Jr. Elementary School
Professor Karen Chen-Wiegart and Nicole Zmich were invited to participate in Career Day at the Lafrancis Hardiman / Martin L. King Jr Elementary School! The team explained to a wonderful group of young students some interesting material properties, what types of questions scientists ask, and what tools they use to solve those questions in their careers. They also shared their daily, and past overall experiences working in STEM academia and industry fields. Nicole even demonstrated how scientists study batteries in our laboratory! We really enjoyed talking to you – all these future scientists! 😊
Nicole (left) demonstrating battery research in our laboarotry, and Prof. Chen-Wiegart showing an experiment on shape-memory alloys!
March 7, 2020 – Prof. Chen-Wiegart: Opening Speaker for International Women’s Day Event
Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart was honored to be invited to serve as the opening speaker for the International Women’s Day event, jointly hosted by the Stony Brook University’s (SBU) Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, SBU’s Graduate Women in Science (GWIS), and Brookhaven National Laboratory’s (BNL) Brookhaven Women in Science (BWIS). The event “Girl Power in Stem: Each for Equal!” was held on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at SBU, has brought together girls and women of all ages from academia, government, and the private sector to celebrate the accomplishments of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The news was featured at BNL’s website via media and communications office.
BNL news for the event: https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=217103
November 17, 2020 - Wonder Women in STEM event!
Prof. Karen Chen-Wiegart was invited to serve on the panel in a Wonder Women in STEM event hosted by the Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) at the Stony Brook University. Using the Gather Town platform, undergraduate WISE students joined Karen at the virtual table to talk about
what it is like to be a woman in STEM, and to learn more about the field of materials science and engineering!
October 2, 2019 – Professional Development!
Professor Karen Chen-Wiegart was invited to attend the “Wonder Woman Event” hosted by the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program as a professional role model in the Materials Engineering field. Olivia Chen, an undergraduate Chemical Engineering student in her senior year and group member, also attended the event and networked with the other professionals.
The event was hosted in the Charles B. Wang Center at Stony Brook University. Professionals from various STEM fields shared their stories about their career paths to aspiring female engineers and scientists in the WiSE program. Professor Chen-Wiegart talked to aspiring undergraduate female students from various disciplines in their freshman and sophomore years about the opportunities and the various career paths that can be taken.
Left photo: Professor Karen Chen-Wiegart (left) and Olivia Chen (right), undergraduate Chemical Engineering student in her senior year. Right photo: Doreen Aveni (left), the WISE Honors Program Administrator and Professor Karen Chen-Wiegart (right)
July 21, 2019 – Summer Sunday 2019: Brilliant Light, Dazzling Discoveries
During the annual “Summer Sunday” at BNL’s NSLS-II all group members helped to give tours, run demonstrations, and answer questions about the science that happens at NSLS-II. The team worked with numerous other scientists and staff at NSLS-II to showcase the facility to all ages of the public.
Top: Graduate students Arthur and Lijie helping future scientists assemble tasty gum drop crystal structures in the “Crystalicious” demonstration. Bottom left: Visiting Professor Qingkun explaining hydrogen-fuel cell powered cars in the “Eco Cars” demonstration. Bottom
right: Graduate students Chonghang and Cheng-hung launching water-powered rockets into the air.
May 4, 2019 - Get to Know the Lab Science Fair Expo: K-12 students and parents
Group members Bryan Conry, Arthur Ronne, Cheng-Hung Lin, Xiaoyang Liu, Chonghang Zhao together with Prof. Chen-Wiegart volunteered at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) for the “Get to Know the Lab Science Fair Expo” event. The team worked with the scientists and communication office at BNL – Everyone had a great time to explain the principles and impacts of cutting-edge synchrotron X-ray facility NSLS-II to the K-12 students, who are the participants of the annual Science Fair and their parents. Thanks to everyone – well done!
Group members (one undergraduate student and four graduate students, including the student who is working on the NSF CAREER project) together with the PI volunteered at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) for the “Get to Know the Lab Science Fair Expo” event. The team worked with the scientists and communication office at BNL – Everyone had a great time to explain the principles and impacts of cutting-edge synchrotron X-ray facility NSLS-II to the K-12 students, who are the participants of the annual Science Fair and their parents.
Summer Slam, 2018: 5-11 year old children
The Prof. Chen-Wiegart co-organized a five-day hands-on science experiment series called ‘Inspiration Station’ for ~ 250 children every summer since 2014 as part of a church-based children’s summer camp on Long Island. In 2018’s event, inspired by the NSF CAREER project which emphasizes on diffusion and kinetics, the Prof. Chen-Wiegart designed an experiment using colors to demonstrate the diffusion for the young children.
July 29, 2018 - Summer Sunday 2018: High school students; General public
The Prof. Chen-Wiegart coordinated the Summer Sunday visit by NSF-funded Garcia Summer High School Program at Stony Brook, total 42 students came to NSLS-II. Students had the opportunity to visit the experimental floor of NSLS-II in the synchrotron ring tunnel, the control room, and the Hard X-ray Nano-probe beamline, where the Prof. Chen-Wiegart also conducted research for the NSF CAREER project.
NSLS-II Summer Sunday event; Prof. Chen-Wiegart coordinated the Summer Sunday visit by NSF-funded Garcia Summer High School Program at Stony Brook, total 42 students came to NSLS-II. (upper left) Half of the attendees were taking tour under the guidance of the Prof. Chen-Wiegart(first right); the other half was guided by the NSLS-II Director Dr. J. Hill. Students had the opportunity to visit the experimental floor of NSLS-II in the (upper right)synchrotron ring tunnel, (bottom left) the control room, and (bottom right) the Hard X-ray Nano-probe beamline, where the Prof. Chen-Wiegart also conducted research for the NSF CAREER project.
In addition, the Prof. Chen-Wiegart also volunteered at the event also as a tour guide. All the group member in the Prof. Chen-Wiegart’s group volunteered for the event: One graduate student and one visiting scholar
student led the tour for the general publics to visit NSLS-II; three graduate students
and one undergraduate student showcased scientific displays and interacted directly
with the general public about materials science and synchrotron facilities. 
NSLS-II Summer Sunday event; (upper left) Prof. Chen-Wiegart joined the event also as a tour guide to tour general public around the facility; (upper right, bottom) group members showed case scientific displays and interacted with the general public during the event.
October 6, 2017 – Outreach Activity!
Prof. Chen-Wiegart was invited to speak on the panel in the event hosted by Suffolk Community College : Women in Manufacturing – STEM Summit. The speakers in different panels explore the importance and impact that women have in manufacturing-related sectors and how STEM education can support further growth in these industries.
(Left) Prof. Chen-Wiegart addressed to the audience in th e event. (Right) Prof. Chen-Wiegart (2nd from the left) and other panelists in the STEM education panel.
September 23, 2017 – Outreach Activity!
During the Communiversity Day event at Stony Brook University, students in Prof. Chen-Wiegart’s group teamed up with the Educational Center and National Synchrotron Light Source – II of Brookhaven National Laboratory to display a synchrotron model.
(Left) From left: Prof. Chen-Wiegart, Dr. Stanley – Stony Brook University President, M.S. Student Yu-Chung, M.S. Student Xiaoyang (Middle) M.S. Student Yu-Chung, Ph.D. Student Chonghang, M.S. Student Xiaoyang, Ph.D. Student Cheng-Hung, Prof. Chen-Wiegart, BNL staff Nora Sundin. (Right) The group explained the model to young students.