Outreach

MA Outreach Demonstrations

ISU MA prides itself on the outreach activities it provides and continually strives to teach open minds about the exciting world of materials science and engineering. Our chapter has an extensive set of demonstrations that quickly and effectively introduce new audiences to materials.

Some examples of our demonstrations include:
– tempering steel
– crunchy liquid nitrogen marshmallows
– memory wire
– pulling fiber optic strands
– heating pennies on a space shuttle tile
…and much more!

The ISU MA kit includes demonstrations of the differences and similarities between the four areas of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, and electronics). The kit also highlights how different processing, structures, and chemical compositions combine to provide endless different materials.
Our group is frequently asked by the university, engineering college, local schools, and organizations to perform our demonstrations on campus for prospective students. ISU MA members travel to numerous schools across the state and the region giving presentations and helping with activities for students from early elementary through high school. In the past, we also had the privilege of helping with the enormous success of the NOVA’s “Making Stuff” and helped put on events for all ages of students and adults in conjunction with the four-part series that aired on PBS.
To inquire about our group doing a demonstration for your group, please contact our outreach coordinator at cbruchal@iastate.edu.