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Nov. 2, 2007
Uni High Students Look at Technology and Research at the U
of I
Urbana University High School students took a first-hand
look at the ideas and thought processes of 15 leading
University of Illinois researchers to create a radio
documentary, Widgets and Digits: Technological History,
Research and Invention at the University of Illinois. It
will air on WILL-AM at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, and 2 p.m.
on Friday, Nov. 23.
Students in the Uni High class of 2010 conducted the
interviews to find out about technological expertise and
cutting edge research on campus. They learned about research
into development of a “smart” hearing aid, a roll-up
electronic newspaper, computing with light instead of
electrical current, screening infants for hearing problems,
computer speech recognition and other projects. Those
interviewed were Beckman Institute director Pierre Wiltzius,
professors Tony Leggett and Klaus Schulten, physics; Marc
Snir and Paul Saylor, computer science; Monica Fabiani and
Denise Park, psychology; and John Rogers, materials science
and engineering.
Others were professors David Goldberg, industrial and
enterprise systems engineering; Eric Jakobsson, medical
information science and molecular and integrative
physiology; Paul Lauterbur, chemistry; associate professor
Jennifer Cole, linguistics; research scientist emeritus
Allen Avner; retired computer technician Harold Lopeman; and
Mimosa Acoustics founder Patricia Allen, a tenant at the U
of I research park.
Uni High student Ruth Welch, executive producer for the
program, said she was surprised to find herself identifying
with some of the researchers. “I tend to struggle with
getting excited about science,” she said. “But Dr. Wiltzius
was inspiring. He talked about what it was like to search
for an answer to a problem for eight or nine months and then
all of a sudden, to have everything click. As a high school
student in pre-calculus math, I could identify with that. It
doesn’t matter that he’s doing quantum physics and I’m doing
algebra, it was really powerful.”
Maria Gao and Maritza Mestre were producers and narrators
for the program, and AM 580’s Dave Dickey and Uni teacher
Jenny Yi Kim directed the project. Editors were Alexx Engles,
Katherine Allen, Linda Ly, Sinda Agha, and Rachel Harmon.
Mestre said she had always known that the U of I was one of
the top engineering schools in the country, but she didn’t
understand the kind of research being done on campus until
she worked on the documentary. “It was nice to be able to
get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the projects
researchers are working on,” said Gao.
The program looks at the researchers’ childhoods, role
models, education, research, obstacles and advice for those
who want to invent or do cutting edge research.
Contact:
Mary Barrineau
Public Information Coordinator
WILL AM-FM-TV
217-333-1070
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