By: Seshadri Ramkumar, Professor, Texas Tech University, USA
(Lubbock, USA, January 27, 2024)—Science outreach to school students is essential to spearhead research and innovation.
On January 26, 2024, Ramirez Elementary School in Lubbock, USA organized its annual STEM Night coordinated by its PTA. About 19 booths representing various STEM efforts at Texas Tech University and other organizations were displayed in the event. Amidst wet weather, it was heartening to see many young school age students and parents enthusiastically participated in the event.
Aditya R, a seventh-grade student from Hutchinson Middle School in Lubbock demonstrated value-added applications of cotton. The demonstration attracted good interest among the visitors.
“Wax in natural cotton being nonpolar attracts nonpolar oil,” explained Aditya. Recognizing the importance of cotton to the economy of Lubbock and its natural biodegradability, Aditya demonstrated the instantaneous oil absorption by natural cotton nonwoven fabric.
Graduate students Mirza Khyum and Faizur Rahman from the Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech University engaged enthusiastically with young students and parents from the region. Our Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory is active in outreach to school students in promoting sustainability and STEM projects. Recently, Nandhanaa Anand, a 10th grade student at the prestigious Lubbock High School is collaborating with us on a project that focuses on sustainable products for advanced applications.
The highlight of the event was the showcasing of different STEM areas such as robotics, engineering, sustainability, and forensic sciences.
Pre-K to 5th grade students displayed their projects using poster presentations and models.
Such outreach efforts must be conducted to encourage more students to take STEM majors in higher education.
The presentation made by Aditya is available at:
