Opportunities for Students
Here are five opportunities to see the world (bits of it anyway) at someone else's expense.
As you'll see under the headings, some are for post-graduate students only, some are for undergraduates.
Schools Ambassadors
Each year the Division of Sciences sponsors students returning home for their mid-semester break. The students arrange to visit their old school, to talk about studying Sciences at Otago. This contact with their old school may vary from a 5 minute talk to the full school assembly to an informal meeting for a half hour over the lunch break. It depends on what the school wants really.
We like to send 2nd and 3rd year students who have probably had experience in a residential college, and now flatting as well. Training is given by the Schools Liaison Office and Divisional Staff, letters of introduction to schools ( to demonstrate that the students are bona fide representatives of Otago) and resources are provided. Payment consists of travel costs being covered, when the Ambassadors report is submitted (up to $50 - $75 for Otago & Southland schools, $100-$150 for most other South Island schools, $200 for Nelson, Blenheim and lower and central North Island; $250 for Auckland and Far North – or the value of your receipts, which ever is the least).
Applications have to be sent through your Head of Department, and forwarded by the department to us at the Division of Sciences by 5pm on the 13th of April.
Letter of application should include the school you would visit, why you think you'd be a good ambassador, and your CV. We look forward to hearing from you.
You can download the Application form and an Information Sheet here.
Science fair Judges - post-graduate students
Between July and November, Intermediate and Secondary schools around New Zealand exhort their students to participate in the regional Science fairs, which are co-ordinated by the Royal Society of New Zealand.
The Division of Sciences offers prizes for best Application of Scientific Method for Senior Students at 13 of these regional Fairs, and we send Post-Graduate students out to judge them. Usually, students would be judging a fair in their home region, so accommodation costs are not covered. Your air travel is covered (length of stay is at the discretion of the student judge), and some other re-imbursement of travel costs will be considered.
The prize being awarded at the Science Fair consists of a place at Hands-On Science, as well as covering travel costs to and from Dunedin for the Hands-On science week. (Hands-On Science is a weeklong science camp for senior secondary students)
The judges present the prize, giving a brief description of Hands-On Science and extolling the virtues of Otago. Sometimes, there is also the opportunity to outline the post-grad's own research, which is very encouraging.
Full briefing is given, and contact with the Regional Science Fairs is managed by University Staff.
When selecting judges, preference is given to those students who are heading home, as no accomodation costs are covered. If you would like to be considered as a Regional Science Fair judge, please contact Sandra Copeland at sandra.copeland@otago.ac.nz
Hands-On Science Student Helpers - seniors and postgraduates
Each January approximately 240+ teenagers ranging from 15 to 18 years old, descend on Otago for a week of Serious Fun. It's called Hands-On Science, and it neatly achieves a number of things: it gives senior secondary students who enjoy Science, the chance to work on university level science research projects, with a particularly hands-on experimental nature. They also get to hang out with other young people who enjoy science, which is remarkably important, especially if you come from a small school where there are fewer like-minded souls.
It is a very successful marketing tool, as many of those students end up coming to Otago to study, and it is also useful as scholarships for Māori, Pasifika and disabled students open doors to young people who might never have considered tertiary study an option.
So where do you come in? Well these students come and live in a residential college for a week, and on each floor we need…. a student helper or two. The student helpers provide peer support, supervision, and also co-ordinate the social programme which is very full.
It's also heaps of fun. And we have some people on campus who have come to Hands-On Science as secondary students, then a few years later turned up as Student Helpers, then as senior post-grads helped to run projects, and now head up projects…
This one actually pays money, ($600 or more which is equivalent to a week of a summer studentship) as well as offering full board and more fun than you can shake a stick at. (also a week's worth of sleep deprivation at no extra cost).
Places for Hands-On Science 2013 will be advertised later in the year, but you can express interest any time. Feel free to contact Rose Newburn (rose.newburn@otago.ac.nz) and find out more for 2013. Otherwise, look out for notices in your department in August/September and email then!
Adopt A Scientist - Postgraduate students
Actually, if you are part of this, you will be the adoptee, not the adopter. This very informal intiative links postgrad students and researchers wtih local primary and intermediate schools. Primary schools are often keen to deliver science in a cool (and possibly messy) way, but they may not have the resources available to them.
If they have a particular topic they want to explore, or if they just want to have a Real Live Scientist come into the school and talk to the children, we help with that. Primary school science is vital in sparking children's interest, feeding creativity and curiosity in the world around them.
Adopt A Scientist is not very time-consuming and will be hugely rewarding. We have a growing list of schools keen to Adopt - sometimes wtih a particular topic in mind, sometimes just wanting a Scientist of their very own.
If you'd like to volunteer to be Adopted, contact Sandra Copeland (sandra.copeland@otago.ac.nz)
Science Notes
Science Notes is an initiative from the SNAP committee.We're looking for Postgrad students from various departments to be interviewed about their research for a fortnightly programme on Thursday evenings, on Otago Access Radio (OAR.fm).
The interviews are interspersed with the student's favourite music, and each programme is repeated the following Thursday evening. If you want to be included in 2013's line-up, contact Dr Dave McMorran in the Department of Chemistry by email davidm@chemistry.otago.ac.nz
You can find out more about SNAP and it's activities here : www.sciences.otago.ac.nz/snap.html