Department of Physics & Astronomy

UC Riverside faculty and staff hosted the second annual STEM Summer Camp in late June 2024, bringing dozens of high school students to campus for an immersive, hands-on STEM experience and a taste of college life.

"We wanted to make a connection between UC Riverside and high schools, as well as providing a pipeline from high school to UC Riverside so that students know we are here and what we do, so that they can come here for college," said Professor Bahram Mobasher, Distinguished Professor of Physics & Astronomy and camp director. "We also wanted to promote STEM, not in a conventional way, but in a way that is new and future-focused."

High school students chose from sessions focusing on augmented reality/virtual reality (AV/VR), drones and 3D printing, as well as Python programming and data analytics. The sessions were led by UC Riverside experts, and the small class sizes enabled participants to pursue their curiosity as young scientists, engineers, and creators.

"The aim is to prepare students and teachers for the future, and for providing a future curriculum in high school based on these ideas," explained Professor Mobasher. "So [we're] basically renovating STEM education, and looking into the future and new territory."

"I think students need to get familiar with the new subjects in science," added camp co-director Dr. Azin Mobasher. "If you ask students what they want to be in the STEM field, their usual answers are a doctor or an engineer. But when you have introduced them to other, newer subjects, that will be more exciting to them."

Dr. Mobasher added, "I feel that's the reason for this camp...to introduce [students] to the new fields so they can see the broad range of opportunities for them."

The STEM Summer Camp was first held in Summer 2023 and funded by a Launchpad from High School to NASA grant. For its second year, Professor Mobasher and Laura Sales, Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy, combined National Science Foundation grants to fund the camp.

"The program grew from another grant I had, a $4.5 million grant from NASA," explained Professor Mobasher. "High school students came to UC Riverside, took college courses alongside undergraduates, and studied what they would have studied for a semester in school for a summer. That provided them with an opportunity to see the college, to attend colleges courses, and decide what they wanted to do."

Based on that program's success, which saw 100% of attendees matriculating to four-year universities, the Mobashers set their sights on introducing high school students to the future of scientific inquiry. "The future is artificial intelligence. The future is data science and machine learning," said Professor Mobasher. "Students don't know this, to a large extent. We plan to open up the windows of opportunity so they can see what they can do and grow their ambition towards that direction."

The 2024 STEM Summer Camp took place in the UC Riverside XCITE Center for Teaching and Learning, an on-campus center aimed at creating innovative and impactful teaching, learning and research solutions that drive academic and inclusive excellence. Camp participants had the opportunity to use XCITE's new high-visualization wall, a 25-foot, fully interactive touchscreen with the ability to register up to 32 touch inputs at once and deliver screen resolutions of up to 11520x2160 pixels and a total count of 24+ million pixels.  

"The XCITE Center for Teaching and Learning plays a central role in the UC Riverside community by providing resources and support for faculty members who are interested in improving their teaching," said Israel Fletes, Senior Director of Academic Innovations. "XCITE creates the conditions that foster innovation and engaging learning environments for students."

Among the camp's core tenants are introducing students to the interdisciplinary nature of science and helping them develop skills they can take down any career path they choose. "What students learn from the program is how to take the applications of data science and artificial intelligence into whatever fields they want to do," explained Professor Mobasher. "Our aim is to train students so they will be distinguished compared to other students...they have something that others don't. That will get them a high-paid job, change their lives, and change their family's lives. We want them to stand out and have the competitive edge when it comes to jobs in STEM industries."

Camp participants who opted for the AR/VR + Drones + 3D Printing sessions were taught to create their own interactive objects in an AR/VR development environment, and how to design 3D objects for 3D printing. Participants also explored the differences in 3D printing materials, mediums and techniques, plus hands-on flight training with drones.

"Students gain flight experience on advanced flight simulators displayed on the visualization wall before flying the latest drones alongside licensed drone pilots within XCITE studios," explained Nate Wildes, XCITE's Interactive Instructional Media Manager. "Participants got a bird's-eye view of what it takes to become a professional drone pilot, including FAA rules and regulations, operating procedures, and safety guidelines."

Participants who took part in the Python Programming + Data Analytics sessions received training in Python, wrote code during hands-on sessions, and received an introduction to the field of data science from Professor Sales. "It is an opportunity to meet so many young students eager to learn and full of curiosity," she said. "It is also an incredible chance to understand the application of things that look so abstract in school. What is the average? Why do we need for-loops in programming? How does it help us to use a logarithm? All of those questions find very concrete answers, and hopefully motivate them to go study them full of enthusiasm in school next time that they cross paths with these topics in their classrooms!"

Ph.D. student Sina Taamoli, who taught Python programming, led his students through the basics of programming before having them engage in hands-on activities and debugging exercises based on what they had learned. "During this camp, participants acquire foundational coding skills and develop collaborative problem-solving abilities by working together with their peers," said Taamoli. "They also gain valuable insights into avenues for advancing their programming proficiency beyond the camp, which is crucial for sustained learning and development."

Professor Mobasher hopes students will continue to pursue their newfound STEM interests long after leaving camp. "I hope they look at these activities as new hobbies," he said. "When they write a program in Python, run it, and it works, they'll see the predictive power of science. This will inspire them to use those skills as a hobby and not a chore."

In addition to introducing students to technologies to which they may not have access in high school, Professor Mobasher cites the opportunity to spend time on a college campus as a crucial element of the camp. In addition to STEM activities, participants were invited to tour the UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) with CNAS Science Ambassadors, current students who serve as the face of the College and assist the school has hosts during official functions.

"It's an opportunity to come to a university, see the campus and meet the people," said Professor Mobasher. "They'll be in touch with professors and graduate students at the university. I hope that will inspire them to come to UC Riverside and choose the STEM field."

Wildes agrees that the aim of the camp reaches far beyond its STEM components. "Hosting these camps within our facilities gives students a taste of what it's like to be on a college campus, and hopefully motivates them to obtain a STEM degree," he said. "My biggest takeaway is always inspiring the next generation of innovators pursuing careers in STEM."

The 2024 camp included students from the Inland Empire and beyond. ""This year we've had students from San Bernadino, Jurupa Valley, Upland, all the way down to San Diego, so it's been a great experience!" said Dr. Mobasher.

Another critical component in STEM is networking, and enjoying the shared experience with one's peers. "Every day we have lunch for the students, and they enjoy the social atmosphere of the lunch as well," explained Professor Mobasher. "They meet each other, talk to each other, and build up their networks for the future. They will share these memories with other students, which will help us make connections with many other schools in Riverside and beyond."

For Azin Mobasher, seeing the excited looks on campers' faces is the best part of the whole experience.

"To see them really engaged in each session, and getting excited...we had students get so immersed into the program," she said. "The look on their faces and how they're enjoying the program...that's what it's all about, in my view."