College of Science and Mathematics Hosts First Year STEM Community Kickoff
09/06/2024|
Office of Communications
On Friday, August 30, the College of Science and Mathematics Class of 2028 gathered to test their engineering skills and understanding of physics at the 16th First Year STEM Community Kickoff.
The First Year Stem Community (FSC) program serves incoming CSM students helping them transition to UMass Boston while providing them a STEM focused foundation. After graduating from UMass Boston, FSC alumni continue onto advanced degrees and pursue meaningful research and careers that lead to innovative and exciting discoveries in many STEM disciplines.
“The FSC Kickoff” is a signature event where instructors, students, and peer mentors come together for the first time in their assigned communities.
The event began with welcome speeches by Karen Ricciardi, an associate dean in CSM, and Tory Fahey, assistant director of CSM Student Success Center. Students gathered in their FSC cohorts to play games and decorate reusable bags. The highlight of the event was Assistant Professor of Physics Olga Goulko’s guest lecture on the importance of physics in all STEM professional fields, Goulko’s own research, and introductory laws of physics.
In their FSC communities, students were given a surprise bag of supplies in which to design a device to successfully transport a raw egg from the third floor balcony of the ISC to the lobby floor without breaking. Although a few eggs cracked, Professor Goulko’s design tips proved to be very helpful as many of the FSC eggs floated gently to the ISC floor.
The event ended with Professor Goulko assessing the egg device designs and providing observations on the most successful designs. Simone LaPlante, senior IT major and third-year peer mentor, assisted SSC staff by judging if the eggs had cracked.
“Coordinating and judging the egg drop was one of my favorite parts of the event as I loved seeing everyone's genuine reaction to finding out the status of the egg," LaPlante said. "Activities like these bring us together as a Student Success Community, encouraging students to work as a team and get involved! It makes me proud to be a peer mentor for these students who care so much about improving their first year at UMass Boston."
It was fun filled and memorable day for the CSM Class of 2028!