Dear SciBridge Members and Supporters,

As another school year kicks off this week, it’s great to reflect on the progress of the SciBridge Project. Graduate and undergraduate students from many disciplines worked hard over the past year to develop hands-on experiment kits and presented the work of SciBridge at local conferences. These efforts play a crucial role towards educating students in the U.S. and in East Africa. We focus on sustainable energy technologies that can simultaneously electrify communities still without a reliable energy grid and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions that result from fossil fuel use. Over
the past two years, we saw an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters, and if there is no immediate action it is projected that some areas of the planet will begin to face several natural disasters simultaneously (Nature Climate Change volume 8, pages 1062–1071 (2018)).

Motivated by the need for reliable global access to electricity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, SciBridge technical committees at NC State were hard at work developing educational experiment kits on thermoelectric generators, microbial fuel cells, and potentiostats. The thermoelectric generator (TEG) team put together the finishing touches on the TEG experiment manual and tutorial video (both available under the resources tab) to go along with the kits that were assembled the previous year. Six TEG kits were sent to Prof. John Paul Eneku at Makerere University to be distributed to each partner university in Uganda to be used in the upcoming Fall 2019 semester. This presented the ‘end of an era’ as well as a new beginning for the TEG team, as they transition into a modeling-focused format. The microbial fuel cell (MFC) is developing a kit that teaches the basic principles of an MFC and how it can generate electricity from bacteria found in local soils. The MFC team started developing a reliable experimental procedure and a 3D printed container for their device. They also have an experiment manual in progress that could be rolled out in 2020! A new team was initiated in the fall that is building low-cost potentiostats, based on the work of another successful JUAMI (Joint Undertaking for African Materials Institute) project that
developed the JUAMI potentiostat (more info here). The SciBridge team plans to make an experiment manual and tutorial video that will introduce students to the basic functionalities of a potentiostat and how one can use this instrumentation to characterize batteries, MFCs, and solar cells. The potentiostat team spent most of the year putting together a prototype of a potentiostat and familiarizing its members with basic electrochemistry principles and electrochemical techniques. The team plans to start producing the tutorial video and finalizing experiments to be paired with the MFC project. They also plan to continue building and testing potentiostats that will be shipped to the African partner universities.

SciBridge members were also active outside of the lab, presenting at multiple local conferences. Just before the fall 2018 semester kicked off, Cailin Peterson represented SciBridge as the student highlight speaker at the 2018 Appalachian Energy Summit in Boone, North Carolina. While attending the conference, Cailin was able to network with many students, policymakers, and industry leaders from North Carolina and discuss topics related to that years theme of “Change for Good.” In December, Mike Spencer attended the 2018 JUAMI school in Kampala, Uganda. While there he had the opportunity to share the work of SciBridge with many students from universities all over East Africa and the U.S. He also had the opportunity to meet Prof. John Paul Eneku, who gave a wonderful presentation that summarized the impact that SciBridge is having at our partner universities! The JUAMI school also provided an opportunity to give the TEG kits a test run, as several teams used the kits to apply what they learned during a lecture on thermoelectric materials and systems. SciBridge was recently represented by four students (Rachel Broughton, Cailin Peterson, Alex Hsain, and Mike
Spencer) at the 2019 Appalachian Energy Summit in Boone, NC. The students heard from several North Carolina policymakers and industry executives about sustainability initiatives that companies are implementing, especially in the field of sustainable construction and integrated design of homes and buildings. During breakout sessions in the student summit, they had the chance to discuss job opportunities related to sustainability and ways to impact the energy goals of their campuses and communities. The four students presented a SciBridge poster and won second prize in their category! With the fall semester upon us, SciBridge plans to be just as active this year. We thank the National Science Foundation, NC State University’s East Africa Strategic Initiative, and the NC State University Engineer’s Council for financial support that made these activities possible. We are also extremely grateful for the support that we receive from Prof. Veronica Augustyn and Prof. John Paul Eneku, without whom this project would never have turned into what it is today!

​Sincerely,
Michael Spencer
SciBridge President

​
 
SciBridge student members John Wang, Alex Hsain, and Alexandria Cruz traveled to Garborone, Botswana in mid-December to deliver a presentation on SciBridge at the 9th International Conference of the African Materials Research Society (AMRS). They also had an opportunity to present their own respective research projects in the Energy symposium and Nanotechnology symposium. SciBridge U.S. Coordinator Dr. Veronica Augustyn organized the AMRS Symposium on Materials Education, Networking, and Innovation Symposium, and SciBridge Africa Coordinator John Paul Eneku presented the efforts of the African network at the symposium. The conference was held from December 11-14, 2017, and included two days of pre-conference workshops, drawing over 400 participants from across the world. The aim of AMRS was to bring together an international scientific audience to build knowledge, foster relationships, and promote fields of research in materials science. The themes of AMRS 2017 reflected issues specifically relevant to Africa such as energy and water, but also held relevance to the global research community. We interviewed the U.S. SciBridge student volunteers after their trip to learn more about their experiences.

How did AMRS aid in your professional, academic, or personal goals?
 
Alex: Interacting with students from Africa and across the globe was an immensely humbling experience -- one which helped build my global perspective as a scientist. Through workshops, seminars, dinners, and festive outings, we grew and fortified our SciBridge network. In the education symposium, we embraced new languages and pedagogical methods, “ìyá ni wúrà” or “mother is gold” in Nigerian, was used as an example of relating human experience to materials science. In the Joint Undertaking for an African Materials Institute (JUAMI) session, students brought up the importance of contextualizing science to its unique environment when creating learning resources. Plenary speakers in the morning broadened our perspectives on energy research relating to solar, electrochemical energy storage, and nano systems. Panel discussions revealed the importance of Africa using its unique resources to build an economy of entirely its own.

John: The AMRS trip was an intense and rewarding experience. In terms of professional goals, I had my first teaching experience during the pre-conference tutorial on scanning electron microscopy (SEM). What I learned from preparing lecture materials for Prof. Beth Dickey on SEM fundamentals and teaching my lecture on SEM simulations will be beneficial when I need to pass my knowledge to other people. The people I met in Africa are probably the most memorable part of the trip. Some of them may be important not only for my personal professional network but also for SciBridge. The oral presentation on my own research gave me more experience presenting research to different audiences and made more people aware of our work. The trip to Botswana initiated my familiarization with the country and the African continent. Experiences such tasting oxtail, witnessing sleeping lions, and conversing openly about the advancement of science has deepened my connection to Africa and SciBridge.

Alexandria: I had a chance to explain my research to a scientific audience who did not specialize in magnetism and this helped me practice how to explain the impact of my research. It was amazing to meet people from all parts of Africa and listen to the challenges that they face. It is important to understand the particular problems the continent is facing and to see how people would like to approach the solution. It was surprising (also a bit unsurprising) to learn that different people have different way of solving problems and what works for one person may not work for another. Communication is vital for finding solutions and addressing the root important problems, not just tackling problems on the superficial level. Africa is unique in its people and its resources and can find novel ways to build its economy.

What was your favorite speaker or workshop and why?
 
Alex: My favorite part of the conference were the JUAMI student presentations. I loved learning about the other student projects that came out of JUAMI and seeing SciBridge in a larger context. There were many valuable lessons I learned there including the importance of self-sustainability of educational projects, as well as the importance of contextualizing science in different cultures.

John: My favorite speaker was Prof. Paul Weiss (UCLA) for his engaging talks and his way of embedding jokes into the talks. My favorite workshop was the panel discussion in the Materials Education, Networking, and Innovation Symposium on how to make resilient networks. I liked it because it brought in brilliant people from vastly diverse backgrounds to address specific problems. A lot of good concerns were raised and the panelists gave inspirational insights. Audiences were closely engaged in the discussions and gave great remarks. Professor Osseo-Asare’s (Penn State/Univ. Of Ghana) remark on the need for African researchers to do research based on the needs of Africa instead of following what the U.S. is doing was eye-opening for me.
​
Alexandria: My favorite part was the panel discussion in the Materials Education, Networking, and Innovation Symposium, because the audience was able to actively participate in the discussion. I asked about how to get African universities access to the equipment that they need for research and it spurred discussion about using older equipment and sending students to become trained on using and repairing equipment. One professor expressed interest in building cost effective versions of their equipment. Everybody brought up insightful points and it was encouraging to talk about ways to obtain equipment needed for publishable research from collaborations and donations to company sponsorships.

What did you think of Botswana? Where did you explore?
 
Alex: Gaborone, Botswana is a beautiful up-and-coming city. Students from JUAMI joined together at a local Ethiopian restaurant where we shared a traditional communal dinner. Our SciBridge group also participated in a city tour where we went to see local landmarks such as the statue of the Three Chiefs, the art museum, Botswana University, and the city football stadium. One of my favorite nights was at Botswana Craft where all the conference participants assembled for a festive night of traditional Botswanan dancing, music, and cuisine. I interacted with students from Nigeria, bought memorable souvenirs for my mentors back at home, and danced with John Paul Eneku and John Wang on stage with the professional African dancers.

John: Botswana is a promising developing country. In the north part of the country, there is a great tourist site, the Okawango Delta. The country also has great natural resources like diamonds, and exports high-quality beefs. The people I met are smart, open and diligent. I didn’t encounter any resistance when I talked to a pottery shop owner about the homogeneity of his furnace, sintering process of ceramics, color of different metal oxides in pottery dyes, applications of metal oxides in batteries, etc., and he taught me how to apply glaze to the surface of pottery by glassifying a layer of silicon oxide slurry. I was impressed by how well he embraced science. The experience was deepened for me further when I learned his daughter was working on a Ph.D. degree in microbiology in South Africa. Considering that the country’s future president shows a considerable amount of passion in supporting science, I personally think Botswana has a promising future because science and engineering will be critical to bring more value to their abundant natural resources. I hope they can find their own path in science and engineering and develop their own advantages in specific areas. In Botswana, I explored the capital city of Gaborone and a few villages around it. In the villages, people make crafts like pottery and table mat souvenirs, and sell the crafts to gift shops.
​
Alexandria: Gaborone is a growing and an amazing city to visit. I really loved looking at the art in the city. In Botswana Craft, there were many beautiful weavings and wood carvings. One of my favorite art pieces were images of flowers and women that were created from butterflies’ wings. Other interesting pieces were the beaded statues and I was so excited to get a mini beaded elephant statue. I also recommend the art museums, because there are many amazing pieces that reflect the issues affecting people in the city.
 

Did you make any side excursions in Africa or elsewhere?
 
Alex: We spent a couple of days after the conference in Madikwe game reserve in South Africa. That was an incredible opportunity to get close to some of the wild life including lions, rhinos, giraffes, elephants, and zebras. We spend two days tracking a pride of lions and learning their particular habits and getting to know their family. The beauty of Africa was readily apparent during the 5-o-clock in the morning game drives as the sun rose over the grasslands.

John: I also did a day-trip to Madikwe game reserve in South Africa. It was great to see animals in a natural habitat.

Alexandria: Our guide at Madikwe was amazing and she told us about the animals, how they track them, and the problems of poaching. The jeep had no doors or windows, so it was pretty scary when a lion passed by the side of the vehicle, but our tour guide was calm and told us to stay still. No need to tell me twice! Another time we saw two elephants giving  handshake with their trunks. I got to learn a lot -- lions don’t attack anything that moves and roar when communicating; rhinos can be a bit shy; nobody messes with elephants.
​
Well it sounds like you had a great time! What can we learn from AMRS to better build the SciBridge community?
 
Alex: Learning from other students and faculty that had gone on and created successful U.S.-African collaborations put the role of SciBridge into perspective for me. I learned that SciBridge occupied a similar role to undergraduate research or REUs here in the United States.  SciBridge gives undergraduate students a unique opportunity to get involved in research and start their own independent projects. However, through interacting with our African collaborators, we began to get a sense of the challenges encountered by students. The largest one was the time required out of class to participate. In the U.S. students receive either class credit or stipends to conduct undergraduate research. To combat this issue, we have begun to make efforts to integrate SciBridge seamlessly into classroom curricula.
John Paul Eneku has made the SciBridge kits a part of the 3rd year independent research projects at the Dept. of Physics at Makerere University. On the U.S. side, we have made efforts to deepen the educational resources we provide by creating step-by-step lesson plans and tutorial videos. Additionally, we have started to create “modules” that build off of one another to extend students’ understanding of thermoelectrics. The perspectives we gained at African MRS were critical to our understanding the obstacles our partners face, and helped us to come up with ways to address them.
 
John: For the SciBridge  alumni, we can think about forming a network or advisory board to keep some SciBridge graduates connected. For African students, we need to initiate conversations with the African student body to see how we can set up a sustainable and professional communication program between U.S. and African students. Communication through Whatsapp can be difficult to maintain. Maybe we can organize online semi-live seminars to ask the students to present their research. By semi-live seminars, I mean the presenter will upload few screenshot of slides onto a communication platform and then upload audios to present the slides. In this way, the data needed to convey information will be minimized. For the NC State chapter, we are trying to make SciBridge a more involving activity.
 
Alexandria: Collaborations need to keep on happening because no single person has all the skills needed to make kits. We need people reaching out to companies and labs for older research equipment for publishable results. We could also reach out to the JUAMI students for collaborations on future kits/infrastructure. Some of the JUAMI students have awesome kits and SciBridge could expand on them. We need to reach out to people in education, graphic design and video editing to improve the quality of the kits. We should also talk with African students to learn more about issues affecting Africa specifically to make kits more relevant to them. I would like to stay in contact with the people I met in the conference, because it would be amazing to have SciBridge allies all around the world to make the biggest impact possible.
 
A big thank you to the granting agencies that allowed for our SciBridge members to experience African MRS: NC State East Africa Initiative (Alex Hsain, Veronica Augustyn, & John Paul Eneku), U.S. National Science Foundation (Veronica Augustyn, John Wang, & Alexandria Cruz - as part of JUAMI), and the Microscopy Society of America (John Wang). We look forward to making use of the lessons you brought back from the conference!

Below is the report on our first African Coordinators Workshop which was held last summer. The report is ​compiled by John Paul Eneku, our primary SciBridge coordinator in Africa.

After a year of developing, the TEG Experimental Kits are now ready and are being shipped to our partner African Universities. We thank all the volunteers who helped develop the kits as well as assisted in packaging them. We are very excited for what is to come! 

Since 2015, NC State Student Involvement has hosted an awards ceremony (The L.E.A.D. Awards) honoring outstanding Student Organizations and Student Involvement on campus. This year, Scibridge was nominated for the Outstanding New Student Organization Award.  Scibridge volunteer Alex Hsain said of the event that she was "inspired by the leadership and dedications of student organizations on campus."

Though we did not win, we at Scibridge are honored by the nomination. We would like to thank NC State University, our partner African Universities, all of our financial sponsors, and our volunteers for all of their support. We will continue to press towards to mark in our goal of bridging the gap between United States and African Scientists.

Scibridge Volunteer, Alex Hsain, a junior majoring in Materials Science and Engineering and the current head of the TEG Committee for Scibridge, has been awarded the 2017 Truman Scholarship. The Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive, merit-based award funded by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation and offered to U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals from Pacific Islands who want to attend graduate school in preparation for a career in public service. Alex plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering or Electrical Engineering to assist in her goal of becoming a leader in sustainable energy development. 

The Scibridge family congratulates Alex on all of her accomplishments and for all of her work for Scibridge.

Click here to read the full press release

Scibridge members meet with Dr. Nava Setter, a leader in research on functional ceramics, ferroelectrics, and piezoelectrics, to talk about Scibridge and its future goals. Dr. Setter is also well known for her passion for enabling science learning in rural high schools in Tanzania. We look to take advantage of this experience and use Dr. Setter's expertise, knowledge, and advice to reach our goals as an organization.​​

Today, Scibridge had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Stan Meiburg of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  As one of Scibridge's main goals is research in sustainable and renewable energy, Dr. Meiburg's presentation on the history and impact of the EPA was both timely, and inspiring. We also congratulate Dr. Meiburg as he accepts his new position as the Director of Graduate Sustainability at Wake Forest University.

Last year, Scibridge received an East Africa Strategic Grant from the Office of International Affairs. This year, Scibridge receives a spotlight in the GlobalEyes Newsletter. The article describes how the responses from the African student participants have been "overwhelming" which exemplifies the "necessity and impact" of the program. Below is a quote from Dr. Veronica Augustyn about the organization.

"The SciBridge project is important because it is bridging not only the scientific knowledge gap, by developing hands-on experiment kits for undergraduate and high school students in East Africa, but also because it is teaching students how to participate on diverse and global teams to solve critical global challenges."

- Dr. Veronica Augustyn, Scibridge Chair and U.S. Organizer

Click here to read the full article