ROBERT J. ROSSI
Outreach
In addition to urban hydrologic and soil systems, I am also interested in encouraging K-20 students to explore STEM, in particular, earth science, careers. Specifically, I think it is important for K-20 students to personally interact with scientists.
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In my personal experience, I have found that hands on activities are particularly effective for capturing the interest of K-20 students. In particular, I find that directly incorporating K-20 students in fieldwork, or speaking to K-20 students about fieldwork, fosters excitement about Earth science. Thus, through personal interactions, K-20 students can learn that science often goes beyond just equations and math.
As a result I am always more than happy to talk about soil science, urban soils, urban hydrology, and other topics related to my research to schools, students, etc. Below are some of the outreach projects I have had the fortune of participating in.
August 2017
Remembering the 1948 Donora, PA Air Quality Disaster
Amelia Nierenberg, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, interviewed myself and my coauthor Dr. Dan Bain about our recent research reconstructing historical trace metal loadings to a lake in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
You can read Amelia's article here
April 2016
BiodiverCity
BiodiverCITY Pittsburgh is a community-engaged, urban ecology project of Dr. Molly Mehling’s research lab in partnership with the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh. During the grand opening at the Assemble gallery, Dr. Mehling asked me to run an interactive activity explaining how runoff is generated in urban and forested areas during rainstorms.
Check out the grand opening here
March 2016
Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair
Once again I served as Earth/Space/Environment Senior Level Category Judge at this Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair (PRSEF). This years projects addressed many topics, including denitrification, geomorphology, and trace metal contamination.
Learn more about the PRSEF here.
February 2016
The impact of road salt on Nine Mile Run
I was asked by the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association to write a guest blog post which explained the results of my research examining the effects of applying road salt to an interstate (I-376) on roadside soils.
You can read more at the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association blog here.
February 2016
What happens to the salt
Anjana Murali, a staff writer, at the Pitt News interviewed me about the effects of applying deicers to campus roads and sidewalks.
You can read Anjana's Pitt News article here.
June 2015
What is soil?
Pamela Moniodes, a gifted teacher at Canonsburg Middle School, asked me to stop by and teach her students an intro course on soil. My presentation taught students what soil was, why I became a scientist, and had two interactive activities where students learned how to use a Munsell soil color chart, and determine the texture of a soil.
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May 2015
Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
Because I served as a judge for the 2015 PRSEF, I had the opportunity to serve as a Grand Awards Judge of Earth & Environmental Science at the 2015 Intel
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). This was a very cool experience where I was able to meet pre-college students who presented many interesting projects relating to biogeochemistry, hydrology, and geomorphology.
Learn more about the Intel ISEF here.
April 2015
Soil grounded in science: The dirt on contamination
The final exhibit of the ENERGY-NET project focused on industrial contamination in Pittsburgh's soils. Specifically the teens constructed a tactile soil column, a map of brownfields within the City of Pittsburgh, a lead infographic, and a hands-on lead chelation therapy activity.
See pictures of the final exhibit here.
