PSE Club
Mission Statement
Membership in the PSE Club is intended to foster and develop:
- (a) An amicable working relationship among students, both in the laboratory and socially.
- (b) Members’ academic commitment to both their own research and the research community within the Polymer Science and Engineering Department.
- (c) Associational relationships between members and professors in the department and university.
- (d) Appreciation of the value of interaction with and service for the community regarding scientific development.
Members
Eligibility
All active students in the Polymer Science and Engineering Department at the
University of Massachusetts, Amherst are eligible to become members of the PSE
Club. Members in their second year or greater are eligible to run for the Project
Coordinator positions, and members in their third year or greater are eligible
to run for all Club positions.
Meeting Times
Meetings are held approximately every two months, usually during the
lunch hour of noon-1pm.
Executive Council
President (1)
The President presides over all meetings of the Officers and meetings
of the General Club membership. The President serves as the liaison between
the students and the faculty, and the students and the university.
Current President – Derek Breid (dbreid@mail.pse.umass.edu)
General
Administrator (1)
The General Administrator fills the role of executive coordinator of
the Club. The G.A. also serves as the Club Treasurer, carrying out those
responsibilities necessary to the financial stability of the Club.
Current
General Administrator – Dalton Cheng (dfcheng@polysci.umass.edu)
Project
Coordinator (2)
The Project Coordinators outline the goals and responsibilities of PSE
Club projects, assign projects to members, and oversee their completion.
Current Project Coordinators:
Shilpi Sanghi (ssanghi@polysci.umass.edu) and
Jeff Kalish (jkalish@polysci.umass.edu).
Services to the Students
Tutoring – Club establishes tutors for the first year PSE classes (Engineering, Physical Chemistry and Synthetic Chemistry).
1st Year Party – Welcomes new 1st years and introduces them to the upperclassmen.
Fall/Spring Picnics/Holiday Party – Social interaction for the students, faculty and staff.
Field Trips/Workshops – Past trips included the Plastics Museum, Solutia, and others. Workshops on interviewing, networking and presentation skills.
Interview Postings – Maintains 3rd floor job postings board for ease of use for students and post-docs seeking postitions.
Intramural Sports – Creates a fun and healthy environment in which to bond with those both inside and outside the department.
Services to the Department
Hosting/Building Tours – Provide hosts for prospective students and give tours to visitors, alumni, and others.
Seminar – Keep A/V equipment in working order during Friday seminars and are responsible for room set-up and breakdown.
Alumni Newsletter – Annual newsletter mailed to alumni informing them of departmental activities of the past and present year.
1st Year Pictures – Maintain student picture board outside of the main office.
Services to the Community
ASPIRE
The ASPIRE program is designed for high school students interested
in science in which a series of experiments and laboratory discussions
are conducted by graduate students from the Polymer Science and Engineering
Department. This program was put together with the goal of introducing
high school students to various aspects of polymer science and engineering
that could not be taught in a conventional classroom. The program consists
of laboratory experiments and discussions held every Saturday for a five-week
period at the Polymer Science and Engineering Department at the University
of Massachusetts, Amherst. Each day begins with a discussion of the scientific
principles and laboratory techniques essential for conducting and understanding
the experiments to be performed. After the experiments are completed
there is a wrap-up discussion to ensure students have a clear understanding
of what they did and what their results mean. The experiments are conducted
with supervision and direction from graduate students of the PSE Club.
The ASPIRE program offers a unique opportunity for high school students to interact with graduate students and professors who are carrying out scientific research at one of the world's premier polymer facilities. This is currently the sixth year of the ASPIRE program and it is currently funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society, and Proctor & Gamble.
Contact Joanna Pool (Joanna@mail.pse.umass.edu) or Julie Leiston (lemur_@hotmail.com) for more information.
For more information about ASPIRE, please see the official outreach site.
OUTREACH
The Outreach program consists of 15-20 PSE Club students all sharing
a common goal of educating the community about polymer science and engineering.
The program currently gives 10-15 presentations each year to various
schools in the area, and reaches over 700 K-12 students. The presentation
entitled “Polymers
All Around Us” touches upon all aspects of polymer science, specifically
chemistry, physics and engineering. It is a highly interactive program
with the goal of encouraging thought and discussion of how polymers impact
our lives on a daily basis. Numerous hands-on demonstrations are performed
throughout the program (including the Poly-Human, super-absorbent polymers,
and slime), and the presentation is tailored to the target age group.
Contact Elizabeth Glogowski lizg@mail.pse.umass.edu and Naomi Sanabria-DeLong naomisd@mail.pse.umass.edu for more information.
For more information about outreach programs, please see the official outreach site.
Contact Information
For more information about the PSE Club at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, please contact the President of PSE Club Jessica Zimberlin jzimberl@mail.pse.umass.edu or the faculty representative for the PSE Club Alan Lesser ajl@polysci.umass.edu.
