Free UAMS Summer Science Activities Go Virtual Statewide

By Ben Boulden

Although the continuing COVID-19 pandemic prevents in-person activities, UAMS’ Kevin D. Phelan, Ph.D., has devised a plan to offer three ArkanSONO STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) summer science enrichment programs using Zoom video conferencing.

Phelan is co-director of the Division of Clinical Anatomy in the UAMS College of Medicine. The ArkanSONO program he leads is designed to increase the diversity of students entering STEM fields. It is supported by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

UAMS will host three free Zoom-based programs for Arkansas students this summer:

  • For middle school and high school students — A weekly series of STEM Career webinars in which students can interact with a basic science cancer researcher, emergency medicine physician, plant biologist, nurse, architect and many other STEM professionals. The webinars  are June 2 through July 28, each Wednesday from noon-1 p.m.
  • For middle and high school students — A weekly series of anatomy and technology webinars with sessions that focus on the cardiovascular system, respiratory system (lungs), nervous system (brains), computerized tomography, ultrasound and histology. The first session on the cardiovascular system will include the use of skeletons, heart models, pig/sheep hearts, 3D reconstructions of normal and pathological human hearts using the SECTRA Education Portal, and live ultrasound scanning of a human heart on a standardized patient. The sessions are from June 15 to July 27 each Tuesday afternoon from 1-2:30 p.m.
  • For junior/senior high school and college students — A four-part Anatomy and Histopathology I: Focus on Cancer Webinar series. The ArkanSONO program is partnering with Cancer Research Training & Education at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute for this event. The webinars will provide a general survey of the anatomy, histology and histopathology of various organ systems with a focus on cancer. Major cancers to be covered in this webinar series include: skin, breast, lung, prostate, pancreatic, colorectal, cervical/ ovarian/endometrial, and kidney/bladder. The sessions will utilize models, cadaveric specimens, virtual human dissector programs, 3D reconstructions of CT scan in patients on the SECTRA Education Portal, ultrasound imaging of organs in standardized patients, and virtual histology and histopathology resources. The sessions are on Monday afternoons from 2-4 p.m. starting June 7 and ending June 28.


Learn more and register for these programs here: https://tinyurl.com/33yuewmf