The STEAM Factory: Building a Community of Engaged Academics
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Date
2018-04
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
The STEAM Factory is a grass-roots solution to the question of how to create a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration within the university. It has grown organically to include 150 members spanning more than 80 fields of study, becoming a diverse cross-section of the university community. This large and growing community of academics participate in public presentations and other outreach events at 400 W Rich St in Franklinton and throughout Columbus. How has the STEAM Factory successfully encouraged faculty to get more deeply involved in outreach? The main method of success is to make outreach opportunities fundamentally about bringing together members of the university community from different disciplines. Other techniques for encouraging outreach include inreach events like multidisciplinary seminars, small seed grants (e.g. the STEAM Powered Projects), and the availability of a physical STEAM Factory space in Franklinton.
Description
For an ignite-style presentation introducing the model of STEAM Factory as a faculty outreach catalyst, we propose 15 slides: the first title slide shows a picture of 400 W. Rich Street. Then, a slide is used to pose the main question of the ignite-style presentation: how we can inspire researchers to reach out into the community? An answer is the STEAM Factory. So in 15 seconds, a slide with a photo wall provides a necessarily brief overview of the STEAM Factory membership. To explain how the STEAM Factory encourages faculty to leave their offices and engage with the community, the STEAM Factory's co-working space at 400 W. Rich Streete is displayed. Having a separate space engenders attitudes of outreach and broader community engagement. To sum up the STEAM Factory's outreach efforts, some statistics on the number of faculty, student, and community participants at the STEAM Factory's outreach events are shown. Then we propose highlighting five examples of outreach events on separate slides, so we provide not just statistics but also demonstrated examples of the breadth of what STEAM Factory does in terms of outreach. These slides may include the Music of the Spheres (a multidisciplinary series of talks discussing some of Kepler's ideas in mathematics, astronomy, and music), Project Color (an outreach project combining the chemistry of pigments with the perception of color, and a past project that is likely to be reprised to measure the effectiveness of STEAM Factory's outreach); a slide highlighting outreach to kids and its effectiveness with a quote from a concerned mother; the HIV Pecha Kucha (a showcase of interdisciplinary work in HIV/AIDS from an advanced undergraduate course); Song of the Stars (a cross-disciplinary production between astrophysics and dance). A basic question in the audience's mind is likely to be how to create such a community of engaged academics. Two slides will suggest two pathways. One pathway to encourage faculty outreach is through faculty inreach events, so a slide will highlight the STEAM Exchanges, monthly salon-style seminars that bring together researchers on a common theme. These talks are fertile ground for collaborations of research which can often result in collaborations on outreach. Another pathway toward encouraging faculty outreach is through the STEAM Powered Projects (grant-funded projects, funded at the level of a small seed grant) that the STEAM Factory has organized. Slide #12 will highlight one of these collaborative projects (the e-textiles), touching specifically on the issue of health and wellness. The last three slides will wrap up this quick overview of STEAM Factory. The first slide in this group will discuss the structure and operation of the STEAM Factory. Slide 14 will highlight the support that the STEAM Factory receives from its sponsors. And the final slide includes some contact information so interested parties can get more involved.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Jim Fowler, Assistant Professor, Mathematics Department, fowler@math.osu.edu (Corresponding Author).
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Jim Fowler, Assistant Professor, Mathematics Department, fowler@math.osu.edu (Corresponding Author).
Keywords
STEAM, outreach, collaboration, research, Franklinton
Citation
Engaged Scholars, v. 6 (2018).