Skyway STEM Poster Competition 2011

MCC Student Nisha Patel and MCC Math Instructor Heidi Haegerich
Other MCC student entrants were: Ralph Davis, David Patel and Lee Dowsett

MCC is one of the eight member colleges of the Illinois Skyway Athletic and Co-Curricular Conference. Friday, April 8th, MCC hosted the second annual Skyway STEM Poster Contest. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering & Math. Students from Waubonsee Community College, College of Lake County, Moraine Valley College, Oakton Community College, Prairie State College & MCC have submited research projects to be judged. The poster board competition received 40 submissions from 70 student participants representing the categories of math/technology, biological science and physical science.


MCC Instructors Marla Garrison (Biology), Steve Socol (Chemistry), Heidi Haegerich (Math) all worked tirelessly to organize and host this competition. Talia Koronkiewicz, Coordinator of Student Life & Campus Activities, also worked long and hard arranging the event.

Peter Johnson and Rick Delaney, students of  Instructor Jack Brezinski (Computer & Digital Media), gave a robotics demonstration and address.  Nisha Patel and Ralph Davis were mentored by Marla Garrison (Biology). David Patel is a student of Adjunct Instructor Ed Coty (Physics) while Lee Dowsett is a student of Adjunct Instructor Steve Burks (Chemistry). As Haegerich noted, "They now have an experience that will serve them well in college and graduate school. Students got to do independent research on a topic of their choice, deepening their understanding, bringing Math and Science to life, and allowing them to make connections to the real world."

Damselflies of Chicagoland, a new photo field guide by biology instructor, Marla Garrison

Odonates are yummy!  Dragonflies can bite (and sometimes even draw blood!) - but, the thing is, I bite back. If you look closely at this Swamp Darner's abdominal tip you can see that I'm actually scaring the you-know-what out of him.  I'd like to assume that it was fear of predation and not my breath that caused this reaction.

So, after four summers of sloshing through wetlands, mud, and muck--covered in ticks, leeches, mosquitos and swimmer's itch--swollen with creeping hives from stinging nettles and hyper reactions to deer fly bites-- and slipping, sliding and submerging myself in rivers, creeks and streams--I am finally finished with my first photo field guide in what I hope will be a series of natural history guides for our area and the Chicago Wilderness. My first book, entitled Damselflies of Chicagoland, can be accessed as a free downloadable pdf file on the Chicago Field Museum website: http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/plantguides/damselflies .

McHenry and Lake Counties are blessed with some of the few remaining wetlands in Illinois. They contain some unique, and in some instances high quality, aquatic habitats where aquatic invertebrates like damselflies and dragonflies (who spend most of their life in a larval form under the water) can thrive. There are 39 species of damselflies (part of the order of insects to which dragonflies belong) in McHenry County. They are colorful, thin as a straight pin, little beasties that flit low amongst the grasses and emergent vegetation at the edge of waterways. Squat down, look closely and your world will brighten before your eyes--I promise!

My plan is to have the next installment Dragonflies of Chicagoland up and published in two to three more years (depending on whether my knees and energy level stay intact).  Submitted by M.G.

Science instructors trek Alaska through Chautauqua Institute program

Bev Dow and Kate Kramer framed by Mt. McKinley

Bev Dow (Biology instructor and MCCFA president) and Kate Kramer (Geology instructor) traveled to Alaska in June to participate in a program sponsored by the Chautauqua Institute. Before their classes began they took a three-day trip from Anchorage to Denali National Park. They were among the 15% of tourists to see Mt. McKinley (pictured) on a clear day. Upon returning to Anchorage, Kate and Bev took a course in the ecology of south-central Alaska.

During their three days with two instructors from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, they studied the tundra, taiga, and coastal rainforest ecosystems. Following the class, they took a one-day cruise of the Kenai Fjords, seeing humpbacked whales, Steller sea lions, sea otters, puffins, common murre (birds that look and sound like penguins), and an actively calving glacier. Kate stayed on for a class on glaciers and another class on earthquakes and tsunamis. (submitted by B.D.)

Geology Class Field Trip to Wisconsin

On April 30th, 2010 the Physical Geology (GEL 101) class took a field trip to Devils Lake State Park, located just outside of Baraboo, Wisconsin. The purpose of this field trip was to show students geology outside of the classroom. The course was lead by Kate Kramer, Instructor of Earth Science and Geology, and Bev Dow, Instructor of Biology.

The students had a wonderful time examining the ancient quartzite of the area, as well as the more recent glacial topography. Students identified glacial end moraines, ripple marks, various rock types, and an angular unconformity representing a 1 billion year gap in the rock record.

We also had the opportunity to visit Parfrey’s Glen Nature Preserve, where the students were able to view hurricane deposits, and stream erosion. As one student put it, “This was an AWESOME field trip, and a great chance to see geologic processes.” (submitted by K.K.)