Stony Brook University hosted the IceCube Masterclass on March 27, offering local high school students from Shoreham-Wading River and Riverhead school districts a day of hands-on experience in astro-particle and nuclear physics, according to an April 8 announcement. The event was organized by the Institute of STEM Education (I-STEM) in collaboration with the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole.
The masterclass aimed to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) among young people by providing direct exposure to scientific research. Students participated in lectures, experiments, and interactive sessions with scientists working at one of the world’s most advanced neutrino observatories.
During the event, Joanna Kiryluk, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, introduced students to neutrinos through a presentation that set the stage for further activities. Attendees also joined a live webcast with researchers Alicia Fattorini and Camille Parisel from Antarctica who shared their experiences working at the South Pole before answering student questions.
Hands-on experiments formed a core part of the program. Students measured radiation using Geiger counters before constructing cloud chambers to visualize otherwise invisible particles. “The cloud chamber experiment is about making radiation visible, which is something most kids will not have seen before,” said Ernst Sichtermann, physicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. “The experiment brings together the things theyâve learned today… Hopefully it sparks an interest in any of these fields.” Kiryluk added: “Building cloud chambers with students was very rewarding… We are grateful to Frank Chisena [manager] and Rich Lefferts [technical staff] for hosting…and to Haiwen Lu â Pre-College STEM program director â for connecting teachers with scientists.” Lefferts said: “Itâs such a joy to see world-class scientists work with inquisitive…students. We hope to have some of these talented students in our lab classes in a year or two.”
The day concluded with instruction on classifying high-energy neutrino events detected by IceCubeâa detector embedded deep within Antarctic ice that studies subatomic particles from cosmic sourcesâand discussions about career possibilities in science.
Sichtermann emphasized broader implications for workforce development: “We do not have enough of a STEM workforce right now…But somebody here today is a future graduate student.”
