Graduate student studies polymers and creates research opportunities for students in Des Moines classrooms.
Lee Trask has always wanted to help others learn. Even during his undergraduate studies in chemical engineering and mathematics at Iowa State, he served as a supplemental instruction leader and teaching assistant, where he spent ten semesters working with students on problem-solving methods.
Now a graduate student in chemical and biological engineering, Trask continues to pursue opportunities that allow him and others to grow.
On campus, Trask works with Eric Cochran, associate professor in chemical and biological engineering, researching how to use mathematical models and computers to simulate and characterize materials. The work focuses on polymers, which are long chains of identical molecules typically used to make plastic and rubber materials.
Polymer research often targets chemical composition, but Trask’s research classifies polymers for general characteristics, such as flexibility, shape and size. This approach helps researchers understand polymer behaviors and identify what type of polymers should be used for specific experiments.
Outside of his own research, Trask has been engaging students at Meredith Middle School in Des Moines in science activities as a Symbi Fellow. Symbi is a partnership between Iowa State and the Des Moines Public School District and is funded by the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC).
Each Fellow works with a specific middle or high school teacher to create research experiences for students. Trask spends two days a week at Meredith, where he holds demonstrations and experiments.
He says he focuses on student participation, working with teachers to develop questions to encourage students to ask questions themselves as they engage in the activities.
“If you can get students to ask the question, they can find the answer.”
The fellowship experience has impacted Trask’s teaching methodology, specifically in how the material is communicated. Before the fellowship, presenting the facts was his main goal, but his focus has changed. “When students are able to connect their knowledge with the information I’m presenting, they are able to retain the important details.”
Trask looks forward to continuing to inspire students to ask questions and make connections with other students in the future. “If I can convince even one student that math and science can be used in a fun and interesting way, my Symbi experience will be a resounding success.”