CMU astronomer lectures to Highlands students about space in pilot program

Carnegie Mellon University lecturer Diane Turnshek had a message for Highlands High School students who might want to find life outside of Earth.

“Follow the water,” Turnshek told Earth and Space teacher Matthew Sespico's fourth-period class Thursday morning.

Turnshek was at the high school as part of Buhl Academy, a pilot program started by Buhl Planetarium to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

Highlands was one of five school districts to be selected for the program.

According to Ian Zang, education coordinator at the Carnegie Science Center, which houses the planetarium, the free program is designed to introduce high school and elementary teachers and their students to astronomy experts.

“We make the connection between the scientist and the teacher, and we kind of let it go from there,” Zang said. The connection between Turnshek and Sespico has been a fruitful one this school year.

An astronomer, Turnshek has joined Sespico's classes via Skype and joined them on a trip to the Science Center.

The lecture on space was “just a snapshot of a great relationship,” Sespico said.

Sespico said the relationship has changed the course material.

“Really, this led in a change to the overall curriculum in my classes,” he said. “This is an ever-changing area.

“Diane has helped us stay current.”

During her lecture, Turnshek asked students to help her brainstorm a plot for a science fiction story.

Sespico said his class will build on that and write their own, individual stories.

That sounds good to Jackie Wilson, a 16-year-old junior.

Wilson likes science and enjoys writing fiction in her free time.

“I've never written anything like this, but it will be cool to try,” she said, moments after the presentation.

Wilson said she was excited that Turnshek, who has taught classes at CMU and Pitt on science fiction writing, will review the students' work. For Olivia Ferrante, the presentation was a chance to hear from someone in the science field, a field she one day hopes to join.

“I want to be a meteorologist,” said Ferrante, a 17-year-old junior. “So I really like anything science (related).”

Sespico shares that interest in science.

“We had a meeting with all the teachers and astronomy experts in the program at the Science Center,” he said. “It was just amazing to be in a room with all that brainpower.”

R.A. Monti is a freelance reporter for Trib Total Media.