OUTREACH
There are many opportunities for students to engage with others within and outside the university environment. In the past, the Laurent Fluid Dynamics Lab has been involved in a variety of outreach programs including public outreach presentations and K-12 summer camps, teaching people about the interdisciplinary field of fluid mechanics. Below is a list of past outreach involvement.
ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZOO – JR. ZOOKEEPERS GUEST SPEAKER
August 2024 – September 2024
Dr. Laurent worked with 30 middle-school-aged students for the Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s Jr. Zookeepers Camp. Campers in this program spend their week in the contact barn getting their hands dirty through general animal husbandry activities, trying out their training and enrichment skills, and interacting with the public daily. This camp is specially designed for the camper with an animal-related career in mind. For our session, students learned about the basic biology of birds of prey, and designed paper airplanes drawing inspiration from how these birds control their flight and utilize the air around them.
SU AEROSPACE & RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEERING – GUEST SPEAKER
July 2024
Aerospace & Renewable Energy Engineering (SCN 037) is a three week course that aims to provide high school students with a good grounding of the fundamentals of engineering. Dr. Laurent was invited to present her research to a group of 24 students. Her talk focused on ongoing bio-inspired research that aims to draw design principles from birds and apply them to man-made vehicles.
TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE OF CENTRAL NEW YORK – STEM TREKKERS
June 2024
TACNY offers an annual STEM Trekkers program in the summer where middle schoolers experience an opportunity in science, technology, engineering, and math. This year’s program had over 70 student attendees! For this program, Dr. Laurent gave presentations on the basic forces of flight and design principles for aircraft. Students were able to test the lift production of their paper airplanes in Syracuse University’s low-speed wind tunnel.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – JR. CAFE SCIENTIFIQUE
January 2024
Dr. Laurent presented to an audience of approximately 60 people of all ages at Syracuse’s Museum of Science and Technology. The presentation was given in the museum’s Exploradome!
Talk Overview: Discover the fascinating world of bird flight as we delve into the secrets of how hawks, eagles, and falcons master the art of soaring through the skies. Explore the unique adaptations that make these birds exceptional aviators, from their wing shapes to tail feathers, and learn how they effortlessly navigate the air. Join Dr. Kasey Laurent as she unveils the mysteries of bird aerodynamics, showcasing the incredible ways these majestic creatures harness the power of air to become nature’s aerial experts.
CORNELL RAPTOR PROGRAM – EDUCATION PROGRAM PRESENTER
May 2022 – July 2023
During her graduate studies at Cornell University, Dr. Laurent volunteered with the Cornell Raptor Program, which aims to provide student and public education programs on raptor conservation and natural biology. The program houses over twenty non-releasable birds of prey. For education programs, Dr. Laurent presented numerous birds including barred owls, eastern screech owls, broad-winged hawks, peregrine falcons, and merlins.