While scientist Hakeem Oluseyi found his inspiration in nature and science shows as a teenager, a number of Wilbraham & Monson Academy Middle School students were unquestionably inspired by one of the most well known scientists in the world.
Middle School Science teacher Jamie Gouin hosted a Skype with Mr. Oluseyi and the entire Middle School Jan. 24. After a brief introduction, the Skype session was mainly a Q&A, with Mr. Oluseyi repeatedly responding, "These are great questions."
Most teenagers know Mr. Oluseyi from one of his three TV shows on the Science Channel. A leader in his field, as a college student at Stanford University he was largely responsible for the Multi-Spectral Solar Telescope Array, "which pioneered normal incidence extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray imaging of the Sun's transition region and corona," according to Wikipedia.
Mr. Oluseyi has made a number of scientific contributions in the study of space, particularly his research regarding transmission of mass and energy through the sun's atmosphere. He works at NASA Headquarters in the District of Columbia as a Space Sciences Education Manager. He previously taught physics and space sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology.
Takeaway Quotes
Mr. Gouin: "The reason why I reached out to him was I knew he would be someone that the kids all knew, someone the students could relate to, but also because he has this amazing background where he came from. He had humble beginnings, so to be able to go do what he did is fantastic. I hope this inspires some of our students, especially my eighth graders, who are getting ready to go into their freshman years; they're going to start choosing fields, and maybe of a few of them will go into science and now they have something to pull off of."
Middle School Director Stuart Whitcomb: "He's an amazing guy and an amazing scientist. He was extremely personable, which made it exciting for our students because suddenly they're looking at science in a very different way. They're able to identify with him; he had his son, Prince, sitting on his lap the entire time working on his sippy cup. He demystifies science and makes it accessible, and it's a lot of what we are trying to do as a school."
Brady Gouin '23: "When Mr. Oluseyi was talking on the topic of Mars colonization, he said a big boundary in colonizing Mars is the low atmosphere, and how it's very thin compared to other gas giants. I thought that was a very cool topic, as you need four simple things: sun, food, water and shelter to survive on another planet. Most people overlook the fact of the atmosphere."
Lily Mathison '24: "When the Skype was over I felt so inspired. When I was asking him my question (during the Skype) he had the best answer and I felt so lucky to see this scientist. He said he likes teaching people and that made me think I might want to be a teacher to inspire people and teach people."
Caeli Whitcomb '25: "I thought that everything he said was great. I especially loved his son; he was really cute. I look forward to doing more science in my lifetime."
Fitz Campbell '25: "It was an honor to meet him and ask him a question. There are so many great people who have impacted our lives but we might not know their name. He's one of them because he's had such an impact on us."