Today marks the last day of the ASPIRE summer workshop hosted by members of the Department of Physics. The ASPIRE workshop is for female high school students who are entering the 10th, 11th or 12th grades. Participants get their hands on physics equipment and software used by physicists and learn about physics research. This year's workshop brought in 16 students who participated in one of four projects:

• Programming project: they wrote a simple java program using basic equations of motion to move a blob
• Galaxies project: they learned Python and used a package to study basic properties of galaxies such as age, size, etc., using real data
• Interferometry project: they searched for a hidden transmitter using antennas and oscilloscopes, and analyzed real data from the ANITA neutrino experiment in Mathematica
• Arduino project: they programmed an Arduino to produce their own mini-radio station

The camp also included a trip to OSU's Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, a visit to OSU's Planetarium, and guidance on how to give a scientific presentation.

A special thank-you to the team who make the ASPIRE workshop possible: Dr. Amy Connolly (Director), Dr. Annika Peter, Dr. Chris Orban, and a group of 3 postdocs/research scientists, 15 graduate students, and 10 undergraduate students - all who help with camp organization, logistics, and projects.

Additional information about the ASPIRE workshop can be found at u.osu.edu/aspire.