Professor Teaches High School Students Outside Their Classrooms

Roose ProgramWhen Dr. Tom Roose, associate professor of physics and science education, finishes his week in the classroom with college students, he welcomes high school freshmen to take the vacated seats on the weekend.

One Saturday each month, through the College Readiness program sponsored by the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI), Roose teaches science on Trinity’s campus to under-served high school students from Chicago.

As an ACI member institution, Trinity provides students with “learning laboratories” held throughout the academic year. During these monthly Saturday seminars, students build academic and personal skills and acquire real-world campus experience.

Roose relishes the opportunity to enlighten young minds. He developed curriculum and taught math and science courses at Chicago Christian High School in Palos Heights, Illinois, for 6 years. He also developed the curriculum theme and wrote the science curriculum for the Summer Enrichment for Academics in Mathematics and Science program at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Illinois (2005-2008). In addition to his Ph.D. from Stanford University, this scientist and author has 21 years of industry work experience in various environmental, research, and scientific settings.

“Creating interest and nurturing aptitude in mathematics and science in our youth is vital to developing people that can undercover new fundamental knowledge and create new technology to improve the quality of life for all,” he said.

Because most of the students live and attend school in the city, they especially enjoy the chance to gather samples along the Trinity Trail and Navajo Creek as they study ecology with Roose. After completing their unit on ecology, they will study Newton’s Laws.

Roose recently met with one of the students in an extra session to help him conduct an experiment for a high school project. Eduardo Paz of Little Village Lawndale High School compared the turbidity (measure of solids in the water) of samples from Lake Michigan, Navajo Creek, and a public drinking fountain. Paz notified Roose that he won first place at Lawndale’s science fair and placed 20th out of 84 in the area competition. For Roose, this is a testament to the importance of the ACI program and its partnership with Trinity.

Read more about Dr. Tom Roose, visit Meet the Faculty and view his profile.