STEMinists Track
Designed for fearless and inquisitive young women, the STEMinist track is perfect for students looking to develop their STEM skills in both lecture and laboratory settings. Explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in motion through field trips and hands-on projects. In addition to your coursework, this program begins to address some of the inequalities that women face in the STEM field and how we can begin to rewrite the narrative with our presence.
Program Structure
This track is residential with the option of commuting. Classes take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:30 AM- 12:00 PM and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00- 4:30 PM EST. Enrichment and student life activities will be held in both the early day and evening time frames (10am EST- 8pm EST).
The Curriculum
Chemical Connections and Happenings
Instructor: Christian Rojas
Transferring electrons. Making and breaking chemical bonds. These are among the atomic- and
molecular-scale happenings that we will explore in this course, combining discussions of
chemical principles with hands-on laboratory experiments. We will also take field trips to New
York City science landmarks such as the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan,
the New York Hall of Science in Queens, and the location in Brooklyn where large-scale
production of penicillin was first achieved. We will use a technique called NMR
spectroscopy—related to the MRI imaging used in medicine—to detect the hydrogen and carbon
nuclei in a variety of organic compounds and correlate this data with the atom-by-atom structure
of those molecules. We will also use hand-held models and computer software to visualize
three-dimensional molecular structures and to calculate the distribution of electrons within
molecules. Finally, we will consider connections of chemistry to philosophical, artistic, and
literary questions, such as levels of “truth” in scientific theories. We will read and discuss
selections from the chemistry-influenced literary memoirs of Primo Levi (The Periodic Table)
and Oliver Sacks (Uncle Tungsten). Our explorations will also include museum trips in New
York City to see paintings and drawings that reveal the ambiguity of visual representation (for
example, art by René Magritte and Maurice Escher). Curiosity and interest in chemistry are pre-
requisites, but no special chemistry knowledge or background is required.
Time: Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs, 9:30 AM- 12:00 PM EST
Thurs afternoons from 2:00- 4:30 PM EST.
Forensic Psychology
Instructor: Joshua Feinberg
This course is an examination of the interaction between fields of psychology, law, and the criminal justice system. It examines the aspects of human behavior directly related to the legal process such as eyewitness memory and testimony, jury decision making, and theories of criminal behavior. There is a strong focus on the ethical and moral tensions that inform the law.
Time: Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs, 9:30 AM- 12:00 PM EST
Thurs afternoons from 2:00- 4:30 PM EST.
Science In Your Life: Through the Eyes of a Chemical Engineer
Instructor: Kevin Turaczy
What do Diet Coke, solar panels, and synthetic organs have in common? They are all things that a chemical engineer can work on improving! Whether it's making batteries more efficient to electrify the nation, designing instruments for space exploration, or creating new, vegan products for skin care, chemical engineers are influential in all aspects of society. Ever wonder what's inside a vanadium flow battery? Have you heard of using gene therapy to cure cancer? Do you wish you knew a little more about microrobots that are used for water purification?
This course gives you a taste of everyday science in your life and shows you how chemical engineers are working towards solving the prevalent issues of the world. You'll become more knowledgeable about what goes into objects and processes you might normally overlook. We will show you what engineering hurdles the world faces today along with how you can get involved. Hopefully, you'll finish this course marveling at the recent advances of engineering and inspired to become an engineer!
Time: Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs, 9:30 AM- 12:00 PM EST
Thurs afternoons from 2:00- 4:30 PM EST.
Research and Professional Skills in STEM
Instructor: Jazlyn Nketia
This course will introduce students to concepts and methods that allow them to develop their research voice, navigate the virtual research landscape, and develop an online professional presence.
Time: Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thurs, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM EST
Thurs afternoons from 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM EST
The Instructors
Joshua Feinberg
Forensic Psychology
Joshua Feinberg received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Rutgers University. He is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Saint Peter's University and has also taught several courses at both Barnard College and Columbia University. Previous courses he has taught include: forensic psychology, social psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, statistics, sports psychology, and research methods. He currently conducts research on how social factors affect moral decision making. He has previously published studies focusing on both applied and theoretical topics such as social facilitation, sports psychology, academic cheating, and implicit stereotyping.
Christian Rojas
Chemical Connections and Happenings
Christian M. Rojas, Professor of Chemistry, teaches mainly introductory- and advanced-level organic chemistry courses. He is a synthetic organic chemist who conducts research to develop new methods for incorporating nitrogen atoms into organic molecules and applies those methods to the synthesis of amino sugars. Barnard undergraduate student researchers from the Rojas research group have gone on to careers in science, teaching, and medicine, including positions in the pharmaceutical industry, academia, public-school teaching, public health, and government. In addition to publishing research articles with his students, Christian was editor of the 2016 book Molecular Rearrangements in Organic Synthesis. Christian joined the Barnard faculty in 1997 after completing a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Scripps Research Institute. He earned a PhD from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia.
Kevin Turaczy
Science In Your Life: Through the Eyes of a Chemical Engineer
Jazlyn Nketia
Research and Professional Skills in STEM
Technology and Academic Support
IMATS/ Canvas/Zoom
Barnard PCP utilizes Canvas, an online platform, where students will find their syllabus, assignments, discussion boards, and access to message their instructor or peers outside of class.
All classes and workshops are hosted in person. However, our instructors have worked to create robust lessons that utilize various technology capabilities and platforms such as Zoom, Twine, Canva, and even apps developed by our professors!
Our team will go over technology usage extensively in the student manual and during Orientation.
Course Assistant
Each course has the added support of a Course Assistant (CAs), a current Barnard student (or a recent graduate). CAs assist faculty with administrative tasks, classroom management, and facilitate office hours to help students.
Community Office Hours
Each Monday at 2:00 PM EST students are invited to meet with any member of our Pre-College Programs team. Office hours emphasize PCP’s open door office policy and gives students a space to meet with instructors, course assistants, or a professional staff member.
Bridging Curriculum and Community
Community Building Programming
We believe student life does not start and end in the classroom. Each night after class students can choose from 2-3 evening activities led by our Program Assistants.
Program Assistants
Program Assistants are current Barnard students who manage small cohorts of student teams. Your PA is a resource for you to ask questions about non academic issues (remember: your Course Assistant is your point of contact for academics). PAs plan and facilitate nightly community building activities such as self care nights, Netflix parties, Broadway shows, and much more.