VISTA receives Compass Outreach grant from ASCB
Flu Shot Awareness Campaign
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Just as we are all excited to enter the winter season and cooler temperatures, so too is the flu. To protect our campus community from the flu this year VISTA, the School of Biological Sciences, the Division of Nursing, and the Department of Health Informatics and Information Management worked together to raise awareness and even brought flu shots on Tech’s campus.
Flu shots are always encouraged, but this year due to COVID-19 the risk of increased complications due to the flu is even higher. With similar symptoms and the possibility of contracting both COVID-19 and the flu at the same time, the results could be devastating to individuals and the health care system. Dr. Jamie Newman, VISTA Center Co-director, realized how overwhelmed hospitals and clinics could get this season so she wanted to start a Flu Shot Awareness campaign. |
GEAR UP Summer Camp 2020
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In July of 2020, VISTA held a GEAR UP summer camp over Zoom Meeting focused on engaging students in-depth on how visuals can communicate complex ideas. Throughout the week students in the 5th through 7th grades learned the biology of SARS-CoV2 and COVID-19 and basic drawing skills. These skills the students learned were combined to create a final client-based project for Ms. Angel Sims’, Camp Assistant Director, second-grade class.
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Sharing the Intersection of Art & Science with Students
Part of the VISTA mission is to engage with the community, not only through internships but also through outreach. On July 23, Dr. Jamie Newman and Mr. Nick Bustamante traveled to Century Link in Monroe, LA to take part in a week-long science camp for elementary school-aged children. Bustamante and Newman shared information on themselves, including how they got to Louisiana from California, what work they do in their studio and lab, and how they met to bring this interdisciplinary area of study to students at Louisiana Tech. After talking about the need for art and visual communication of science, the 20 camp participants were given supplies to create their own artwork related to DNA, base pairing, and the double helix. Each student put their own creative touch on the exercise creating bracelets demonstrating DNA base pairing and drawings.
One group, after complaining that they were not creative and couldn't draw, began building a helix out of markers on the floor. As they were doing this they became so excited they started collecting all the markers they could find so that they could build a 6-foot long helix! It was great to see the creativity of these kids and watching each of them find their comfort zone and way to express themselves even when they thought they couldn't.
One group, after complaining that they were not creative and couldn't draw, began building a helix out of markers on the floor. As they were doing this they became so excited they started collecting all the markers they could find so that they could build a 6-foot long helix! It was great to see the creativity of these kids and watching each of them find their comfort zone and way to express themselves even when they thought they couldn't.
VISTA Represents Louisiana Tech at UL Capital Day
On Wednesday, March 11, VISTA represented Louisiana Tech University at the University of Louisiana Capital Day. This was a day to advocate and show support for higher education and it was an honor to be the academic program selected to be a part of this event. Digital Painting student Cinthia Rincon demonstrated and shared her tablet with students from other universities who came by and we even got Champ and the University of New Orleans mascot to give the tablets and digital painting a try. It was a beautiful day at the Capital full of students from across the state and a lot of championing for higher ed.