[ad_1]
SALT LAKE CITY — A University of Utah professor focuses his research on helping refugees participate in science.
That’s because he knows what it’s like to start over.
The professor’s space research is also forging connections here at home.
Tuesday’s big event was the installation of a new $1.1 million cosmic ray detector array on the roof of the Utah Refugee Center building in Salt Lake City.
You can tell that what makes Tino Nyawelo proud is the students behind it.
You can build windows on some of the building blocks of your universe. Parts are lifted and assembled to detect cosmic rays.
Mr Nyawelo said it was these young minds that were important here.
“They are the most amazing and talented students,” Nyawelo said.
Young people are helping provide high-energy particles from deep space. He understands them in a way that other professors don’t.
“In 2007, Utah was a very welcoming place for refugees, so I felt at home here,” Nyawero said. “We have about 65,000 refugees. I met a lot of my classmates here.”
He left his home in Sudan as a graduate student and eventually attended the University of Utah.
“Tino is very involved in the community and wants all young people to do well, especially refugee youth,” Reman Adhikari said.
Adhikari’s mother came from Bhutan via Nepal.
Nyawero wanted to help refugee students participate in science, knowing that they all come from different educational levels and backgrounds. He started his after-school program about five years ago.
“So some of them were toddlers when they came to the United States, some of them were in elementary school,” Sarah Braden said.
Nyawero partners with Braden from Utah State University and brings a background in science and language education.
“My job was to think, ‘How can we create a really positive science learning environment?'” Braden said.
It seems to be working fine.
“Well, I think he’s very approachable and will help us connect,” said student Firdaus Vokhari.
The results are huge.
“When I see them succeed, it’s an indescribable feeling,” Nyawero said.
A University of Utah professor plans to expand the program to other high schools and all kinds of students to get more refugees involved in science.
Eventually, space sensor arrays will be installed atop schools across the state.
[ad_2]
Source link
