By Karen Hunt, WSU Office of Research

Washington State University joins the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the University of Washington in hosting a free two‑part virtual workshop on Friday, Sept. 17 to explore research collaboration and preview the new Energy Sciences Center (ESC).

“We’re excited to join PNNL and UW in this day‑long virtual event, which serves as a launching point for fostering collaborations between university staff and students and the scientific staff that will be housed in the ESC,” said Christopher Keane, vice chancellor for research in Pullman and vice president for research at WSU. “We encourage our professors, postdocs, and students to participate in this event.”

In part one of the workshop, PNNL will include a leadership kickoff, give an overview of ESC capabilities, showcase current collaborations, and have technical presentations by PNNL scientists on:

•  and chemical conversions
•  and phenomena for energy storage
• Materials and characterization for .

In the fall of 2021, the new $90 million ESC will open at PNNL. Research in the ESC will focus on fundamental studies of chemistry and materials for energy storage, as well as the development and characterization of materials for quantum information sciences. With capabilities that include advanced electron microscopy, x‑ray spectroscopy, and magnetic resonance instruments, the ESC will be one of the most advanced facilities in the world with the combination of experimental capabilities unavailable anywhere else in the country. The 140,000‑square‑foot facility will feature a combination of research laboratories, flexible-use open spaces, conference rooms, and offices for 250 PNNL researchers, visiting scientists and engineers, and support staff.

“The ESC will be a focal point for collaborative research among PNNL scientists, industry, and partners at the university, and other major institutions in the region, U.S., and abroad,” said Wendy Shaw, the chief science and technology officer in PNNL’s Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate. “Through these workshops, we are excited to work with the WSU faculty, researchers, and students to building collaborative pathways.”

Register for the eight‑hour workshop by going to .

A second workshop is being planned by PNNL and university partners to foster discussion and identify collaborations around the three topic areas.

For questions about the event, contact Wendy Shaw at wendy.shaw@pnnl.gov or 509‑375‑5922 for technical information and Becky Ford at bford@pnnl.gov or 509‑372‑4977 for logistical information.

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Robert Lewis, a ���سԹ� associate professor of computer science, in collaboration with the Hanford High School programming club, hosted a three-day STEM programming workshop at the Richland Public Library that aimed to inspire children to participate more in computer science by using something they were already interested in—games.

According to Lewis, the event aimed not only to provide K-12 students with exposure to a variety of science and engineering projects with potentially large impacts, but also so that more students could get exposure to hands-on opportunities in STEM fields so that they could witness the possibilities of those career paths.

The workshop, called “Code Your Own AI Fighter,” was built around using games to encourage programming. During the workshop, the participants, ranging in age from 8 to 41, learned the Python programming language and applied their knowledge to create an artificial intelligence (AI) program to control a fighting game character. They then had their AIs fight each other in a tournament, which allowed users to learn Python and algorithmic thinking while having fun plotting and executing their own self-made strategies

The Python-linked fighting game interface was created by Catherine Guevara, Ben Hansen, Michael Thompson, and Kevin Yang, a team of four students from the Hanford High School programming club, in their spare time during the summer using the Java programming language.

“Programming has become a critical skill for the younger generations to reach their full potential,” said Yang, the founder and leader of the programming club. “However, beginner programmers are short of systematic and fun learning opportunities.

Yang said many self-taught programmers like himself are quite isolated and have a hard time finding other local amateur programmers.

 

“That’s why I’ve organized programming clubs since middle school, providing an opportunity for hundreds of students and our community, as well as this event,” he said.

The workshop was a success, with more than 23 participants participating by the third and final day.

“I like this coding camp,” one participant said. “It’s fun and you actually need to use Python programming to do it.”

Johanna Talbott, a librarian in charge of STEM-related activities at the Richland Public Library, said their workshop was one of their most successful STEM-based workshops held over the summer. She said she would be happy to welcome the workshop again next summer.