The Science Forward seminar succeeded in establishing its objectives, which are to help its students become interested in Science, especially at a business school and expand their inquiry and critical thinking skills. With the help of Dr. Greer and Jake, the experiences gained from the seminar established precedents that can be used in future endeavors beyond science.

Regarding the science lessons, Dr. Greer’s lectures on the various legal drugs exposed me to the harsh effects that can result from over consumption. I never considered caffeine to be a “real” drug like aspirin, yet it is a stimulant that inhibits adenosine from its receptors in the brain, preventing tiredness. Creating soap and aspirin improved listening skills and encouraged us to follow directions precisely. It is interesting to know exactly how and why drugs like these work, and why their importance is constantly reinforced in society. Dr. Greer’s lectures on health care innovations and her diagrams on the board demonstrated for example, how penicillin was created and why various chemical reactions occur. Her mini lab experiments in the class left me mildly impressed. The experiment with the animal’s blood and hydrogen peroxide was very captivating until I smelled it. I instantly regretted sitting in the front that day.

Establishing how to define and use credible sources allowed us to develop interpretation skills that can be used in future research projects. Knowing how to use Chicago Manual Style, would aid us in preventing plagiarism and fostering professionality.  Designing the Powerpoint slide for the poster taught me how to use grid lines that ensured that it was well formatted. Presenting our project multiple times in front of the class allowed us to effortlessly present during STEAM and improve our public speaking skills, but it honestly felt a little tedious. We could have used that time to actually work on the projects in class instead of doing them mainly on our own time.

Working on two simultaneous projects improved our multitasking skills and did not limit us in terms of creativity. However, I would advise against this in the future. While admirable that the projects were broken up into parts completed over the course of the semester, their deadlines, mainly the final due dates for the reports, coincided directly with midterms (I personally had 3 the week separating the due dates for the BioBlitz and Healthcare Innovation reports). Spacing out the deadlines better would have made writing the reports a much more enjoyable experience. Nevertheless, the actual projects encouraged teamwork and interdependence, allowing us to trust that each one of us would be responsible for delivering our best work. Normally, I dislike having to rely on people to get the job done but my group members alleviated any worries I had. They were amazing to work with.

It would have been interesting to learn more about the science in New York City, keeping in mind that the minor focuses on NYC studies. Thoroughly exploring the biodiversity of New York, maybe not only the rats and pigeons, but the plants and trees as well, would have fostered the curriculum more. Despite this, I definitely appreciated Dr. Greer and Jake’s enthusiasm for this class.