Summer 2001 -- Vol. 18, No. 2

'Ask Prof. Science' Effort Keeps Professors Busy With Questions

Professors Paul Sokol and Milton Cole check for questions on the Ask Prof. Science Web site. The Web site allows visitors to ask specific questions in several different science and engineering categories.

Spurred by a desire to offer a helping hand to high-school students and the general public, some Penn State professors have created an on-line resource, the “Ask Prof. Science” Web site (http://askprofscience.psu.edu), which provides answers to questions about science and engineering.

Physics professors Milton Cole and Paul Sokol created and launched the Web site, in late July 2000. They enlisted the assistance of other Penn State faculty members from several colleges and the all-volunteer, interactive Web site quickly became popular.

A total of about 40 Penn State faculty members from 10 different departments participate in the project.

“We answer questions about science for our children, for their friends, or for people we know all the time,” Sokol said. “Really, that’s how the project got its start. We were talking about finding a way to help more people get answers to their questions, and we also wanted to help build a resource for that information. We wanted to put it together in an organized manner that can grow.”

The Internet provides just the right medium for the project.

The idea itself grew quickly. Less than a week after an initial conversation between Cole and Sokol, plans for a Web site were in motion. A couple of weeks later, with numerous professors ready to participate, the program made its on-line debut. With the expertise of Penn State professors and their commitment to offer a helping hand for high-school students—although questions from anyone are encouraged—the site has been working well.

“There is a lot of information available on the Internet, but sometimes it’s hard to find information regarding a specific question, or to really know the quality of the source from which you’re getting your answer,” Cole said. “This site provides answers to specific questions from teachers, high-school students, or anyone else. Plus, users know the answers are coming from a reliable source.”

So far, Cole and Sokol coordinate a varied group of volunteers who can provide expert answers to questions on topics ranging from astronomy to psychology and biology to nuclear engineering. Individual questions about specific topics allow the professors to provide answers in as much or as little detail as necessary. Questions clearly come from a broad range of people, with some topics fairly elementary and others more involved. Reaching across a broad range of experiences and levels of understanding provides a worthwhile challenge for many professors who volunteer for the program.

“It is crucial that practicing scientists take the time and make the effort to help educate and enlighten the public about what we do, and about the world around us,” said Stéphane Coutu, assistant professor of physics. “While participation in the program does require a certain investment of the professors’ time, it can be rewarding and even just plain fun.”

On the Web site, ten individual subject areas are separated, making it easier for visitors to submit questions about specific topics. Also, the site includes both information about the professors who are participating in the project and links to recommended scientific and technological Web sites elsewhere. Many of the participating professors have children, and their desire to support educational opportunities for children—as well as their love of science—represents a big part of their interest in the project.

Because many students in elementary school and high school have a strong level of comfort with computers, the professors believe the “Ask Prof. Science” approach could grow quickly. They expect the project to become cumulative rather than cumbersome. In addition, most questions get quick responses. Because all faculty members have access to computers at work and most have similar access at home, questions submitted after the initial launch of the site were answered in about a day. As the site grows, the response time for answers could be as short as a few hours.

by Steve Sampsell

To Science Journal Summer 2001 Index

Penn State Home Page | Eberly College of Science | Find a Person | Locate a Building | Search | Site Index

Students | Alumni | Visitors | Researchers | Faculty and Staff | Postdoctoral Fellows | Corporate Interests
Academic Programs | Research | Dean's Office | Development and Alumni Relations | News and Events | Directory

This page was last updated on 24 July 2001

If you would like to communicate with the keepers of the Eberly College of Science Web server, send electronic mail to: science-web@thunder.science.psu.edu
Technology Webmaster: Joseph K. Carlson < jkc3@psu.edu >
Content Webmaster: Barbara Kennedy < science@psu.edu >