Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are critical skills for today’s and tomorrow’s scientists. So much so that the White House recently announced a presidential action in support of AI education for American youth. The Department of Energy is also focused on building an AI-ready workforce.
At Berkeley Lab, the K-12 team has already been providing data science and AI/ML training for the past five years. Since 2020, they have provided this training to more than 100 students (mostly 10th and 11th graders), building skills and encouraging interest. In fact, among the program’s alumni, a number of students are minoring in data science, computer science, and statistics, because of their experience at Berkeley Lab.
K-12 STEM Education Program Director Faith Dukes, stresses the importance of AI/ML skills. “Our program helps to develop skill sets that students need in order to get an internship at Berkeley Lab,” said Faith. “AI and ML are being integrated into so much of our research now, that it is a must-have skill set.”
The K-12 training program initially focused more on data science, but over the years AI and machine learning have become increasingly important, and Faith and Content and Instruction Manager Alisa Bettale have continued to iterate on the curriculum. Last year, Energy Technologies Area researchers Vi Rapp and Ana Comesana guided interns through the process of analyzing spectral data from chemical compounds and fuel samples. They applied machine learning techniques to this data to predict how potential bio-derived jet fuels might perform, contributing to the development of more alternative aviation fuels.
Computing Sciences Area senior scientist Dani Ushizima worked with students to use computer vision for image enhancement, and machine learning to detect and characterize plant leaves in EcoFAB plant growth devices. Finally, students used data from the Materials Project to train a machine learning model to predict the hardness of materials based only on their densities.
This summer, when the Lab welcomes the sixth cohort of the Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program (BLDAP), AI/ML training is taking center stage. BLDAP, also known as Interdisciplinary Pathways in Machine Learning and Data Science, is an Office of Science Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) Pathways Summer School Program. About 20 students who may have little to no experience coding will complete an intro to Python/data science/machine learning course as part of the program. The students will then apply their knowledge on data sets from various Berkeley Lab research projects, and also work on machine learning applications. In addition to the BLDAP program, an additional 80 students at various summer internships throughout the Lab will also get exposure to AI/ML skills for science.
Said Faith, “Ultimately, we are exposing our students to the skills and tools needed for scientific research – the foundations for an internship at the Lab or at other national labs. These skills include data science, AI/ML, wet lab, fabrication and engineering skills.” The K-12 team is also working with the Quantum Systems Accelerator to run a quantum computing camp, also a DOE Pathways Summer School program, called QCaMP for educators and high school students this summer. At QCaMP, participants will get a primer on computing fundamentals, learn hands-on about quantum physics, and apply those phenomena to solve computing problems in new ways. The camp will help the teachers better expose their students to the opportunities related to quantum computing.
Sign up to be a Teaching Assistant this Summer
For this summer, the K-12 team is still seeking teaching assistants. Interested researchers can apply online or contact Faith or Alisa.
“The content for our training programs is based on research going on at the Lab. It’s what makes our program special and authentic,” said Faith. “I’m extremely appreciative of our scientists, especially postdocs. Our K-12 program provides the scaffolding and infrastructure, while the researchers provide the content and the real lab experiences.”
K-12 and Workforce Development and Education (WD&E) Offices to be Combined this Fall
To better support the Lab’s commitment to developing the next generation of scientists, engineers, and STEM professionals, the Lab is consolidating the K-12 programs and the WD&E Office within the Lab Directorate. Faith will serve as the office’s director. These changes will be in phases, with the new office fully operational in the fall. This new consolidated structure will improve efficiency and provide a more consistent experience for everyone involved; it will coordinate how the Lab supports interns across the Lab and also strengthen the relationships with teachers, faculty, and those in technical and operations roles.
For more information about the Lab’s efforts to help develop the next generation of scientists, visit the K-12 website and the WD&E Office website.
