“SURROUNDED BY SCIENCE”


Wednesdays at 7pm  on PCETV

Hosts:  Heidi Leuszler and Dave Leake

Executive Producer:  Barbara Gladney

Director:  Mike Coulter


SBS #1: “Evolution”

            December, 2001          Heidi Leuszler, producer

            Guests:  Rich Blazier, Dr. Abigail Salyers

Rich Blazier gives a succinct overview of the basics of evolution.   Dr. Salyers, professor of microbiology, UIUC, then explains antibiotic resistance in bacteria to illustrate evolution in action. 


SBS #2:  “I’m Sick . . . Give me Antibiotics!”

            March, 2002                Heidi Leuszler, producer

Guests:  Dr. Abigail Salyers, June Burch, Dr. Ann Marty (Carle), Lynda Creutzburg (Provena), Lynn Reagan (Carle)

Learn what bacteria are, how antibiotics kill bacteria, why resistance to antibiotics is occurring and what we can do about it.   Dr. Salyers will talk about antibiotic resistance before we turn to a panel of experts to discuss the role of antibiotics. 


SBS #3:  “Meadowbrook Prairie Park” (75 minutes)

            June, 2002                   Heidi Leuszler, producer

            Guests:  Robert Vaiden, ISGS

Heidi Leuszler and Bob Vaiden tour Meadowbrook Park in Urbana to experience what the landscape was like for early settlers.


SBS #4:  “Eye on the Weather”

            October, 2002             Dave Leake, producer

            Guests:  Ed Kieser

A personal look at the many hats worn by Ed Kieser at WILL radio & television, plus Parkland College.   We follow Ed as he does his morning radio show, sit behind the scenes during a TV segment, sit in the classroom with Ed, then talk to him in the studio about meteorology, forecasting, and misconceptions.


SBS #5:  “3, 2, 1  . . . .. Lift-off!”

            December, 2002          Dave Leake, producer

Guests:  Alan Carroll & Jonathan Sivier (CIA), Mark Brandyberry & Michael Heath (CSAR)

In the first segment, Dave and Heidi introduce viewers to Central Illinois Aerospace, the local model rocket club, and adventures in model rocketry.  That’s followed by Dr. Brandyberry and Dr. Heath from the Center for the Simulation of Advanced Rockets at UIUC to see how they model the space shuttle’s solid rocket boosters.  


SBS #6:  “The Flatlands Tell A Story”

            March, 2003                Heidi Leuszler, producer

            Guests:  Bob Vaiden, ISGS

Mr. Vaiden uses a large sand model of Illinois to tell the fascinating story of the geological history of the state.  Why is Illinois so flat?  Why does the state produce so much coal?  Why is southern Illinois different from the rest of the state?


SBS #7:  “Things Are Looking Up:  Down-to-Earth Astronomy”

            October, 2003             Dave Leake, producer

            Guests:  Rob Klinger, Wayne James, Jeff Bryant (CUAS)

Rob Klinger talks about astronomy instruction at Parkland College and how it has evolved with current discoveries before we are whisked away with a group of Parkland astronomy students as they do their dark sky observing from the farm of Wayne James.   Jeff Bryant, president of the CU Astronomical Society, gives us a tour of their public observatory in southwest Champaign County. 


SBS #8:  “Saving Illinois:  Conservation & Management of Natural Areas”

            December, 2003          Heidi Leuszler, producer

            Guests:  James Ellis (INHS), Kristina Hubert (CCFP), Earl Creutzburg

Efforts to conserve some of the remaining local natural areas are discussed by the people who put in the many hours of volunteer time in an attempt to preserve the prairie.  We’ll hear about the Grand Prairie Friends and Patton Woods. 


SBS  #9:  “What Do You Put On a Periodic Table?”

            March, 2004                Dave Leake, producer

            Guests:  Kris Young, Theo Gray (Wolfram Research)

Kris Young discusses the columns and rows of the periodic table and then joins Heidi & Dave at Wolfram Research to see Dr. Gray’s “real” periodic table and his amazing collection of elements.


SBS #10:  “Dieting & Carbohydrates”

            May, 2004                   Toni Burkhalter & Heidi Leuszler, producers

Guests:  Toni Burkhalter, Donna Erikson (UIUC), Jennifer Seyler (UIUC), Dr. Beth Flickinger (UIUC), Karen Kelly & Susan Kundrat (nutritionists)

What are carbohydrates and what’s the deal with the latest “low carb” craze?    We visit with Toni Burkhalter both in the studio and in her kitchen before touring Schnucks grocery store in search of the “right foods.”  A panel discussion then focuses on some of the latest research in the nutrition field. 


SBS #11:  “Science Education in the Schools”

            August, 2004                Dave Leake, producer

            Guests:  Kevin Kuppler (Unit #4 schools), David Brown (UIUC), Dave Wilson

Dave visits the Champaign Schools Science Center and talks with Kevin Kuppler about teacher resources and methodology in the local schools.  In part 2, we look at some of the projects in the 2004 Science Fair held at Parkland College.  Lastly, we visit with David Brown regarding “constructivism” and different ways of thinking about science instruction.   Plus Dave Wilson’s Parkland class builds a barometer in the gym!


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