“SURROUNDED BY SCIENCE”


Tuesdays at 8pm  on PCTV

Watch online now!

Hosts:  Heidi Leuszler and Dave Leake

Executive Producer:  Chris Foster

Director:  Mike Coulter


SBS #26: “The Physics of Baseball”

          Fall, 2009                     Dave Leake, Producer

Guest:  Professor Alan Nathan.   Why does a curve ball curve?   What advantage is gained by corking a bat?  Do aluminum bats hit a ball farther?   Join Dr. Alan Nathan, from the University of Illinois Department of Physics, on the Parkland baseball field as we look at some of the physics surrounding America's past time. 


SBS #25: “Twin Groves Wind Farm”

          June 2009                     Dave Leake, Producer

Guest:  Randy Lloyd.   Videographer Chris Foster and Dave Leake jump in the car and travel to the wind farm, north of Le Roy, to join Randy Lloyd, Program coordinator with the UI Extension in Bloomington, for a tour of the nearby wind farm.  If you've never stood directly beneath one of these wind turbines, watch this show!


SBS #24: “The Trifit Machine”

          March 2009                     Dave Leake, Producer

Guest:  Chris Warren.   Kinesiology is a relatively new field of study at Parkland College.   Find out about this program and some of the new "toys" you can work with as we strive to become more fit!


SBS #23: “Natural Sciences Poster Session”

          May, 2009                     Dave Leake, Producer

Join Dave Leake as he tours the many poster presentation at the semi-annual Natural Sciences department poster session.   Along the way, we'll chat with Parkland students and discover what they have learned in their classes.   The poster session is open to the public in the college center near the end of the spring and fall semesters.


SBS #22: “Stem Cells”

          July 2008                     Dave Leake, Producer

Guest:  Joanne Manaster.   What are stem cells, how are they made, and what can they do to help us?   We travel to the UI campus, to the Department of Cellular Biology to visit with lecturer Joanne Manaster to get the scoop. 


SBS #21: “Summer Science Academy”

        July 2008                     Heidi Leuszler, Producer

Students in the 2008 Parkland College Summer Science Academy talk about Climate Change.


SBS #20 “Behind the Scenes at the Staerkel Planetarium”

        June 2008                    Dave Leake, Producer

What makes the planetarium run?   It’s not all “smoke and mirrors!”  There is some sophisticated equipment located behind the scenes.   See parts of the planetarium the public does not see and hear about plans for conversion to full-dome digital theater.


SBS #19: “The Space Shuttle Space Suit”

       January 2008                Dave Leake, Producer

Host Dave Leake takes us along for the ride to the Next Generation School in Champaign to see how a space shuttle space suit works.


SBS #18: “Anita Purvis Nature Center”

      August 2007                 Van Grissom, Producer

Van Grissom gets a tour of the Anita Purvis Nature Center in Urbana.


SBS #17:  “Orpheum Museum”

       August 2007                 Dave Leake, Producer

Dave Leake takes a tour of the  Orpheum Children's Museum. Interviews with Carol Knepp, Sheri Krueger, Meadow Jones, Colleen Montgomery and Perry Morris.


SBS #16: “Radio Waves”

       March 2007                 Dave Leake, producer

Guests:  Tom McDonnell, Kim Mills.   Join Dave Leake for a look at how electromagnetic waves were discovered, then take a look at both ends of the electromagnetic spectrum.  The “long waves” are produced at Parkland’s WPCD radio station and the short energetic waves are created in Parkland’s Radiology lab.


SBS#15: “Vet Med and Science”

       September 2006           Dave Leake, producer

Guest:  Paul Cook.   SBS takes you to the University of Illinois’ Veterinary Medicine open house  before returning to Parkland for a visit with Paul Cook the, program director of Veterinary Technology at Parkland College.


SBS #14: “Forensics”

       Dave Leake, producer

Guest:  Dave Wilson.  How close are the popular “CSI” television shows to real forensic science?   SBS cameras go into Parkland chemistry labs to look at some forensic methods, including fingerprinting.


SBS #13: “Physics Van”

       Dave Leake, producer

SBS visits the Champaign Public Library for a demonstration by the Physics Van, an outreach program sponsored by the Loomis Laboratory of Physics.


SBS #12: “Surrounded by Cornfields” Agriculture open house at Parkland.

       Dave Leake, producer

Guests:  Bruce Henrickson, Jody Littleton, Kaizad Irani.  Take a tour of Parkland’s on-campus Land Lab during one of the popular Agriculture open houses.  Visit with some of the faculty to find out how science plays a role in one of our oldest professions.


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!


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  #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 #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 #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 #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 #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 #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 #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 #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 #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. 


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