Harry Van Der Ark

Living in Brisbane Australia, our winter is the North American summer, and vice versa. So, when referring to Summer Programs it could be in June/July or December/January.

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​I have been lucky enough to attend several summer programs:

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Harvard University Pre-College Summer School. (2020) This was a two week residential program, on campus at Harvard University in Boston MA. Our class of  16 studied Physics-17018 Fundamentals of Particle Physics. This is a rigorous and fast paced course described as "not a high-school program, but a college program for high-school students." The program moved to a virtual setting during the pandemic but with a full and live lecture and extracurricular program. This meant my lectures were from 10:30pm to 1:30am each evening, adding an extra perspective to my Harvard experience. The course was exceptional and the many academic, social and community activities were all very interesting. Thanks Cari, Gabriel and Harvard! 

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Stanford University Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. (2019) This was a 3-week residential program at Stanford University California. Our class of 15 studied The Frontiers of Physics. This course was at a high academic level with several substantial assignments. The Stanford experience was totally amazing.  The faculty, coursework and friendships I made were all well beyond my expectations.

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Queensland Maths Summer School. (2020) Hosted by the School of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Queensland, this week-long non-residential program introduces 30 students to the beauty of advanced mathematical ideas and new ways of thinking. The lectures and problem solving sessions were amazing and like nothing I’d encountered at school.

 

QUT Young Accelerators - QUT STEM Camp. (2020) Held at the Queensland University of Technology for one week in September, our small select group was led by Professor David Flannery, a NASA scientist for 10 years who was involved in the development of the Mars 2020 Rover. Our real-world research project will model the Mars 2020 mission, from launch in July 2020 through to collecting samples to test for signs of life using the Rover’s robotic arm. Once the Rover lands on Mars Prof. Flannery will be part of the team operating one of its instruments remotely back here on Earth.

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The ConocoPhillips Science Experience. (2018) Over four days in Brisbane this program involved a wide range of fascinating science lectures and activities under the guidance of passionate science faculty. We attended the University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and Griffith University. This was a very interesting 4 days that ranged from astrophysics to genetics to electronics.

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