South Dakota School of Mines & Technology has partnered with South Dakota Public Broadcasting and Hay Camp Brewing Company to host the STEAM Café, a series of free informal talks by SD Mines faculty and staff on topics ranging from cutting edge research to history.
STEAM Café, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, will be held at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month, at Hay Camp Brewing Company. The first talk is slated for April 17.
A food truck will be available at each STEAM Café where patrons can purchase dinner and handcrafted beer will be available for purchase from Hay Camp.
“STEAM Café is a great opportunity for the community to connect with the staff and faculty at SD Mines to talk about the amazing things happening in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and math,” said Rachel Mannhalter, SD Mines Training & Development Coordinator. “We love the idea of this very informal atmosphere where conversations can happen and connections can be made.”
Here are the STEAM Café talks that are currently scheduled. They are:
May 15 – “Linguists at War: Allied Translators and Interpreters in the War against Japan,” by Allison Gilmore, Department Head of SD Mines Humanities & Social Sciences. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, fewer than 100 Americans spoke Japanese fluently. For purposes of translating enemy documents and interrogating prisoners during the Pacific War, the Allies created a top-secret military intelligence unit comprised largely of Nisei (second-generation Americans of Japanese ancestry). This talk focuses on the linguists whose knowledge of the Japanese language and culture was critical to Allied victory in the Pacific.
June 19 – “The Science of Swords,” by Michael West, Department Head of SD Mines’ Materials &Metallurgical Engineering Department. The Materials & Metallurgical Engineering Department has found great value in integrating blacksmithing into their engineering curriculum. Come and enjoy blacksmithing demonstrations and learn more about the innovative collaborations taking place within the department.
July 17 – “Growing Copper Deep Underground: SD Mines and the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR,” by Cabot-Ann Christofferson, Chemist, MAJORANA. The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology was an integral part in facilitating the underground laboratory space for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, and SD Mines helped lead the effort to build the ultra-pure components needed to construct the successful experiment.
August 21 – “Authentication & Anti-counterfeiting for Lakota Arts and Crafts: A Cultural Heritage Science Approach,” by Grant Crawford and Jon Kellar, SD Mines; Mary Maxon and Ashley Pourier, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School; and James Rattling Leaf, Rattling Leaf Consulting. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” This presentation will include results from a six-year partnership between The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School and student researchers as they apply a cultural heritage science approach to the collection at The Heritage Center.
