IMOD’s new education director Caroline Long helps researchers communicate with K-12 students — and each other 

Jan 9, 2025

The Center for Integration of Modern Optoelectronic Materials on Demand (IMOD), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Science & Technology Center (STC), is delighted to announce Dr. Caroline Long as its new Director of Education & Workforce Development. After completing her master’s and Ph.D. in education at the University of Washington (UW) in 2023, Long served as IMOD’s postdoctoral education fellow for the 2023–24 academic year.
“We’re very proud to elevate Caroline to a permanent role where she can continue leading IMOD’s student and workforce engagement efforts,” said David Ginger, IMOD Director and the B. Seymour Rabinovitch Endowed Chair in Chemistry at the UW. “She’s a passionate, innovative STEM educator who makes a positive impact on students across the board, from K-12 to graduate researchers. We’re excited for her, for IMOD trainees, and the students and teachers at our partner schools!”
Prior to her doctoral and master’s studies at the UW, Long spent six years teaching in the Nashville, TN area, after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and education at Vanderbilt University.
Caroline Long
“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue working with IMOD,” Long said. “Making science accessible to everyone has always been a passion of mine, and it is a joy to do that work alongside researchers on the cutting edge of their field. I particularly love learning from graduate students and postdocs who participate in outreach and hearing how they explain complex ideas in ways that are accessible to our youngest audiences.”
As part of her role, Long will continue to develop lesson plans and hands-on activities that communicate IMOD research in accessible terms, while leading IMOD student volunteers in facilitating K-12 outreach events. In December 2024, Long and UW students hosted an educational workshop on the UW campus for 90 5th-grade students from Rainier Prep, located in south Seattle. The event included three hands-on activities that illustrate how scientists observe particles that are smaller than the eye can see, such as quantum dots.

Using magnets and your senses to discover the contents of a box

“Even though we can’t see inside of quantum dots, we can learn a lot about them based on how they respond to different tests. For example, we can use magnet-based testing to determine the shapes of molecules and nanoscale particles.”

Creating and solving laser mazes with mirrors

“IMOD researchers use laser tables to perform a variety of light-based tests on materials. A laser table is set up like a maze, with different crystals and mirrors manipulating the light source before it arrives at the final sensor. Scientists can easily change the settings of a laser table experiment to determine how a material responds to different types of light.”
Caroline Long

Making crystal structures with gumdrops and toothpicks, and matching them to their shadows

Caroline Long
“Some imaging techniques use light to determine the potential shapes of a material. When molecules absorb or reflect a light source, they create a shadow image that shows some of their structure, kind of like an X-ray. Using these 2-dimensional microscope images, researchers can recreate 3-dimensional models of these tiny particles.”

“Students raved about the workshop and the 5th grade teacher team was so impressed by how developmentally appropriate it was for our students. All of the volunteers were great at talking to 5th graders, and we appreciated that there was just the right amount (2-3 minutes) of direct instruction to give students context on nanoparticles and the people they’d be working with before they got to dive in and play with things. The activities were the perfect length and switching halfway through kept it fresh. The setup of the laser/mirrors activity had students in smaller groups that promoted engagement and collaboration. And students loved that they got to eat some of the molecule models activity – candy is a special treat! The workshop was a highlight of our visit to the UW and truly a gem.”

Shannon Moe

NBCT and Director of College Success, Rainier Prep

Long’s role also includes planning IMOD’s professional development programs and the annual OMS³ course: a week-long lab workshop hosted by an IMOD institution (University of Pennsylvania in 2024, UW in 2022 and 2023) for trainees from IMOD and PREM partner institutions to share and develop technical and professional skills.

“I’m really looking forward to the OMS³ course — it serves as an in-person professional development capstone for engaging in team science and integrative activities, and it also provides key insights into how our colleagues work in different research labs,” said Long. “With an interdisciplinary team such as IMOD, it’s vital to speak the same language — to share a vocabulary and an understanding of specific techniques. By working closely with students at OMS³ and throughout the year, my goal is to equip trainees to become well-rounded, professionally skilled colleagues during their time with IMOD and beyond.”

For more information about IMOD education programs, contact Caroline Long at hadleyce@uw.edu.