In response to low graduation rates among American students in science, technology, engineering and mathe- matics (STEM) disciplines, The National Academy of Science (NAS) recently published suggestions for modifying STEM education in grades K-12.1 The recommendations stressed a three-dimensional model for a successful educational program i) describe scientific and engineering practices; (ii) explore crosscutting concepts that have applicability across multiple scientific disciplines and (iii) describe core ideas. These recommendations represent a dramatic paradigm shift in pedagogy away from representing science as an insurmountable collection of facts, to representing i as a creative and malleable discipline whose primary objective is to uncover the goings o of the natural world. In line with the educational framework set forth by the NAS are educational outreach programs whose aim is to demonstrate scientific principles and thinking in the context of topics that are relevant and interesting to students. Engaging students in topics that they find interesting is particularly important, because research has shown that personal interests, experiences and enthusiasm are a primary factor linked to later educational and career choices. 2-5 with these factors in mind, we set out to develop an outreach program designed to engage high-school- aged students in a project that best mimicked a genuine research environment. We intended to create a project that could be carried out in the summer months by colleges and universities that equipped with standard instrumentation are used in modern research environments In order to maximally engage the students, a socially significant and multidisciplinary topic was needed as the subject matter for the project. An ideal candidate that met these