Webinars Illustrate the Science and Practice of Xplorlabs
Connecting subject matter experts with professors, professionals, educators, and students
The Science and Practice of Xplorlabs webinar series illustrates the implications and applications of UL Research Institutes groundbreaking research and UL Standards & Engagement's work to bring members of standards technical panels into alignment on a common set of safety requirements. Each webinar features a robust presentation and concludes with a discussion segment with the featured presenter.
Whether you’re interested in communications or chemistry, project management or physics, data science or design, engineering or education, there are opportunities for you in the dynamic and exponentially growing field of global safety science and sustainability. Are you interested in discovering opportunities in research and standards that solve critical safety issues? Curious about what careers there are in the future of safety science?
These webinars connect you with premier research, standards, and education professionals from around the globe. Watch and explore new careers, connect with experts from an array of disciplines, and prepare for your path forward.
Jump to an episode
- June 30, 2020: The Science of Extraction to E-waste
- July 15, 2020: Lines of Inquiry from Extraction to E-waste
- Aug. 4, 2020: The Science of Fire Forensics
- Aug. 18, 2020: Evidence-Based Explanations and Fire Forensics
- Sept. 8, 2020: Lithium-ion Batteries: What You Need to Know About Their Safety
- Sept. 23, 2020: Engineering Design with Portable Electrical Power
- Oct. 13, 2020: Fire Forensics and the Cobb County Partnership
- Nov. 10, 2020: Battery Transportation Safety – Is the System Adequately Prepared?
- Feb. 16, 2021: NGSS, STEM and Xplorlabs
- March 18, 2021: The Messy Scientific Process
- April 20, 2021: Why Standards Matter
- May 18, 2021: Chargers and Safety
June 30, 2020: The Science of Extraction to E-waste
On June 30, 2020, the webinar series launched. The first webinar of the series included a presentation by Dr. Tom Chapin, former vice president of research for UL Research Institutes. In this presentation, Dr. Chapin spoke about lithium-ion batteries, the phenomenon of thermal runaway, and the issue of e-waste. Then Dr. Kelly Keena, director of the Office of Research Experiences and Education (OREE), walked through the new Xplorlabs module built on that science, Extraction to E-waste: The Lithium-ion Battery Supply Chain.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
July 15, 2020: Lines of Inquiry from Extraction to E-waste
Xplorlabs is a resource built from the science and research UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement. These resources are designed to be flexible for educators to use in the unique context and teaching style of any classroom. This webinar was led by Katey Shirey, Ph.D., founder and owner of EduKatey. In this interactive webinar, Dr. Shirey demonstrated how to build lines of inquiry from the content of UL Xplorlabs: Extraction to E-waste. Audience members were encouraged to map out implementation of this Xplorlabs module with their own students.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
Aug. 4, 2020: The Science of Fire Forensics
This webinar was led by Dr. Dan Madrzykowski, P.E., research director at the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI); and Travis Koupal, STEAM Coordinator and Program Lead at Justice Page Middle School. In this webinar, Dr. Madrzykowski led educators into a deeper look at fire investigation through the science of fire dynamics and ventilation. Audience members learned how investigators build their claims, evidence and commentary regarding the origins of a fire during an investigation. Travis Koupal discussed how he implemented Xplorlabs: Fire Forensics through distance-learning with his middle school students.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
Aug. 18, 2020: Evidence-Based Explanations and Fire Forensics
This webinar was led by Dr. Dan Madrzykowski, P.E., research director at the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI); and Dr. Amy Gilbert, 8th grade physical science teacher at Griffin Middle School.
In this webinar, Dr. Gilbert led participants through the interactive investigations that are part of Xplorlabs: Fire Forensics, and Dr. Madrzykowski discussed the measurements used in fire investigation. Webinar participants practiced building evidence-based explanations for real burn scenarios, even as part of a distance learning environment.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
Sept. 8, 2020: Lithium-ion Batteries: What You Need to Know About Their Safety
This webinar was led by Dr. Judy Jeevarajan, vice president and executive director of the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI); and Victoria Strickland, gifted education teacher at East Norriton Middle School.
In this webinar, Dr. Jeevarajan led educators into a deeper look at the basic chemistry of lithium-ion batteries, the hazards associated with them and how one can avoid some of the causes that lead to catastrophic failures with these batteries. Victoria Strickland discussed how she implemented Xplorlabs: Fire Forensics through distance-learning with her middle school students.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
Sept. 23, 2020: Engineering Design with Portable Electrical Power
In this webinar, Dr. Katey Shirey led an interactive planning session on engineering design, data exploration, and experimentation based on the Xplorlabs module Portable Electrical Power.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
Oct. 13, 2020: Fire Forensics and the Cobb County Partnership
In this webinar, Sean Gray, Cobb County Fire Captain; and Dr. Sally Creel, STEM and innovation supervisor of Cobb County Schools discuss the effectiveness of their community partnership between Cobb Fire and Cobb Schools. This partnership fully utilized education and fire expertise to strengthen Xplorlabs: Fire Forensics as an effective, relevant learning tool for students.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
Nov. 10, 2020: Battery Transportation Safety – Is the System Adequately Prepared?
In this interactive webinar, Dr. Tom Chapin, former vice president of research at UL Research Institutes, described the chemistry of lithium-ion batteries and their associated hazards, including how and why failure occurs. He explained how failure impacts the battery design lifecycle and the global battery supply chain, and he also discussed activities to minimize or mitigate these risks.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
Feb. 16, 2021: NGSS, STEM and Xplorlabs
In this webinar, Dr. Kelly Keena, director of the Office of Research Experiences and Education (OREE), discusses how Xplorlabs engages secondary education students in the content, process, and nature of science and engineering rooted in NGSS and the research happening at UL Research Institutes. Xplorlabs resources are built from the Next Generation Science Standards’ three-dimensional learning framework.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
March 18, 2021: The Messy Scientific Process
In this webinar, Dr. Tom Chapin, former vice president of research at UL Research Institutes, discusses how the messiness of the scientific process manifests in a career in science – and how we can prepare students, the next generation of scientists and engineers.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
April 20, 2021: Why Standards Matter
In this webinar led by UL Standards & Engagement's Denice Durrant, standards program manager; and Caroline Treuthardt, standards engineer, we discuss a question – how is our world designed to keep us safe?
Safety standards are more than voltage and temperature requirements. They determine the safety, security, and sustainability of the world around us… including objects we use every day. Learn what a Standard is, how they are made, and how they impact your life and the world around you.
View the webinar recording and learn more here.
May 18, 2021: Chargers and Safety
In this webinar led by Dr. Judy Jeevarajan, vice president and executive director of the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI), we discuss how lithium-ion batteries power a growing number of devices from earbuds to energy-efficient cars. It is important to understand the varied chemistries and chargers that exist. Poor communication between a charger and a battery creates risk. What are the dangers? How can we prevent them?
View the webinar recording and learn more here.