Bringing Undersea Exploration to Virginia, Titanic Discoverer Bob Ballard to Discuss Science and the New Workforce with Local Business Leaders and to Deliver Keynote at GW’s ‘Science, Tech & Engineering Day’ for More than 150 Virginia High School Students


April 5, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2011

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Courtney Bowe
(202) 412-3142; [email protected]

Corporate and Community Relations
703-726-3650; [email protected]

***MEDIA ADVISORY***


April 7 and 8

EVENT:
Regional Innovation Issues:
Science, Technology, and the New Workforce

Robert Ballard, oceanographer and explorer best known for discovering the shipwreck of RMS Titanic and founding The JASON Project, will speak to local business leaders, educators and elected officials on the issue of science, technology and the new workforce. Brian Fitzgerald, executive director of the Business-Higher Education Forum, will also address how corporations are taking the lead in supporting STEM education and future careers in science and technology.

WHEN: Thursday, April 7, 2011; 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: The George Washington University Virginia Science and Technology Campus Exploration Hall, 20101 Academic Way, Ashburn, Va.

EVENT:
GW Fifth Annual Science, Technology, & Engineering Day
GW’s Virginia Science and Technology Campus, in partnership with Loudoun County Public Schools, will host its fifth annual “Science, Technology and Engineering Day.” Approximately 150 high school students and their teachers will attend the day-long event participating in interactive workshops introducing students to research and discoveries in science, technology, and engineering. Dr. Ballard will offer the lunchtime keynote to participants on the fun and mystery of science education.

WHEN: Friday April 8, 2011; 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: The George Washington University Virginia Science and Technology Campus Research 1 - 20101 Academic Way, Ashburn, Va. *event schedule available on-site

BACKGROUND: The George Washington University Virginia Science and Technology Campus will hold its fifth annual “Science, Technology, and Engineering Day,” offering local high school students a chance to take over the state-of-the-art campus to learn more about opportunities in the fields of science, technology and engineering. More than 150 students from Loudon County Public Schools will participate in eight interactive workshops ranging from accident analysis in the campus’ renowned National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC) to the earthquake engineering and structures lab where students will see first-hand what happens to structures when involved in an earthquake.

The day’s workshops include: How Accident Analyses and Computer Simulation Helps Design Safer Cars (GW National Crash Analysis Center); Greater than the Sum of its Parts: Integrating a Robotic System (GW Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering); Pharmacogenomics: The Key to Personalized Medicine (GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences); The Science of Accident Investigation: NTSB and TWA Flight 800 (National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Training Center; Technology and the World of Nursing (GW School of Nursing); Tiger Sharks and Roller Coasters in Your Classroom: Video Games and Science Education (The JASON Project); Tracking Hackers and Solving Cyber Crime (GW Department of Information Security Services); and When the Earth Moves: Designing Resistance to Earthquakes (GW Civil and Environmental Engineering).

The JASON Project is an independent 501(c)3 operated in partnership with the National Geographic Society, Sea Research Foundation Inc. and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). JASON focuses on formal classroom education including classroom-based curriculum experiences. Its Immersion Learning program creates academic enrichment activities for after-school, mentoring and summer camps.

The GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus, established in Loudoun County in 1991, is a robust center for innovative research, graduate education, and regional corporate partnerships. As the university's science and technology campus, it hosts a dozen centers of excellence in critical areas such as energy science and technology, transportation safety and high performance computing. The GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus also combines its research excellence with more than 20 exceptional graduate degree and certificate programs in business, education, and engineering and unique undergraduate programs in the health sciences. GW has been educating Virginians for more than 50 years, beginning in Hampton Roads in 1958 and expanding its service across the Commonwealth, notably in Arlington, Alexandria and Ashburn. For more information on the Virginia Science and Technology Campus, visit www.gwvirginia.gwu.edu.
 

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