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Please join us on NC State's Centennial Campus on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. for two special speakers. Our "seasonal" speaker is Dr. Larry Silverberg (aka Dr. Silverbell), NC State professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and world-renowned expert on the "Science of Santa." Dr. Silverbell will present his latest research on the advanced material properties of Santa's sleigh and review previous research on toy delivery and time travel.

Continuing with the theme that science and engineering can be fun and educational, Dr. Laura Bottomley, electrical engineer and director of NC State's K-20 educational outreach program, The Engineering Place, will discuss her nationally recognized work in engineering education. Dr. Bottomley is the founder of the NC State Women in Engineering program and the K-12 Outreach program, both of which were honored with the 2000 institutional President's Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). Dr. Bottomley received the individual PAESMEM earlier this year. Collaborators with The Engineering Place include the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Engineering, and the program is also a testing ground for the Boston Museum of Science's "Engineering is Elementary" program.

Family members are invited to attend. Dinner will be a sumptuous Mediterranean feast accompanied by beer, wine and various nonalcoholic beverages.

The meeting will be held in the Progress Energy Conference Center, Room 3002, in Engineering Building II on Oval Drive just off Centennial Boulevard. Map and directions are included below. Parking is available on Oval Drive in front of the building and in the parking deck on Partners Way.

Please RSVP to Jenny Weston, weston@ncsu.edu, 919.349.9764, by Monday, December 14.