Nifty Fifty
USA Science and Engineering Festival: The Blog
Category archives for Nifty Fifty
How the ‘Rocket Boys of the NIH’ Sparked a Commitment to Science and Medical Research
Posted by Kandy Collins on September 16, 2011 Even as a child Terence Boylan was a dreamer with big ideas. Collaborating in 1957 with his friend, nine-year old Terence made plans to build a rocket that could carry a mouse into the sky and bring it back safely. But Terence did not have the money to buy the aluminum they needed so he…
Inside the Creative Mind of Acclaimed Children’s Science Book Author Seymour Simon
Posted by Kandy Collins on September 12, 2011 In his prolific career of more than 30 years as an author of science books for children, Seymour Simon has penned more than 250 children’s books, taking young readers on exciting, unforgettable journeys across the breadth of the scientific landscape — from exploring outer space, its planets, earthquakes and super storms to delving into the…
We’ve Got To Be That Light – A Gift to America’s Teachers
Posted by Kandy Collins on September 9, 2011 Jeff Goldstein is a renowned astrophysicist and director of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education in Washington DC. But he is equally known as a first-rate science educator with a knack for creating and implementing approaches in teaching that truly engage students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The teacher’s job,…
Saving Lives With Biomedical Engineering
Posted by Kandy Collins on September 6, 2011 When biomedical engineering scientist Erin Lavik received the prestigious New Innovator Award last year from the National Institutes of Health for her work in advancing the development of synthetic (artificial) blood platelets, she was already becoming known in biomedical circles as a rising researcher. Erin’s laboratory at Case Western Reserve University, where she is currently…
Students Learn Science and Engineering Principles Best by ‘Doing!’
Posted by Kandy Collins on September 2, 2011 To hook kids on the excitement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) you must not only engage them via meaningful hands-on classroom experiences, but engage them early and often, says noted outreach expert and engineering educator Elizabeth Parry. With more than 15 years working in K-12 and higher education environments to inspire young learners…
Meet A ‘Change Agent’ for Smarter, Efficient Telecommunications Who Is Mentoring Future Scientists
Posted by Kandy Collins on August 29, 2011 At AT&T, research scientist Alicia Abella is known as a “change agent,” an innovator who is keeping her corporation on the cutting edge of developing new and better ways to help people and companies communicate with each other — including through innovations in teleconferencing, Web-based solutions and iPhone application-based approaches that increase work efficiency and…
HOT TECHNOLOGY = COOL JOBS: An Advocate’s Fight to Increase the Number of Students Entering Maintenance Technician Jobs
Posted by Kandy Collins on August 22, 2011 What is your impression of these jobs? –Mechanic –Welder –Electrician –Air Conditioning Technician Despite the consummate skill and training that these and similar maintenance professions require today, they often still bear the unfortunate stigma in the public’s eye of being menial “grease monkey” jobs — occupations that (unlike many white collar four-year college professions) require…
Engaging Young Learners in Science Through the Power of Narrative Story Writing
Posted by Kandy Collins on August 19, 2011 Joy Hakim is trying to change the way we deliver information in our schools. She says stories are the way to go; they not only charge the mind, they provide a base for remembering. So she has tackled the traditional subjects–history and science–and put their information in narrative clothing. Says Joy: “Much school learning in…
NASA’S Former Chief Scientist Highlights Different Ways to Make an Impact in Technology
Posted by Kandy Collins on August 15, 2011 If there is a piece of advice that Kathie Olsen would give students, it would be this: “Be aware that you’re most likely going to be changing your directions and your careers throughout your entire life and you need to be open to it and look forward to the opportunities.” She should know, because that’s…
Nifty Fifty Speaker Joe Schwarcz Reveals Some New Tips for Weight Loss in Article for Montreal Gazette
Posted by Kandy Collins on August 5, 2011 CALORIE COUNTS AREN’T TELLING THE FULL STORY By Joe Schwarcz, Freelance July 30, 2011 There are undoubtedly all sorts of terrorists out there hatching intricate plans aimed at destroying the western world. They needn’t bother. All they have to do is wait and westerners will eat themselves into oblivion. The average western diet, with the…