STEM Education
carlyo | February 26, 2014New Scientist, the world's most-read science and technology weekly, returns to the Festival as a key Media Partner, once again greatly enhancing our ability to reach out globally to the growing number of ultra-inquisitive Festival fans who just can't get enough insight into science's new and emerging frontiers!
Known as the magazine for "people who ask why", New Scientist, with its solid team of writers and experts, brings a comprehensive and inquisitive approach to reporting on a wide array fast-developing and futuristic developments in science and technology --from space, technology and the…
carlyo | February 24, 2014By Barri Gurau, Corporate Energy Initiatives
Lockheed Martin
How long do you think it took for the world’s population to reach 1 billion? It took more than a century for the world’s population to double to 2 billion, which we reached in the 1930s. Since then, the population has grown at an incredible rate to more than seven billion and by 2050, an estimated nine billion people will inhabit the earth.
So how do we meet the demand for energy, food and water?
The world needs new and different solutions to support the growing population and to continue to drive amazing new technologies. Doing the…
carlyo | February 17, 2014By: Nancy Trang
USA Science & Engineering Festival X-STEM Coordinator
Snow may have kept many people at home on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014 but not the young aspiring scientists from USA Science & Engineering Festival X-STEM School Patriot High School (PHS) in Nokesville, Virginia. The PHS Science National Honor Society (SNHS) organized a free science education event, called Super Science Saturday, for 2nd-7th graders from around the community. The event which took place at the Bull Run Regional Library, was organized by the members of the SNHS to educate kids about science and to…
carlyo | February 14, 2014USA Science & Engineering Festival X-STEM Speaker renowned aviator Barrington Irving sums up his current mission as a role model this way: "Kids want to be challenged, but today too many are bored and uninspired. I want to use aviation to excite and empower a new generation to become scientists, engineers, and explorers."
He has a lot to inspire kids about. Born in Jamaica and raised in Miami Florida's inner city, surrounded by crime, poverty, and failing schools, he beat the odds in 2007 when, at the age of 23, he became the youngest person ever (and only African American) to pilot a…
carlyo | February 12, 2014Archibald A. Alexander – Noted Design and Construction Engineer
Best known for designing Washington, DC's Tidal Basin Bridge and Whitehurst Freeway; first black graduate of the University of Iowa's College of Engineering; served as territorial governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Growing up in Iowa during the late 1880s, Archibald "Archie" Alexander remembers being warned that engineering was not something he could expect to succeed in as a black man. But he pushed forward anyway, later graduating in 1912 with a bachelor's degree in engineering from the State University of Iowa (now the…
carlyo | February 6, 2014Stephanie C. Hill – Computer Software Engineer and Lockheed Martin Executive
Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions Civil line of business; recipient of the Black Engineer of the Year Award for 2014
Looking back recently on her lengthy and high-profile career at Lockheed Martin, engineer and executive Stephanie C. Hill said, "I've worked for Lockheed Martin for 27 years. Most of those years have been in the technological field, and I have never been bored. I have had the opportunity to make a difference in a way that I never imagined…
carlyo | February 4, 2014Ed Dwight, Jr. – Test Pilot, Aerospace Engineer and America's First Black Astronaut Candidate
Chosen in 1962 by President Kennedy as America's first black astronaut candidate; due to racism in the astronaut program, he resigned; now is a world-class sculptor, specializing in sculptures depicting aspects of Black History
Ed Dwight, Jr. was a 28-year-old Air Force captain at Travis Air Force Base in California when he got a letter from President Kennedy in 1961 urging him to apply to test-pilot school as a prelude to becoming America's first black astronaut. The son of a Negro League baseball…
carlyo | February 3, 2014George Washington Carver – Botanist, Inventor and Educator
One of the most phenomenal scientists of the early 20th Century. He found amazing uses for the peanut, sweet potato and soy bean that continue to enrich our lives. And against racial obstacles, his achievements paved the way for generations of young African American scientists
The ultimate agricultural botanist and chemist, George Washington Carver, from his early years, was known for his curiosity and his "burning zeal to know everything", especially about nature. He soon became fascinated with how to use botany and other sciences…
carlyo | January 28, 2014Gerty Theresa Cori -- Biochemist
Often considered one of the greatest women scientists of the 20th century. The first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine; known for her discovery (with husband Carl Cori and physiologist Bernardo Houssay) of how the body metabolizes glucose
Born Gerty Theresa Radnitz in 1896 in Prague (then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now the Czech Republic), Gerty grew up at a time when women were marginalized in science and allowed few educational opportunities. However, at age sixteen and influenced by her uncle, (who was a professor of…
carlyo | January 27, 2014Guest Blog By Melissa Rhoads, biotechnology strategist at Lockheed Martin
Every New Year’s Eve, my siblings and cousins wrote down what we wanted to be when we grew up, and year after year, I dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. It was not until I cleaned manure all day at a volunteer zoo event that I realized I wanted to explore other options.
So how did I find my passion? Well, I love to solve problems, and at its core, engineering is problem-solving. It is a way of thinking. As a result, while I started as a biology major, I graduated college with a degree in electrical engineering.…
carlyo | January 23, 2014By Larry Bock
Co-Founder of USA Science Science & Engineering Festival
Seemingly as fast as the speed of technology, another new year is upon us, leaving us to ponder and predict what the next 12 months will bring. You only have to view a recent issue of Popular Science which lists the top 100 innovations that occurred in 2013 to realize that 2014 will undoubtedly continue to belong to those with the courage, talent, vision and tenacity to innovate – especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
So, to all you young students with the desire to be the next Elon…
carlyo | January 20, 2014X-STEM - presented by Northrop Grumman Foundation and MedImmune - is an Extreme STEM symposium for elementary through high school students featuring interactive presentations by an exclusive group of visionaries who aim to empower and inspire kids about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). These top STEM role models and industry leaders are sure to ignite your students’ curiosity through storytelling and live demonstrations.
Our spotlight on our X-STEM Speakers continues with Robotics Engineer Dr. Hod Lipson from Cornell University's Computational Synthesis Lab…
carlyo | January 17, 2014By Stacy Jannis
Kavli Science Video Contest Manager
The Kavli Science in Fiction Video Contest challenges Gr 6-12 students to examine the science in fiction, including science fiction movies, TV shows, and games. Our contest advisors include science educators , scientists, and Hollywood scifi visual effects experts. Follow #SciInSciFi on twitter for contest updates.
James Kakalios is a physic professor at the University of Minnesota, lecturer, and author of the books, The Physics of Superheroes, and the Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics, which use science fiction, or speculative science, as…
carlyo | January 16, 2014By Lisa Matthews
Bladensburg High School and the biomedical sciences program welcomed Dr. Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of the FDA, on Wednesday January 15th as a Nifty Fifty Speaker, sponsored by InfoComm International. She was honored with a color guard, musical presentation and was presented by the Mayor of Bladensburg with a proclamation honoring her accomplishments. She reciprocated with a compelling and interesting discussion of her career path and opportunities with the FDA, and a message to the student of Bladensburg to continue on the path they have taken that focuses on math and…
carlyo | January 15, 2014Sometimes students get the wrong message from peers: that it is not cool to be smart in science and other STEM disciplines. But biologist Joe Hanson has a more positive signal that he likes to send to kids - in fact the name of his popular science show on YouTube (via PBS Digital Studios) says it all: “It's Okay to Be Smart”. Join us at the USA Science & Engineering Festival this April as Joe, in his trademark erudite but uber cool and engaging style, brings his down-to-earth, hip style of science to kids in an unforgettable stage show, shedding light on a wide array of topics, from…
carlyo | January 12, 2014Are you wowed and awed by the mysteries of the Universe, the courage of astronauts, innovative space technologies, and stunning images from other worlds? Want to learn how you can become a space explorer?
Well, get ready to find "Your Place in Space" with The Planetary Society – the largest and most influential space interest organization on Earth – as the Society returns once more as a major Festival sponsor and presenter this April in Washington, D.C.!
Just as it did in the first two Expos, the Society will ignite enthusiasm for space science. Founded in 1980 by Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray,…
carlyo | January 7, 2014By Larry Bock
Co-Founder of USA Science Science & Engineering Festival
Like many who follow research developments in high technology, I am constantly amazed at the power of science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) to solve real-life problems -- especially problems across diverse venues and disciplines.
Take for example the research of mathematician Lloyd Shapley and economist Alvin Roth, two Americans who shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economic Science for their work in market design and matching theory -- a fascinating mathematical framework which is shedding light on…
carlyo | January 6, 2014
Chevron, the global energy company known for its commitment to "finding newer, cleaner ways to power the world," has joined the USA Science & Engineering Festival as a major sponsor, bringing with it a proven history of hands-on corporate outreach initiatives that ignite student motivation and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
And true to the company's innovative approach to outreach, students and others at the Festival Expo this April in Washington, D.C. can expect to experience a special Chevron exhibit that they won't soon forget: a smorgasbord of…
carlyo | January 2, 2014By Stacy Jannis
Kavli Science Video Contest Manager
The Kavli Science in Fiction Video Contest challenges Gr 6-12 students to examine the science in fiction, including science fiction movies, TV shows, and games. Our contest advisors include science educators , scientists, and Hollywood scifi visual effects experts. Follow #SciInSciFi on twitter to for contest updates.
Dr. Joanne Budzien is an Assistant Professor of Physics at MacMurray College. Dr. Budzien's research is in materials science simulation and she has been at Frostburg State University, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and…
carlyo | December 10, 2013By F. Mark Modzelewski
When you were in class, did you ever wish you could ask an astronaut what space was like? Or have a world renowned mathematician explain how they approach a problem? Or find out what inspired a storm chaser to pursue her passion? That’s X-STEM!
The USA Science & Engineering Festival, supported by presenting host sponsor Lockheed Martin, is kicking off another groundbreaking event with X-STEM - presented by Northrop Grumman Foundation and MedImmune. It’s an Extreme STEM Symposium for students featuring interactive presentations and workshops by an amazing group of…