The NeXXt Scholars Program

The informational PDF flyer can be downloaded by clicking here.

 The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and societies worldwide. With 25,000 members in 140 countries, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. 

Visit us at www.nyas.org.

The New York Academy of Sciences

Check out these events and opportunities from The New York Academy of Sciences!

**Deadline for Poster Abstracts and Travel Fellowship Applications this Friday, March 23, 2012**

12th International Conference on Myasthenia Gravis and Related Disorders Conference

Conference dates: May 21 - 23, 2012

Website & Information: www.nyas.org/MG12

**Deadline for Abstracts is Monday, March 26, 2012**

Genome Integrity Discussion Group Meeting

Event Date: April 2, 2012

Website & Information: http://www.nyas.org/Apr2012

**Deadline for Poster Abstracts next Friday March 30, 2012**

Fetal Programming and Environmental Exposures: Implications for Prenatal Care and Pre-Term Birth Conference

Conference dates: June 11 - 12, 2012

Website & Information: www.nyas.org/FetalProgramming

*Call for Poster Abstracts.  Deadline: April 06, 2012

5th Annual Advances in Biomolecular Engineering Symposium

Event Date: April 27, 2012

Website & Information: http://www.nyas.org/​BiomolEng2012

*Call for Abstracts. Deadline: April 08, 2012

Malaria 2012: Drugs, Vaccines, and Pathogenesis

Event Date: April 17, 2012

Website & Information: http://www.nyas.org/​Malaria2012

*Call for Poster and Short Talk Abstracts.  Deadline: Friday, April 27, 2012

Inositol Phospholipid Signaling in Physiology and Disease

Conference dates: June 26 - 27, 2012

Website & Information: www.nyas.org/Inositol2012

*Call for Poster Abstracts.  Deadline: May 18, 2012

Chemical Biology Discussion Group Year-End Symposium

Event Date: June 6, 2012

Website & Information: http://www.nyas.org/​YearEnd2012

UPCOMING EVENT:

Monday, April 9, 2012 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Introduction to Scientific Teaching

http://www.nyas.org/​ScienceTeaching

Dr. Matthew R. Marcello will introduce key elements of Scientific Teaching in this interactive workshop based on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute/National Academies Summer Teaching Institute on Undergraduate Education in Biology. He will introduce the core Scientific Teaching concepts (active learning, diversity, and assessment) and practical information on how to incorporate these concepts into the classroom to improve your teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes. The workshop will provide current and future faculty the knowledge and skills to incorporate scientific teaching principles into their courses.

About the New York Academy of Sciences

For nearly 200 years, the New York Academy of Sciences has brought together extraordinary people working at the frontiers of discovery and promoted vital links between science and society. The leading minds of academia, industry, and government depend on the unique forum the Academy provides for insight into the most important questions in all disciplines of science. For more information, visit www.nyas.org.

Black & Proud to be College Bound 2.0 March 17, 2012

Black & Proud

to Be

College Bound 2.0

"Black 2 The Future"

A College Readiness Conference for Black Males

Saturday, March 17th, 2012

8:00am - 4:00pm

Berkeley City College

2050 Center Street  Berkeley, CA 94704

• Opportunities for students to engage with technology!
• Sessions on SAT/ACT, A-G requirements, STEM, and more!
• Transcript Evaluations by Counselors (bring YOUR transcripts!)
• Raffles, prizes and giveaways!
• Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

This one-day convening will highlight the crossroads of education and technology, focusing on tech tools and careers!  Students will learn about and test various tech apps that can meet their academic needs and further their preparation for college.  Additionally, students will meet black tech industry professionals who have developed innovative apps and are creating pathways for future black entrepreneurs in technology.

Through the College Bound Brotherhood, the Kapor Foundation seeks to expand the number of African American young men in the Bay Area who are prepared for a college education.

 

We support organizations that provoke social change in communities of color en route to equality.

Finding a postdoctoral position

I know it has been quite some time since I last wrote- that is how busy things have been for me. Within the last year I have published a first author manuscript, mentored an undergraduate summer research student, defended my thesis, graduated from my doctorate program and relocated to start my postdoctoral research position. Phew, yeah I know... it all happened so quickly and I have lots that I want to share with you about each of these events. First I will start with how I approached finding a postdoctoral position.

Identify exciting research
Thinking about finding a postdoctoral position nearly gave me an anxiety attack.  But I calmed down and initially approached the search by identifying labs whose research greatly peeked my interest. I view the postdoctoral position as a great opportunity for me to modify my research focus, but remain within the broader scope of what my graduate work centered upon. With this in mind, I scrolled website after website of numerous labs located at a very short list of universities where I wanted to conduct my postdoctoral research.  After reading a variety of research summaries, I decided to further investigate the labs whose research made me feel "giddy."  (I know that sounds unprofessional, but if the research does not garner feelings of excitement, then I know that is not the lab for me.)

Explore the publication record
For these labs whose research I found interesting, I next explored their publication history. Most lab web pages display the most recent or impressive articles that they have published. However, I also visited the NCBI PubMed website to view a more thorough publication record. To do this, I went to PubMed and typed in the last name and first initial of the principal investigator of the lab followed by [au] (For example, Researcher X [au]) and clicked "search."  Sometimes I had to add a key word to narrow results when the professor's last name and first initial was too common). Conducting this publication search was important because examining the lab's publication record shows the types of journals in which a lab publishes; i.e. journals that feature clinical, technical, or basic research, etc.

Review trainees 
Exploration of the publication record also gave me insight into the composition of trainees in a given lab. How so? Well, articles always provide a listing of contributing authors.  I cross-referenced the authors' names with the lab's website, and began to learn that some labs were primarily comprised of postdocs, whereas others had a mixture of individuals at various stages in their career and from varying disciplines, i.e. graduate students, undergraduate students, technicians, biostatisticians, clinicians, etc.). Depending on the publication date, some of the authors of an article no longer were present in thatalab. So it was important to do a little more research to see where trainees went after leaving the lab. Most significantly, I wanted to know what became of the postdocs once they left the lab. Did they go move into faculty appointments...go to industry/biotech...land a position in government? Tracking past trainees this way allowed me to get a sense of how the training received in the potential lab facilitated movement of the trainees into their current positions. Some lab websites readily displayed such "where are they now" information and supplied me with instant answers.  However, when not provided, I simply Googled.

Learn how the lab is funded
Also, to be sure that the funding situation is secure for at least three years, I reviewed what funding the potential lab possessed.  If the lab is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), then this information can be accessed on the NIH RePORTER web page. On this site, I also learned what the potential lab has funding for, which allowed me to better understand the goals of the research and the duration of funding.

Time is short right now, so I will continue describing this journey in another post. In an upcoming post, I will share my experience with how I contacted and applied to prospective labs.

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Scientific Summer Internship Program

Below is a great opportunity to perform PAID scientific research during Summer 2012. Good luck! -Minority.Scientist 


Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
Scientific Summer Internship Program
Application deadline: January 6, 2012 
Program Dates: June 4th - August 10th, 2012

Program Overview   
Imagine performing research at a leading global pharmaceutical corporation while gaining practical experience and contributing to the search for new disease therapies. Through the scientific intern program at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), your contribution to the search for new disease therapies can begin before you graduate. Our program is designed to introduce talented students to drug discovery and to train them in experimental work in this area.  NIBR's research covers many disease and technology areas, and allows us to closely match your specific interests with one of our labs.

Applications are currently being accepted for opportunities in Biology, Biochemistry, Biostatistics, Chemistry, and Computer Science.  Our program is a paid, full-time summer internship at our Cambridge, MA research facilities.  Financial support towards housing and travel will be available and based on the Company's non-discriminatory assessment of the applicant's financial need. 

NIBR is committed to providing transformative opportunities to students from unique cultural, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds that will benefit from such an experience. This includes, among others, talented individuals who are currently underserved in the sciences, for example, first generation college students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and individuals with learning differences.

To apply to the Internship Program in Cambridge, MA  click here.

For internships at our other research sites (Emeryville, CA; Basel, Switzerland; East Hanover, New Jersey; Horsham, United Kingdom), please visit http://www.nibr.com/careers/internships.shtml

Principal Scientist Positions AVAILABLE!

The Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) is recruiting individuals to serve as the Principal Scientist of the major Institutes within the NIFA. (4 positions available!)

• Institute of  Food Production and Sustainability
 

• Institute of  Food Safety and Nutrition
 

• Institute of  Bioenergy, Climate and Environment
 
• Institute of Youth, Family and Community

Each Principal Scientist will provide executive scientific leadership and direction; develop strategies to confront current and future issues; promote ideas that will impact program direction; and play an integral role on the NIFA Executive Council.
Please Note: - This position can be: Permanent  (Career Senior Executive Service); Term (a competitive appointment for a period of more than one year but not more than four years); or Short-term via an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) appointment. 

To be considered, applications MUST be received no later than 

midnight, January 31, 2011.

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Moss
JDG Associates, Ltd.
1700 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 340-2210
moss@jdgsearch.com

In the tunnel

I was recently informed by one of my thesis committee members that I am IN THE TUNNEL meaning that completion of the PhD is near. YES!!!!

With that said, I am writing a manuscript and considering where to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship. I am SO excited to be doing these things.... but I feel a little anxious about the next stages of my career, namely finding that postdoctoral research position.

Finding the right lab to conduct postdoctoral research is extremely crucial to the advancement of my career. Everything must be considered, including (in no particular order of importance because it's all important):

• Research focus (because whatever I choose to study at this stage will define my career, right?)
• Geographical location (where do I want to spend the next 5+ years of my life?)
• Mentoring capabilities...What type of mentoring style (hands-on or hands-off) does the principal investigator have?
• What are the social dynamics of the lab?
• What type of grants/funding does the PI have?
• How successful were past trainees of the potential PI? (where and how often did they publish, what kind of position did they obtain after leaving?)
• Big lab or small lab?
• Well-known or up-and-coming mentor?
• What type of collaborations does the mentor have with other labs or industry?

There are always other things to consider, so did I leave anything out??

For now, I am narrowing down the labs that I am interested at a few different universities and based on the criteria specified above.

Cross-Talk Fellowship!

Here is a great opportunity to attend the CROSS-TALK meeting hosted by the University of Debrecen in Debrecen, Hungary to be held August 31 through September 4, 2010!

CROSS-TALK is an Initial Training Program, funded under the FP7 (European Commission). CROSS-TALK gathers 14 young researchers and 4 associated fellows in Europe in the field of the human microbiome metagenomics to study the health-promoting cross-talk between intestinal microbiota and Humans.

CROSS-TALK is offering fellowships to young researchers to attend this meeting and more information about the conference is available at the Cross-Talk website. Applications are welcomed until July 20, 2010. Check out the agenda for this meeting.  

More about CROSS-TALK (information gathered from the Cross-Talk website):

• The objective is to train a new generation of young scientists, to meet the growing demand for researchers with training in host-microbe interactions and metagenomics, a new supra-disciplinary calling for competencies in microbiology, cell biology, immunology, human physiology, high throughput technologies and bioinformatics, through a personal and adapted training program.

• CROSS-TALK has the overall scientific objective to answer key questions on the role of the host-gut microbiota cross-talk in the development and maintenance of a healthy gut and to achieve major breakthroughs in the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the dialogue between the intestinal microbiota and hosts.

• CROSS-TALK will provide individual training through research projects and organise 3 types of group training events: 1) network meetings allowing scientific exchanges within the network and meeting between all ESRs and supervisors; 2) spring schools focused on the development of transferable skills with a strong involvement of the economic sector and meeting between the economic players and the ESRs; and 3) workshops, time to broaden scientific knowledge and talk with recognized scientists not only in the field of CROSS-TALK but also in cognate fields which represent other career perspectives for the ESRs. Their combination will lead to young researchers who can meet the need of the metagenomics discipline for new curricula and the requirements for European trans-sectorial careers.

Super Saturday! STEM Expo in New York 5/22/10

One of my passions is to get more youth interested in the sciences and thus believe that Super Saturday! in New York City on May 22, 2010 will be awesome. See flyer below for detailed information.

Super Saturday! aims to inspire the next leaders in STEM fields in upper Manhattan, particularly low-income, minority students who may not be exposed to the possibilities of STEM education and careers.  At Super Saturday! there will be hands-on activity stations to engage both children (through high school) and parents in fields of STEM.

More information about the Morningside Area Alliance and its programs can be found at www.morningsidealliance.org.

AcademyHealth Minority Scholars Program

Just came across this opportunity from the AcademyHealth website:

"The newly established AcademyHealth Minority Scholars Program supports the cost of travel and registration for 15 scholars to attend the Annual Research Meeting (ARM), pre-ARM Methods Workshops, and the Disparities Interest Group Annual Meeting. The program also covers the cost of AcademyHealth membership. The goal of the program is to support the professional development of underrepresented minorities in the field of health services research (HSR). Students and fellows with an interest in HSR and/or disparities research are encouraged to apply.

AcademyHealth defines underrepresented minorities in the field of HSR as the following racial/ethnic groups: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native. This definition is derived from findings of a recent study conducted by Moore and McGinnis."

African-American scientists and inventors

In honor of Black History month, below is a list of African-American scientists and inventors.  As I viewed web pages of the links below, I learned a lot and I am sure you will too! Enjoy!

Patricia Bath  Apparatus to Remove Cataracts

Bessie Blount  Self-Feeding Device for Amputees

Otis F. Boykin  Electrical Resistor and Variable Resistor

George Carruthers  Far-ultraviolet camera/spectrograph

George Washington Carver  Agricultural Innovations

David Crosthwait  Heating, Air Conditioning and Ventilation

George Crum  Potato Chip

Mark Edward Dean (and Dennis Moeller)  Industry Standard Architecture Bus

Ronald Demon  Smart Shoe

Charles Richard Drew  Blood Bank

Meredith C. Gourdine  Electrogasdynamics Systems

Joanna Hardin  CompUrest

W. Lincoln Hawkins  Chemical Additive for Telecommunications Cables

Lonnie Johnson  Super Soaker

Howard Jones  Conformal Antenna Systems

Percy Lavon Julian  Synthesis of Cortisone

Lewis H. Latimer  Carbon-filament Light Bulb

Jan Matzeliger  Shoe Lasting Machine

Elijah McCoy  Automatic Oil Cup

James McLurkin  Robot Ants

Garrett A. Morgan  Safety Hood

Lyda Newman  Synthetic-Bristled Hairbrush

Jessie T. Pope  Thermostatically Controlled Curling Iron

Norbert Rillieux  Sugar Processing Evaporator

Valerie Thomas   Illusion Transmitter

Madam C.J. Walker  Hair Care Products

Hildreth "Hal" Walker  Laser Telemetry and Targeting Systems

Cardinal Warde  Optical Information Processing Technology

Dennis W. Weatherby  Automatic Dishwasher Detergent

Rufus J. Weaver  Stair-Climbing Wheelchair

James Edward West (and Gerhard M. Sessler)  Foil Electret Microphone

Eli Whitney  Cotton Gin

Granville T. Woods  Multiplex Telegraph

Ivan Yaeger  Prosthetic Arm 

Information source:  
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Inventor Archive.

The Importance of Role Models And Mentors

The article, Reaching Gender Equity in Science: The Importance of Role Models And Mentors - Science Careers - Biotech, Pharmaceutical, Faculty, Postdoc jobs on Science Careers, by Laura Bonetta is a great read. Excerpt from the article:

"The number of women embarking on science careers has been increasing steadily during the past several decades. Although women scientists continue to be underrepresented at the faculty level, many women have established rewarding and successful careers in science—thanks in part to having had role models and mentors whose paths they could follow."

Reaching Gender Equity in Science also reminds me of a post I made entitled, "Build your team: How to get mentors" it which I also urged readers to assemble a team of mentors and advisors to help you advance your career in the sciences.
Read the full article.

Singing the lab blues

I am having some difficulties with my project. I am in some kind of slump in which none of my experiments are working. I mean the simple PCR reaction is not working.  The cells are not proliferating fast enough. And on top of everything, I placed an order with the person in the lab who is responsible for ordering reagents and due to no fault of his own, the order did not go through. It turns out there was some kind of computer glitch that day and the email to place the order never was received by the company, but I found this out like two weeks after I requested the reagent to be ordered.  (And I thought that I gave myself enough cushion room for this by placing the order before I ran out of the supply I had in the lab.)  So, that experiment is on hold for at least a month because the reagent is made-to-order.  To top everything off, I am not getting any attention from my PI because I do not have any NEW data. Sigh. I need some encouraging words because right now, it is all bad.

Women in Science

Visit the listed organizations to learn more about scholarships/fellowships and other valuable career resources (i.e. networking and mentoring opportunities) for women in the sciences.
*American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee
*American Physical Society Committee on the Status of Women in Physics
*Association for Women in Computing
*Association for Women Geoscientists
*Association for Women in Mathematics
*Association for Women in Science
*Graduate Women in Science
*National Center for Women in Information Technology
*National Research Council Committee on Women in Science and Engineering
*Society of Women Engineers
*Women in Global Science and Technology
Want to add more organizations? Send a link!

Thank Goodness It's Friday???, Part II

In an earlier post, I described how my Friday would be hectic, to say the least. I also said that I would let you know how my Friday turned out. Well, yes, it was a whirlwind day. The lab meeting w e n t.  I did not make it to my networking event as an unexpected visitor came to our lab. But this was okay because he was an old lab-mate who stopped by to say hello and have lunch with us. Once this was over, I should have turned my focus to my presentation, B U T no... I was fussing over some old data.  Finally at about 1:30pm, I turned my attention to my presentation (which I presented once before) and began rehearsing it to myself.

3PM: SHOWTIME! As I began to speak, I felt my heart race, as it does whenever I give a talk. I mean, I know my research and what I want to say, but it's just a will of nerves hence, rapid heartbeat. (I think the nerves come in because I am wondering what the audience is thinking of me. Am I good enough? How is my data? Is my hair sticking up? Am I slouching? Am I speaking loud enough? Do they care about what I am saying? OMG is that person SLEEP?!) Then there were some technical difficulties which garnered a few laughs from the audience which was nearly half-dead from the intense interviews with professors earlier in the day. But their laughter eased my nerves.

Mid-way through the talk, I glanced at the clock and realized that I had only 2min left, since I was trying to speak slowly (I have been told that I talk too fast), so I rushed the last half.  When it was over, I knew that some of the students were actually paying attention because 3 asked me questions.

SELF ASSESSMENT I have critiques of my presentation: 1) I stumbled with words here and there. It's like I am trying to say one thing and already thinking about the next thing I want to say and what comes out my mouth is a jumbled mess of the first and second thoughts. Speaking slower will correct this issue. 2) I notice that I have the tendency to "talk to myself" while presenting. For example, I think there was a point that I said out loud, "oh no that is not right..." in reference to the order I wanted to say something. And I was on a microphone, sigh.  Although I know this presentation was not perfect, I can feel myself growing and becoming better. I am aware of some of my flaws and approach others to learn of other flaws so that I can work on correcting them.  I have another event at the end of the month. Between now and then, all I can do is practice, practice and practice so more.

Oh yes, I only managed to get a minimal amount of lab work done on Friday. So, now I am rushing my daughter to "get it together" and get dressed so that we can spend a Saturday in the lab. I know she is not happy with me about this. But it's the way it is. Maybe we will go for ice cream later. Geez, I feel like I am bribing the girl, sigh.

History makers in the making: 10 African-Americans contribute to science

It's Black History month and I wanted to highlight the contributions of African-Americans to science. While searching for information to share with you, I found this website, TheGrio.com, which is an excellent resource for learning about and catching up on the latest African-American-centered news. In honor of Black History month, TheGrio.com features 100 African-Americans who are History Makers in the Making. Of these 100, 10 are making extraordinary contributions to science, including Charles Bolden, Robert Bullard, Dr. Agnes A. Day, Tony Hansberry, Lisa Jackson, Shelton Johnson, James McLurkin, Derrick Pitts, PhD., Jerome Ringo, and Beverly Wright.                                     Video featuring Tony Hansberry 
Because of my interest to get more young minorities involved in science, I was excited to learn about 15-year-old Tony Hansberry who "developed a project that showed how to reduce surgical time for hysterectomies, and has "people in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida are calling him the 'next Charles Drew'." Full article.

More about TheGrio: TheGrio.com is the first video-centric news community site devoted to providing African Americans with stories and perspectives that appeal to them but are underrepresented in existing national news outlets. TheGrio features aggregated and original video packages, news articles, and blogs on topics from breaking news, politics, health, business, and entertainment, which concern its niche audience.  

Thank Goodness It's Friday???

Ah, tomorrow is Friday. I should be excited that it is the last day of the week and the weekend is almost here. Uh, no.  My Friday is crammed. I have to give the lab meeting tomorrow at 9am. (And yes, after making some easy-to-fix cloning mistakes, I did get the data I mentioned in an earlier post.) I committed to attending a networking event at noon. I jumped at the opportunity to give a short talk about my research to recruits for my graduate program at 3pm.  I will play school bus and shuttle my daughter from her elementary school to her ballet school before 4pm and then pick her up by 5:30pm. Somewhere in all this chaos, I will get a few experiments done. Oh yeah, I will eat at some point. This is my life, my life as a single parent pursuing a PhD. No complaints, just feeling a wee bit stressed. And oh yeah, tomorrow night will be a Papa John's night! I will let you know how things go.

STEM careers, how do we appeal to our youth?

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers are failing to attract today's youth.  Why? This concern is briefly explored in the January 27, 2010 Herman Trend Alert, STEM Grads and Competitiveness, which says that,

"our youth (seem) to revere the accomplishments of sports celebrities and rock stars, while our scientific geniuses (go) virtually unrecognized. More recently, United States President Barack Obama at his Whitehouse summit for youth echoed Kamen's words, himself promoting the study of the STEM topics as a matter of competitiveness." 

Competitiveness, eh?  So STEM careers have to compete for the admiration of our youth against Kobe and Beyoncé??  Oh boy, that is a tough battle.  So, I prose two questions:

1. To STEM professionals, what can we do to get our young people interested in STEM careers?

2. To young people, what can STEM professionals do to get you interested in STEM careers?

I am going to take a stab at Question #1 myself. I know from personal experience that young people do not exactly view STEM careers as "cool," UNTIL they learn more about what STEM professionals do either through presentations or hands-on activities. So, I believe that exposure is the key.  Unfortunately, young women and minorities are less likely to be exposed to STEM careers.  I was not exposed to careers in STEM until I was a junior in high school through an outreach program that allowed me to shadow a clinical lab researcher at a local hospital.  Until that experience, I did not know any scientists or what their jobs entailed.  This experience greatly influenced my current career path as a biomedical researcher.  From experiences like this Bottom line: Exposure MUST happen sooner.

Want to learn about STEM careers? Then check out these links below!

Browse Occupations Find details like wages, education requirements, and job demand. Create an Occupation Profile by selecting “Explore Careers” and then “Browse” under “Occupations.” 

O*NET’s STEM Occupations View the full list of STEM occupations. Select a job title to learn more.  

Career Voyages Explore career options and education requirements in emerging, high-growth industries and in-demand occupations. 

What Do You Like? Learn how your interests and favorite school subjects match careers. This Web site can help you make informed decisions about careers, education, and training.

Links courtesy of CareerOneStop.

2010 Science Symposium Jan 29-30 to discuss K-12 STEM-related education!

 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LEADERS tackle critical K-12 issues AT McGraw-Hill EDUCATION’S ‘2010 SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM’  JANUARY 29-30

Science educators and thought leaders from across the country will examine the importance of technology in the classroom with focus on national STEM initiative and 21st-century skill-building

NEW YORK, January 25, 2010 — McGraw-Hill Education’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Learning Solutions Center is bringing together a group of the nation’s top science educators January 29-30, 2010 at the University of Michigan-Dearborn for a two-day symposium to address some of the most important issues in K-12 science education including the power of technology in the classroom and how school districts can incorporate new and emerging technologies in their instruction. These issues, which are at the forefront of the Obama administration’s Educate to Innovate STEM initiative, are part of McGraw-Hill Education’s larger efforts to help increase students’ interest and achievement in science and math, provide them with digital learning solutions and enhance their ability to compete in today’s global economy.

The event, “2010 Science Symposium,” will convene science educators and curriculum leaders from school districts across the country along with university professors and industry thought leaders to discuss issues including:

• The implications of technology on classroom instruction
• Transforming classroom instruction with interactive whiteboards and other digital tools
• Using student polling technologies to support data-driven decision making
• Evaluating Web-based science content
• Utilizing digital imaging in the science classroom
  

Featured guest speakers include, among others, Dr. Richard H. Moyer, author and professor of science education and natural sciences at the University of Michigan, who will present “The Technology of the Ball Point Pen” and Dr. JoAnne Vasquez, a member of the National Science Board and past president of the National Science Teachers Association, who will present “A View from the Top – A National Perspective on Technology and Science Instruction.”

“Today’s teachers are embracing digital tools for the effective delivery of science instruction and are seeing the benefits these technologies generate by making classes more engaging, difficult concepts easier to comprehend and exposing students to worlds beyond their classrooms,” said Michael Comer, national marketing manager in the McGraw-Hill School Education Group specializing in science education. “The symposium will assemble our nation’s science education leaders for an exchange of rich ideas where the participants can weigh in on current technologies, discuss their effectiveness and share best practices for implementing them.”

McGraw-Hill’s symposium partners include:

• Smart Technologies: Will demonstrate the uses of the Smart Board and will include StudentWorks/TeacherWorks/Interactive Chalkboard/Classroom Presentation Toolkit/Internet
  

• Turning Point Technologies: Will provide classroom assessment opportunities with interactive response pads (“clickers”) and will include Interactive Chalkboard/Classroom Presentation Toolkit/Test Generator
  

• Science Kit: Will provide hands-on demonstrations of Digital Imaging Devices (digital microscopes) and will use activities from K-12 Science programs (life, earth and physical science examples)
  

• Vernier Software: Will provide hands-on demonstrations on the use of Probeware and Data Collection Devices and will include activities from K-12 Science programs (life, earth and physical science examples)
  

• American Museum of Natural History: Will discuss the variety and approach to online Professional Development Courses. They will model course format and offerings as related to the elementary, middle school and high school markets
  

• National Science Digital Library: Will demonstrate their collection of web-based science resources for teachers as related to the elementary, middle school and high school markets
  

Held at the University of Michigan at Dearborn, minutes away from Detroit, the symposium will honor the tradition of innovation and technological advancement that characterizes the university and metro Detroit area.
Editor’s Notes: The symposium is open to news media. McGraw-Hill Education’s Art Block, STEM senior vice president, and Michael Comer, longtime science educator, as well as guest speakers are available for interviews to discuss the symposium and larger trends in science education. Content from the symposium can be made available to news media upon request.

About the McGraw-Hill STEM Learning Solutions Center
The McGraw-Hill Education STEM Learning Solutions Center helps students master essential math skills, develop competence with technology, understand science and math concepts, and learn critical thinking and analysis. McGraw-Hill’s PreK-12 programs and digital platforms prepare students for jobs in today’s global economy.

About McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of print and digital instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 65 languages. Additional information is available at MHEducation.com

Empowering Women in Science and Engineering (EWISE) video

Great video produced by Cornell University discussing how featured panelists attain work-life balance, including how they incorporate children into their overall career goals. Watch and get some great info! Note: each video is about 1 hour in length.

Empowering Women in Science and Engineering (EWISE) Part 1

Empowering Women in Science and Engineering (EWISE) Part 2