USA Science & Engineering Festival

By F. Mark Modzelewski The USA Science & Engineering Festival, supported by presenting host sponsor Lockheed Martin, is pleased to announce the launch of the 2013/14 school year “Nifty Fifty,” an innovative program that brings over 150 noted science and engineering professionals to schools across New York, California and the Washington, D.C. metro area to speak about their work, careers, and discoveries. Featuring some of the most inspiring role models in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), this signature program of the Festival presents students with the latest…
X-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 Titanic Explorer Dr. David Gallo! The world deep beneath the surface of the ocean is a…
Bill Nye -- scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor -- is a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society, and to help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science understandable, entertaining, and accessible is something Bill has been doing much of his life, starting with his days as a math tutor in high school and later studying under Planetary Society co-founder Carl Sagan in college and working as a stand-up comedian. Following in Sagan's footsteps, Bill now serves as Chief Executive Officer of the…
X-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 Space Traveler Anousheh Ansari. Lifting off with the Expedition 14 mission crew on…
The USA Science & Engineering Festival  is the proud recipient of the 2013 Hoyt S. Vandenberg Award from the Air Force Association in recognition of the Festival’s contributions to aerospace education and for its efforts in encouraging young people to pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The award was presented yesterday morning at the annual Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition in National Harbor, Md., and was made possible by the AFA’s National Aerospace Awards Committee. The USA Science Festival was co-founded by serial entrepreneur…
Now entering its third year, the Kavli Science Video contest, an international middle and high school student competition that is held as part of the USA Science & Engineering Festival, has announced "Science in Fiction" as the contest theme! The contest, sponsored by the Kavli Foundation, is designed to challenge students to investigate science through video storytelling while promoting participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) subjects. The new theme, "Science in Fiction" was inspired by the mission of the Science & Entertainment Exchange, a program of the…
By Jeff Wilcox, Lockheed Martin Vice President for Engineering   Planning for the third USA Science & Engineering Festival is well underway, and I couldn’t be more excited. As the vice president for engineering at Lockheed Martin, and the father of three sons, I’m proud to be part of a company that serves as the founding and presenting host of this Festival, which will inspire our youngest Americans with the power of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). We have a vested interest in STEM—not just because it’s critical to the future of our company, but because it’s critical to…
This past June, more than  2,000 business, government, and education leaders gathered in Austin, Texas, to discuss the state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in the United States at the U.S. News STEM Solutions National Conference. The USA Science & Engineering Festival was honored to attend and we are looking forward to our partnership for the 2014 National Conference this coming April. "This is the absolutely perfect time to be talking about STEM education," explained Barbara Bolin, executive director of the Michigan STEM partnership. "Because STEM…
Plant Biologist Eloy Rodriguez came from humble beginnings and now is a leading authority on ethnobotanical medicine. Eloy Rodriguez is an expert of  ethnobotanical medicine (the benefits of natural plants to healing and disease prevention). He coined the concept and study of zoopharmacognosy, the process by which non-human animals(such as apes) self-medicate by selecting and using plants to treat and prevent disease. Cited in books and passed down for centuries, plants have been used for ages by many ethnic cultures to treat infections, cancer, diabetes, malaria and other illnesses. "In…
Daniel Hale Williams- Surgeon and Medical Educator Medical textbooks in the early 1890s said that operating on near the human heart was too dangerous. But on a hot summer's night in Chicago in 1893, surgeon Daniel Hale Williams -- while attempting to treat a life-threatening chest wound to a patient -- plunged courageously into this void, and thus made medical history.  In 1891 he founded the first African American-owned (and non-segregated) hospital in America, and the first nursing school for African Americans. Read more of his fascinating biography here. Learn more about the USA Science…
Kristin Laidre --Marine Mammal Biologist Kristin Laidre is one of the world's foremost experts on the elusive, mysterious Narwhal whale. Her work with native communities in Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland is helping to preserve the Narwhal and other sea mammals from the effects sea ice loss due to climate change. "I was always interested in marine biology, marine animals, and even science as a junior-high and high school student," she recalls. "In upstate New York I rarely got to visit the ocean, but when I did (usually on Long Island), I loved it and knew if I could create the…
Ronald Mickens -- Research Physicist and Mathematician Ronald Mickens is a leading authority on oscillations (repetitive, vibrating motions that occur in cycles), and in developing mathematical models for predicting the spread of disease. He has been recognized as an expert on the history of African Americans in science and mathematics. Although he is now a respected researcher and educator, Ronald Mickens can remember as a child being constantly in trouble at home because of his curious, active mind for dangerous scientific experiments.  This includes conducting experiments with caustic…
Sign Our Petition: Support Science And Education Today! Join Rep. Randy Hultren (R) and Rep. Joe Kennedy (D) in urging Congress to vote for H. Res. 276, which calls upon the U.S. House of Representatives to support the goals and ideals of National Science Week and the biennial USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C.. The resolution also calls on State and local governments to recognize the last week in April, 2014 as a National Science Week. Click here to read and sign the petition.  
Peggy Whitson -- NASA Astronaut and Biochemist We continue to recognize 50 Years of Women in Space with STEM Role Model Peggy Whitson. Peggy Whitson grew up on a farm in Iowa with big dreams of becoming a NASA Astronaut. She was the first female commander of the International Space Station and a veteran of six space walks. She set records among American Astronauts for spending the most time in space. Her achievements as a veteran space explorer are well known among the distinguished ranks of NASA astronauts, but learn of her harrowing and life-threatening journey back to Earth after her…
Clara Barton -- Nurse, Educator Her work as a dedicated battlefield nurse during the Civil War, and her founding of the American Red Cross helped set the standards for emergency medical care and disaster relief. She was so timid, shy and depressed as a child that she was removed from school. But later Clara Barton transformed these drawbacks into a career of helping others, hallmarked by her service as a valued nurse in treating wounded soldiers in the Civil War and later founding the American Red Cross. Learn how Clara -- known for her gutsy, no-nonsense attitude as a leader -- built a…
Stephen Hawking: Theoretical Physicist and Bestselling Author Stephen Hawking is often regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists since Einstein. He is best known for his compelling insights into such areas as Black Holes, relativity and quantum mechanics. Since bursting onto the international scene in 1988 with his bestselling book, “A Brief History of Time", Stephen Hawking has become synonymous with helping us understand fundamental mysteries of physics and our existence, such as: Where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end, and if…
ENGINEERING.COM, with its mission to inform, inspire and entertain the world's engineers -- and future engineers -- is returning as a key sponsor of the USA Science & Engineering Festival and Expo in 2014. Widely known for having its fingers directly on the pulse of the fascinating, ever-evolving realm of engineering innovation, ENGINEERING.COM will help expand the scope and reach of Festival excitement, education and inspiration by serving once again as the event's official videographer, which will include capturing the bevy of high-profile activity taking place during Expo finale…
Today's  guest blog post is by Featured Science Author Dr. Fred Bortz Tune in Thursday, June 13th on our Facebook page at 10 am EST to discuss this post with Dr. Bortz!  More than ten years after it was posted at  the "Ask Dr. Fred" page "Why Isn't Pluto a Planet Anymore?" remains by far the most popular page at "Dr. Fred's Place" on the web, getting anywhere between 50 and 100 hits on a typical day. That's a lot of interest in an icy world that is smaller than the moon and so far away that sunlight takes at least 4 hours to reach it! What could possibly be so fascinating? The reason, of…
Karin Muraszko – Pediatric Neurosurgeon --The first and only female to head an academic  neurosurgery department in the U.S. --Successfully handles her demanding surgical schedule despite having spina bifida (curvature of the spine) Of the approximately 4,920 neurosurgeons in the United States today, only about 5.6 percent – or 277 – are women. Discover one of the female pioneers in this field and her work as a leading pediatric neurosurgeon to treat children suffering from disorders and injuries to the brain and spinal cord.  Moreover, learn how she herself has dealt with a spinal…
Popular Science, one of the leading sources of news in technology, science, gadgets, space, green tech and more, is returning as a key Americium Media Partner with the Festival! In doing so, Popular Science joins a growing list of other top science media leaders who will be serving as Festival sponsors, including Scientific American, American Scientist, Sigma Xi, ENGINEERING.com, Forbes Wolfe, and PBS Kids, among many others. Popular Science has been a major source of science and technology news since its award-winning magazine was founded back in 1872. Its online version, PopSci.com, was…