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 Larry Bock and Lockheed Martin senior vice president and chief technology officer, Dr. Ray O Johnson. The Festival will next take place April 25-27, 2014 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The free, nonprofit Festival is the largest STEM outreach event in the world, and is filled with hands-on exhibits, experiments, concerts, and talks from leading technology entrepreneurs, Nobel Prize winning scientists, Hollywood celebrities, Fortune 500 CEOs, and many others.
In announcing the award to the Festival, AFA Chairman of the Board Lt. Gen. George K. Muellner (ret) said: “This award is given for the most outstanding contributions in aerospace education. We applaud the distinguished success of the Festival in its unique ways to increase public awareness about the importance of science and to encourage youth to pursue careers in science and engineering.”
“We are honored to receive the Vandenberg Award from the Air Force Association. It is a gratifying reflection of not only the USA Science & Engineering Festival itself, but the importance of STEM education for our nation's security and economic prosperity,” said Festival Founder Larry Bock.
“We are committed to helping students see the benefits of pursuing STEM careers,” said Dr. Johnson. “Engineers, scientists, and mathematicians make a difference to our country every single day – whether exploring the far reaches of space, fighting cyber-criminals, or building the world’s best fighter jets.”
The Hoyt S. Vandenberg Award was established in 1948, and past recipients include Arthur Godfrey, prominent radio and television personality and aviation advocate (1955), Famous Psychologist Dr. B. F. Skinner (1966), the Civil Air Patrol (2002), Steven Udvar-Hazy, then Chairman and CEO of International Lease Finance Corp. -- one of the largest aircraft lessors in the world (2005), and Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman of Perot Systems Corporation (2007).
Watch the video from the award ceremony below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwKlkqcvPN4&feature=share&list=UUA0dE0yO…
Learn more about the USA Science & Engineering Festival here.
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