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 Listen to Bob
Dorigo Jones's interview with Lawrence Bock,
Executive Director of USASEF.
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According to the U.S. Department of
Labor,
in the past few years, increased global competition,
lackluster
performance by U.S. students in mathematics and science
education and a lack of national focus on renewing science
and technology infrastructure have created a new economic
and technological vulnerability in the U.S. that is as
serious as any military or terrorist threat.
Without a rapid response, the U.S. will continue to lose
quality jobs to other nations, lowering our standard of
living, reducing tax revenues and weakening the domestic
market for goods and services. The truth is, good jobs
still exist, but getting one requires more education and
technical skills than were previously required. That’s why
focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) fields has become increasingly important
and central to U.S. economic
competitiveness and growth.
The
2nd
USA Science & Engineering Festival,
hosted by Lockheed Martin – developed to increase greater
public awareness of the importance of science and to
encourage youth to pursue careers in STEM fields – will be
held April 28-29, 2012 at the Walter E. Washington
Convention Center and several other locations in the greater
Washington, DC area.
The highly successful inaugural USA Science & Engineering
Festival – which culminated in a two-day expo in October
2010 on the National Mall in Washington, DC – drew more than
650,000 guests who participated in 1,500 hands-on activities
and 75 live performances, made possible by more than 500
scientific organizations. It was the country’s first and
only national science festival and the world’s largest
celebration of science and engineering.
“The
2012 USA Science & Engineering Festival is already shaping
up to be much larger than our inaugural event,” said high
tech serial entrepreneur Larry Bock, Executive Director and
co-creator of the Festival. “With nearly eight months before
our finale event, we already have more sponsors, partners,
performers and exhibitors than we did for our first event.
We look forward to bringing even more passion and excitement
for the sciences and engineering to children and families
across the nation and around the world.”
A key addition to the second USA Science & Engineering
Festival is the first large-scale Book Fair (www.usasciencefestival.org/bookfair)
which will highlight featured authors with significant works
in the science and engineering fields geared toward a K-12
level of scientific understanding. During the Expo, more
than thirty notable authors are scheduled to give 50-minute
presentations during the 2012 Festival on their books,
including a 15-minute question and answer session, followed
by a book signing.
Current featured authors include award-winning children’s
science authors Seymour Simon, Joy Hakim, Sean Connolly, Dia
Michels and Bruce Degen. Professional scientists and authors
Lisa Randall, Robin Cook, Homer Hickam, Jeffrey Bennett and
Celeste Baine will make science accessible and fun for all
audiences. Publishers are asked to
nominate
national authors who have published books from January 2011
through April of 2012 in the areas of science, math,
engineering, technology and innovation to participate in the
Book Fair.
Contact:
