What do you have when you combine enthusiastic ARCS-Metropolitan Washington Chapter volunteers, energized chapter scholars, and 3,000 other exhibitors? You have the 2nd annual USA Science and Engineering Festival Expo! The 3-day event attracted over 150,000 visitors of all ages, many of whom were quite intrigued by the hands-on activities presented by the 10 chapter scholars.
Similar to the 1st annual USA Science and Engineering Festival in 2010, ARCS-MWC was once again a proud partner of the festival, whose primary goals were to excite kids about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) topics. The key founding partners of the Festival are Lockheed Martin (Global security company headquartered in Bethesda, MD, with over 126,000 employees worldwide) and Larry Bock (entrepreneur who supported early stage growth for over 40 companies in the life and physical sciences). Dr. Ray O. Johnson, Chief Technology Officer of Lockheed Martin, has been a key advocate for the Festival, stating that “Lockheed Martin is proud to again be the presenting host of the USA Science and Engineering Festival. As a nation, we must recognize the importance of science, technology, engineering and math education for our security and economic strength. Student success depends on cooperation and collaboration of industry, educators, policy makers and families.” Larry Bock has stated that the Festival’s goal is “to inspire the next generation of innovators.”[1] He adds that “While the US is struggling with unemployment, the irony is a lot of companies are struggling to fill vacant engineering positions due to lack of qualified applicants.”[2] The compelling aspect of this story is how it portrays a current, ongoing parallel to a similar state of events more than 50 years ago that propelled the founding of the ARCS Foundation after the launch of Sputnik.
ARCS-MWC participated in several ways. One, three members of the chapter were selected to participate in the “Nifty-Fifty X2.” This program was designed to send speakers out to schools to inspire students about STEM and also to relate how they themselves became interested in and involved in STEM activities. The three chapter members were Mary Snitch (nominated again for this honor by Lockheed Martin), Mary Cleave (former astronaut) and Kathie Olsen (former chief scientist for NASA and former Deputy Director of NSF).
ARCS-MWC chapter also signed up to host a booth in which energetic chapter scholars presented hands-on activities to visitors of all ages during the Expo. The ARCS-MWC 2012 committee, chaired by Elizabeth Nesbitt, not only organized the scholars who volunteered to present but committee members also volunteered for 1 or 2 2-hour “shifts” to help the scholars and to field inquiries from the large crowds! Enthusiastic committee members who “manned” the booth included (alphabetically after the listing of the President and the President-Elect): Angie Delaney, Lynn Dillon, Sally Burns, Karen Finkbiner, Terry Holmes, Alice Laning, Karen Meyers, Elizabeth Nesbitt, Toni Schierling, and Imogen Saunders.
Lok-kun Tsui (2012 General Dynamics Scholar and 2013 Booz Allen Hamilton Scholar) from the University of Virginia presented “Storable Solar Energy: Photoelectrochemical Production of Hydrogen”
Monique Koppel (2012 Mars Foundation Scholar) and Katy Sherlach from Georgetown University presented “Magic Milk” (visitors explored surfactants and made micelles)
Eric Patterson and colleagues from Georgetown University presented "A Whale of a Tail”
Jane Cornett (2012 Aerospace Scholar and 2013 Lockheed Martin Scholar) and Colin Gore (2013 ARCS Hesse Endowment Scholar) from the University of Maryland presented demonstrations about material science
Chris Kelley (2012 Booz Allen Hamilton Scholar) and Matthew Kerr (2012 Wright Scholar and 2013 Raytheon Scholar) from Johns Hopkins University presented information and demonstrations related to telekinesis
