June 22 Event in D.C. Features NSF-Funded Projects

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will showcase its Molecularium™ project at the 10th Annual Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) exhibition, Science@Work, on June 22 on Capitol Hill from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. Rensselaer will be one of 32 exhibitors displaying research and education projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The Molecularium project is part of the educational and outreach program of Rensselaer’s NSF-funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures. Rensselaer’s NSEC is directed by Richard Siegel, the Robert W. Hunt Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer.

Linda Schadler, professor of materials science and engineering at Rensselaer and executive producer of the Molecularium project, and Shekhar Garde, professor of chemical engineering, will be on hand to discuss the project with members of congress, the administration and other invited guests at the Science@Work event.

Rensselaer is using the $659,291 NSF grant to produce two 20-minute multimedia shows intended to captivate students in grades K-3 while exploring the states of matter — solid, liquid, and gas — and the inner workings of a living cell. The Molecularium show is designed to be projected on a dome planetarium theater, but instead of taking people from earth to space, the show will take viewers on an audio-visual journey through the molecular-scale world.

“We want to excite children about the world of science, and the Molecularium program is a tremendous tool to ignite their curiosity,” said Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer. “Our pilot Molecularium program was well received, and the National Science Foundation’s additional support enables us to dramatically enhance our initial concept and take it nationwide.”

Rensselaer’s new Molecularium program is expected to debut in planetariums in the fall.

“We are pioneering the use of dome theaters for molecular science education and have brought together a team of researchers, artists, museum curators and educators, technology designers, elementary school teachers, students, and professors to reach our goal,” said Schadler. “We are designing the shows to be available to planetariums large and small all across the country and around the world.”

About CNSF
The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) is an alliance of organizations united by a concern for the future vitality of the national science, mathematics, and engineering enterprise. CNSF supports the goal of increasing the national investment in the National Science Foundation's research and education programs in response to the unprecedented scientific, technological, and economic opportunities facing the United States. Participating organizations include professional, scientific and engineering societies, higher education associations, institutions of higher learning, independent research institutions, and other organizations.

Contact: Mary Cimo
Phone: (518) 687-7174
E-mail: cimom@rpi.edu