More than 1,100 (and counting) area students and their families will visit Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to participate in the 12th annual Black Family Technology Awareness Day event, to be held February 6. The event, designed to spur young people’s interest in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, (STEM) and the arts, will be hosted by Rensselaer’s Office of Institute Diversity and the Office of Academic Outreach Programs. Rensselaer’s Black Family Technology Awareness Day is part of a nationally celebrated week of the same name.

 “We need to prepare today’s students for the 21st century economy with a technological focus in mind,” said Stan Dunn, vice provost and dean of graduate education. “Effectively using technology is important for full participation in America’s economic, political, and social life. The event provides students of all ages, particularly minorities who are underrepresented in the fields, with the programs and mentoring opportunities that will inspire them to pursue careers in science and technology.”  

The event will kick off at 9 a.m. in the Darrin Communications Center, with Kenneth Washington, vice president and chief privacy leader of Lockheed Martin Corporation, who will deliver the keynote address titled, “How at Lockheed Martin.” During his remarks, Washington plans to highlight the importance of pursuing careers in the STEM fields, and its application to global security problems. The address also will include several videos produced by Lockheed Martin, which will provide students and parents with an opportunity to get a first-hand look at potential career options that exist in the STEM fields.

“Our future security and prosperity largely rests on a growing demand for science and technology talent.  It’s vitally important we focus on steering more youth toward STEM careers and equipping them with the skills to be successful,” said Washington.  “I’m excited to be a part of this event and hope that I can show these students how exciting and rewarding a STEM career can be.”

The program will feature more than 20 workshops — led by Rensselaer professors, students, and community organizations — that include exploring geometry in African designs, making ice cream using liquid nitrogen, using LEGO building kits to build models of simple machines, making a gooey, sticky flubber, and learning how to use basic forensic science techniques, among others. In addition, workshops offering tips on how to master the skill of communication and collaboration, as well as understanding the selective college admissions and scholarship, are also available for students and their families. 

Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson has long warned of what she has dubbed a “Quiet Crisis” in America — the threat to the capacity of the United States to innovate due to reduced support for research and the looming shortage in the nation’s STEM workforce. The impending workforce shortfall results from a record number of retirements on the horizon in the STEM fields, and not enough students in the pipeline to replace them.

Black Family Technology Awareness Day is part of Rensselaer’s larger effort to interest area young people and their families in pursuing occupations in the fields of science and engineering. Other “pipeline” programs include: Design Your Future Day, to engage young girls in science and engineering studies and professions; Exploring Engineering Day, to spark the interest of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in science, technology, and engineering; and Rensselaer’s Molecularium™ project, to teach young children about the smallest forms of matter.

For information about Rensselaer’s Black Family Technology Awareness Day event, and to view the program, visit: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/diversity/bftad/index.html.

For information on the “Quiet Crisis,” go to: http://www.rpi.edu/homepage/quietcrisis/index.html.

Contact: Jessica Otitigbe
Phone: (518) 276-6050
E-mail: otitij@rpi.edu