Engaging Area Young People in Science and Engineering

Troy, N.Y. — The Office of Institute Diversity at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will host Black Family Technology Awareness Day, designed to interest area young people and their families in pursuing occupations in the fields of science and engineering. The event, which honors the nationally celebrated week of the same name, will be held Feb. 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Rensselaer's campus. The event is free and open to the public.

"Black Family Technology Awareness Day is a great opportunity for young students and their families to get a taste of the excitement and possibilities of careers in science and technology," says Kenneth Durgans, vice provost for institute diversity. "There will be hands-on activities for people of all ages, along with students, professors, and professionals who are anxious to share their experiences studying and working in the world of science and engineering."

Workshops will be held throughout the day on a range of topics including building robots, making nylon, using lasers, dissecting computers, and learning about what materials engineers can do. The Junior Museum will showcase its "traveling zoo," including snakes, turtles, and a New Zealand sugarglider (similar to a flying squirrel).

Durgans noted that there is a growing need in the United States to train more people in science and engineering. For example, last year NASA reported that it faces "critical losses" of trained workers in the coming years due to retirements. The drain on the NASA workforce is compounded by the narrowing pipeline of workers graduating from colleges and universities with science and engineering degrees. In addition, minority representation in these disciplines is only one-third of the representation in the U.S. population at large.

"We as a community and a country must be much more actively engaged in recruiting young people into the fields of science and technology. The United States is facing an impending shortage of professionals in science and engineering that can no longer be ignored," Durgans said. "To effectively counter this crisis we need to provide all students, 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."

Registration is required to attend Black Family Technology Awareness Day at Rensselaer. To register, contact the Office of Institute Diversity at (518) 276-3060 or e-mail fam-tech@rpi.edu.

Contact: Theresa Bourgeois
Phone: (518) 276-2840
E-mail: bourgt@rpi.edu