FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2006
FY07-03
ORNL, ORISE Partner for Fifth Annual Day of Science and DOE Workshop to Promote Scientific Research Partnerships
Listen to an audio report from the Day of Science (MP3)
OAK RIDGE, Tenn.—More than 250 students and faculty from 45 colleges and universities across the nation, including many historically black colleges and universities and minority education institutions, gathered on Monday at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the Fifth Annual Day of Science and Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored Minority Education Technical Assistance Workshop.
Morgan State University undergraduate Omari Kariuki watched as Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Materials Science and Technology Division scientist Patrick Martin demonstrated how liquid nitrogen acts as a coolant in superconducting cable design. Kariuki was one of more than 250 students and faculty who attended the Fifth Annual Day of Science and Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored Minority Education Technical Assistance Workshop on Monday at ORNL. High-resolution version of photo
Held jointly at ORNL for the first time ever, the Day of Science and Minority Education Technical Assistance Workshop offered students, faculty members and administrators the opportunity to interact one-on-one with ORNL and DOE representatives. Students attending the Day of Science learned about internship and research opportunities at the laboratory and attended a series of lectures and exhibitions highlighting some of the most exciting scientific research currently taking place at ORNL. University faculty and administrators who attended the Minority Education Technical Assistance Workshop were also educated on how to successfully compete for funding and collaborative opportunities with DOE and its contractors.
The Day of Science and Minority Education Technical Assistance Workshop are an exciting way for faculty and students to learn about opportunities for internship and research experiences at ORNL. As DOE’s largest science and energy laboratory and host to approximately 3,000 guest researchers annually, ORNL hosts the Day of Science to increase the diversity of students who apply and are selected for its summer or semester undergraduate research participation programs. The event not only gives participants a chance to learn about some of the laboratory’s most innovative research projects, but students and faculty are also encouraged to meet many of the scientists who serve as mentors with the internship programs.
Morgan State University undergraduate Omari Kariuki was one of several groups of students who toured the Exploratory Visualization Environment for Research in Science and Technology (EVEREST) laboratory. ORNL's EVEREST is a large-scale venue for data exploration and analysis measuring 30 feet wide by eight feet tall. Its screen is comparable in size to 150 standard computer displays and allows scientists to work collaboratively to analyze large data sets. Kariuki, a senior in electrical engineering, explained, “I enjoyed touring the EVEREST lab and I hope to come back to ORNL next summer to participate in an internship.”
Charles Greene, the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), served as keynote speaker at a midday luncheon and discussed the importance of nurturing relationships between students, faculty and administrators at the nation’s HBCUs. Greene stressed that educators and administrators must make an effort to be supportive of students who wish to pursue an education in math or science.
The 2006 Day of Science was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Science and Office of Economic Impact, UT-Battelle, ORNL, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).
ORISE manages most of ORNL’s educational research programs for students and faculty.
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is a U.S. Department of Energy institute focusing on scientific initiatives to research health risks from occupational hazards, assess environmental cleanup, respond to radiation medical emergencies, support national security and emergency preparedness, and educate the next generation of scientists. ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities.