Kids' Tech University celebrates new sponsorships

**Published in the Virginia Tech News on Oct. 31st**

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 31, 2012 – The award-winning educational program Kids’ Tech University  celebrated a new milestone in achievement recently for its first corporate sponsorships from Rackspace, as part of the Rack Gives Back  program, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Designed for children ages 9 to 12, Kids' Tech University excites children about science while providing them with valuable experience in a university setting.

Through its Rack Gives Back program, Rackspace identifies local avenues for giving or volunteerism. One of their preferred areas is science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Robert McAden, business operations manager for Blacksburg’s Rackspace office, had enrolled his daughter in a Kids' Tech University course and saw the great benefit and need to continue the program.

“As an employer, Rackspace is reliant on a STEM-educated workforce and strives to support programs that reach kids and foster an early interest in technology. We participated in the hands-on activities at Kids' Tech University last year and were able to observe the value of the program first-hand. That is why we decided to help fund this valuable program,” said McAden.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a leading laboratory equipment company, donates to local communities in an effort to support the next generation of scientists -- a perfect match for the program's mission.

Corporate sponsorships are a great boon since registration fees generally don’t cover the cost of the program. Kids' Tech University strives to provide scholarships for needy students and build future economic stability through nurturing the upcoming workforce. 

In addition to the sponsorship from Rackspace and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Kids' Tech University has also formed an alliance with the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council to continue to spread the word about its exciting educational opportunities for students.

"For the program to be sustainable in the long run all the stakeholders will need to contribute. One of these is the business community, since Kids' Tech University is fundamentally a program to build the future workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our partnerships with Rackspace, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council represent a great step in engaging regional businesses,” said Reinhard Laubenbacher, director of education and outreach at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute.

Executive Director Derick Maggard noted: “The Partnership between Kids' Tech University and Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council is important because it allows our local technology communities to showcase real world applications of STEM studies; inspires kids to pursue a career in a STEM-related industry; and provides a fun, educational experience outside the classroom. By partnering with Kids' Tech University, the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council hopes to continue its mission of community outreach, raising the profile of our regional technology assets, and most importantly, inspire our young people to become scientists, techies, engineers, mathematicians, and entrepreneurs.”

Kids’ Tech University has just updated its website with the program schedule for 2013, which includes interactive sessions on topics including: fossilization processes, DNA, ships controlled by cell phones, and how math influences diabetes research. Kids' Tech University registration will open on the above website at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4.

Kids’ Tech University is a pioneering educational initiative designed to excite children about science and provide them with a real university experience. Kids' Tech University was spearheaded by Virginia Tech's Virginia Bioinformatics Institute in collaboration with the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program. The goal is to expose kindergarten through 12th grade students early to cutting-edge research in science, math, engineering, and technology to hopefully encourage them to pursue science careers. The Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University activities includes a spring event series for 9-12 year olds, a high school program, a Virginia Bioinformatics Institute interactive booth at the USA Science and Engineering Festival, and hosting kindergarten through 12th grade visits at the institute.

VT Southwest Center KTU program in Abingdon, VA, Saturday, Oct. 27th

“Patterns are Everywhere! How and Why?”
An interactive session led by Dr. Reinhard Laubenbacher
Professor at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and of the Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech

Did you know that we are surrounded by patterns--everywhere? For example, farmers need to understand weather patterns to plan their harvests. Your parents need to understand traffic patterns to drive you to school safely. Music and dance excite us through patterns of sounds and movement. Some patterns are pretty easy to spot, like the pattern on a seashell, or the pattern on a snowflake. However, other patterns around us aren’t so easy to see, like the patterns on a pine cone, or the patterns of ocean waves. I’ll bet you wouldn’t guess patterns exist in clouds! To discover some of these patterns, we need to be very, very observant. So join me and together we’ll hunt down some patterns in the world around us--and as we investigate how these patterns form and why they’re there, the answers may surprise you!

Dr. Laubenbacher has been a Professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Virginia Tech since 2001. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem (NC) and Affiliate Faculty in the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences. Prior to these appointments Dr. Laubenbacher was Professor of Mathematics at New Mexico State University. He has served as Visiting Faculty at Los Alamos National Laboratories, was a member of the Mathematical Science Research Institute at Berkeley in 1998, and was a Visiting Associate Professor at Cornell University in 1990 and 1993. Current interests in Dr. Laubenbacher’s research group include the development of mathematical algorithms and their application to problems in systems biology, in particular the modeling and simulation of molecular networks. An application area of particular interest is cancer systems biology, especially the role of iron metabolism in breast cancer.

"Tech or Treat"- Oct. 30th

*October 30 at ICAT STUDIOne *Collegiate Square - (near Next Door Bake Shop
and Center of Dance) (5 pm - 8 pm) FREE

Tech or Treaters ages five to twelve are invited to a Halloween event scarier than a hard drive full of critical data that isn't backed up. Demonstrations will include clever spooky-themed technologies developed by students and faculty at Virginia Tech in a family-friendly environment. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Co-presented by ICAT (Virginia Tech's Institute for Creativity Arts and Technology) and the Blacksburg Children's Museum.

Virginia Tech 2013 Spring Kids' Tech University program!

KTU is a semester-long educational research program developed by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in partnership with the Virginia 4-H, that puts

scientists and engineers in front of children to encourage the exploration of intriguing topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

After the success of KTU in 2009-12, we are excited to announce the 2013 spring semester event at Virginia Tech for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 (on September 30, 2012). KTU is held in the same campus lecture halls used by VT students. Hands-on activities follow each interactive session and an online component continues the interest and excitement after the campus activities have been completed.

Spring 2013 Registration Procedure
• Online enrollment begins at 6 p.m. on December 4, 2012
•450 children will be accepted into the program
•Those accepted will represent a geographically diverse area.
•For enrollment information, please visit http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu/
•Registration is on a “first-come, first-served” basis that is open to children satisfying the age restriction, regardless of place of residence or academic achievements. A waiting list will be available after registration is full for a county or for the program.
•In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $100.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend.

Registration Fee- In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $100.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). The registration fee must be paid for by check; further directions will be given at the time of enrollment. Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend KTU.

2013 VT KTU Schedule

January 26, 2013 - “No bones about it: How are shells and skeletons formed from crystals?” An interactive session led by Dr. Patricia Dove, Virginia Tech

From beautiful snowflakes to diamonds, crystals are everywhere. Crystals also make up the hard tissues of animals that we know as bones, teeth and shells. We call these ‘biominerals’. In this presentation, I will be talking about the many kinds of biominerals that animals (and plants!) make to serve an amazing variety of purposes. The best known biominerals are our bones that enable us to stand and move around. But did you know that biominerals can also become structures that filter light and food? Act as sensors for sight and shadows? Provide a compass?

We will also talk about fossils and how what they tell us about how animals and plants have made biominerals for more than 500 million years. Geobiologists work as modern- day detectives to study evidence from these fossils to learn how their sizes and shapes have changed through ice ages, meteor impacts, and volcanic eruptions.

Most of our discussion, however, will be about crystals. We will see videos of actual crystals growing from atoms and talk about how they are shaped into beautiful patterns.

February 23, 2013- "The Genetic Code: Is it the piano that’s important, or the music played on it?" An interactive session led by Dr. Victor Raboy, United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Aberdeen, Idaho

Hard-working scientists have deciphered the entire computer code of life, the complete set of genes called the “genome”, of humans, other animals, plants, fish and bugs. They figured that if they knew the entire genetic code, they would understand pretty much everything about how humans, animals, plants and bugs worked. While deciphering entire genomes has greatly increased what we know about how things biological work, it turns out that just knowing the entire genetic code doesn’t explain everything. Sometimes it hardly explains anything! There are thousands of genes in a genome and each one has an “on-off” switch or a “volume control”. If the genome is the “piano” and the genes are the piano keys, then it is how all the genes are played together, just like a virtuoso’s fingers dancing over the piano keys to make music, that is ultimately important. Scientists are just beginning to understand that it’s not only the genes themselves, but how they are “played”, via a process called “epigenetics”, that can make all the difference. We will have fun learning to understand how epigenetics works, and how we can use this new knowledge to cure disease and make more nutritious vegetables for kids to eat!

March 23, 2013 - “How can my phone make my boat safer?” An interactive session led by Dr. Leigh McCue-Weil, Virginia Tech

These days it seems everyone is carrying around a smart phone. But just how smart is that phone? It can give you directions, recommend a restaurant, even let your parents keep an eye on where you are. In this talk we will take that a step further to see how our phones can help us make boating safer. If you have seen popular crabbing TV shows, you have seen how dangerous commercial fishing can be. We will discuss the ins and outs of writing an app to try to alleviate some of that risk.

April 6, 2013 - “Why do Doctors Need Math to Treat Diabetes?” An interactive session led by Dr. Boris Kovatchev, University of Virginia

When we eat candy, chocolate, ice cream, or cereal, the sugar from these foods enters our bodies and is then “burned” with the help of a hormone called insulin to give us energy to move around. In fact, our brains eat mostly sugar, so without sugar we won’t be able to even think. This is called “metabolism” – the engine that makes us tick. Kids and adults who have diabetes don’t make enough insulin, so they need additional insulin injections to make their bodies work. How much, however, is very important – less insulin or more insulin can cause all kinds of trouble, and can be even deadly. So, doctors need Math to be able to precisely tell how much and when to inject insulin. And when it comes to computers that inject insulin, then the Math becomes even more important and more complicated.

In this talk we’ll learn how Math can help treat diabetes, and even make possible an amazing device – the artificial pancreas – which will one day take care of kids and adults with diabetes safely and automatically.

2013 VBI High School Summer Internship- Modeling of Infectious Diseases

Program dates: July 8-12, 2013

Application Deadline: May 3, 2013

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech offers summer internships to high school students interested in computer science, mathematics, infectious diseases, the environment, and bioinformatics. This week-long program includes research activities and tours, and a discussion/lecture series.

High school students interested in math and science, who are able to provide their own reliable transportation to VBI each morning, are eligible for participation in the program. The main objective of this high school internship is to show students the fun and excitement of scientific research. Students will have the opportunity to explore the world of genomics and the environment with world-renowned research scientists in professional labs.

Dedicated work is key for success in any career, especially one in bioinformatics research. The internship experience will strengthen the principle of dedicated work through intensive laboratory research and journal keeping exercises given throughout the week. A highly motivated attitude is encouraged throughout the program!

Program website- http://highschool.vbi.vt.edu/

This program is funded through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, administered through the MIDAS Network. Grant number: U01 GM070694-09

Virginia Tech Museum of Geosciences and VT Geology Club GeoFair and Mineral Sale

Sat. Oct. 20th 10 am-5pm

Museum of Geosciences, 2062 Derring Hall
Proceeds support Museum Education and Outreach Programs

Celebrate Earth Science Week!

Events include:
Hands-on activities to learn about the geosciences available throughout the day
~OmniGlobe- interactive visualization
~EmRiver- stream and delta simulation
~Fluorescent Mineral Display
~Gem Identification Station

A variety of affordable mineral specimens to examine and purchase.

Free admission and parking
Sorry, no credit cards: ATM's nearby
Questions- contact the museum at 540-231-4080 or http://www.outreach.geos.vt.edu/

VSU KTU- this Saturday, Oct. 13th!

"Computer Science in the World: From Toy Brains to Keeping Trees Healthy"

An interactive session led by Dr. Caitlin Kelleher

Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Washington University in St. Louis

One of the coolest things about computer science is that you can use the tools of computing to help solve just about any problem you can find or imagine. In this talk, we'll look at how people teach computers to solve problems. We'll start by delving into the brains of electronic toys and then see how some computer scientists are approaching some of the biggest problems we face as a society.

Dr. Caitlin Kelleher is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Washington University in St. Louis. Her computer program, “Storytelling Alice,” has been shown to be influential in the teaching of computer programming to young females.

Hokie Bugfest returns to Virginia Tech

Crawl, scamper, or inch your way to the second annual Hokie Bugfest, when kids of all ages can learn about the importance of insects and their relatives in our daily lives. Children and their parents can discover what a 10-inch millipede looks like, stare a tarantula right in its eight eyes, and watch cockroach races.

The Oct. 20, event is free and open to the public; it takes place at The Inn at Virginia Tech.

The many hands-on exhibits and the large collection of insects on display — including blue death-feigning beetles and cave-dwelling whip scorpions that squirt vinegar from their tails — are designed to not only send shivers down spines but also to build an interest in the science of entomology.

“Insects often do more good than harm,” said Mike Weaver, professor of entomology and Virginia Cooperative Extension director of Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs. “Insects play a vital role in the environment; for example, they pollinate crops and decompose waste materials. Entomology helps unlock the secrets of both the insect world and the environment at large.”

The festival is a learning opportunity for children, who can admire a giant bird-eater tarantula, try on beekeepers’ suits, and learn about aquatic insects. Dozens of hands-on exhibits will also give families the opportunity to learn about less-popular arthropods such as bed bugs, cockroaches, stink bugs, mosquitoes, and termites. After visiting eight exhibits, children will receive official junior entomologist certificates.

Jim Alberti’s troupe of performing fleas, the HokieBird, the Hokietron, and robotic insects will also be featured.

Hosted by Virginia 4-H and the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the festival celebrates the legacy of William Bradford Alwood, Virginia Tech’s first entomologist and an internationally known scientist. He is credited with laying the foundation for the college and developing the horticulture and pest management disciplines.

The Hokie Bugfest takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A complete list of activities and parking information is available on the Hokie Bugfest website.

The event is held in collaboration with the entomology department’s student-run organization, the W.B. Alwood Society.

Nationally ranked among the top research institutions of its kind, Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences focuses on the science and business of living systems through learning, discovery, and engagement. The college’s comprehensive curriculum gives more than 3,100 students in a dozen academic departments a balanced education that ranges from food and fiber production to economics to human health. Students learn from the world’s leading agricultural scientists, who bring the latest science and technology into the classroom.

Caine's Arcade, Global Cardboard Challenge!

Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts, & Technology

Join us for

CAINE'S ARCADE

Global Cardboard Challenge!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

MAKE from 9 AM to 1 PM GAME from 1 PM to 2PM

ICAT STUDIOne 460 Turner Street, NW, Blacksburg, VA

RSVP to pnewbill@vt.edu

Recommended for ages 7 to 107.

An adult must accompany all kids.

FREE, limited to 25 participants + their grownups.

ICAT will supply the boxes and materials, but feel free to bring your own as well.

Also, feel free to MAKE your own cardboard arcade game at home and bring it for GAME time.

Watch the movie that started it all:  www.imagination.is

Toledo Zoo Climate Change Symposium- Oct. 31, 2012

Climate Change Symposium

Location: Indoor Theater in the Museum of Science

From: October 31, 2012 at 9:00am to: 12:45pm

Details: An informative presentation about climate change

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The Toledo Zoo’s Education Department invites you to join us for an informative symposium about climate change.  The purpose of this symposium is to provide accurate, relevant and up-to-date information about climate change research and the impact of climate change to the environment and organisms.  In addition, a hands-on demonstration will illustrate the impact of climate change on the environment.

Zoo admission is free for Symposium attendees, and pizza and assorted beverages (soda and water) will be provided during the lunch break in the Museum’s Great Hall.

Register Online Today! (individual or group registrations are welcome)

Speakers and Presenters

Dr. Lonnie Thompson
Dr. Thompson is a distinguished university professor in the School of Earth Sciences and a research scientist in the Byrd Polar Research Center at The Ohio State University.

Dr. Andy Jorgensen
Dr. Jorgensen is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toledo.

Dr. Scott Heckathorn
Dr. Heckathorn is an associate professor of Ecology in the Department of Environmental Sciences at The University of Toledo.

Dr. Randi Meyerson
Dr. Meyerson is the curator of mammals at the Toledo Zoo and chairs the Polar Bear Species Survival Plan for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Polar Bears International
Polar Bears International (PBI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the worldwide conservation of the polar bear and its habitat through research, stewardship and education.

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is a leader in imaginative and interactive learning experiences whose goal is to increase science literacy; enhance public interest in math, science and technology issues; to promote knowledge of career opportunities and choices; and to create a social learning forum.

Target Audience

Middle and senior high school science teachers and students
Staff, faculty and students at area institutes for higher learning
Zoo staff and volunteers (including board members)
Zoo members
Anyone from the general public who would like to learn more about climate change

Symposium Schedule

9:00AM – 9:05AM
Welcome and Introduction
Mr. Jeff Sailer - Executive Director, Toledo Zoo

9:05AM – 9:25AM
Global Climate Change: An “Inconvenient Truth” meets the “Inconvenienced Mind”
Dr. Lonnie Thompson - Ohio State University

9:30AM – 9:50AM
Global Climate Change:  What Is It? How Will It Affect Us? Can We Reduce the Impact By Our Actions?
Dr. Andy Jorgensen - University of Toledo

9:55AM – 10:25AM
Demonstration
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

10:25AM – 10:55AM
Lunch Break (complimentary pizza and beverages will be served in the Museum of Science’s Great Hall)

11:00AM – 11:30AM
Panel Discussion on Climate Change
Live via videoconference from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Polar Bears International

11:35AM – 11:55AM
Effects of Global Warming on Plants
Dr. Scott Heckathorn - University of Toledo

12:00PM – 12:15PM
Polar Bears and Climate Change
Dr. Randi Meyerson – Toledo Zoo

12:15PM – 12:30PM
Wrap Up, Q and A
Mr. Mitch Magdich – Toledo Zoo

Reminder! Enrollment opens on Mon., Oct. 1 at 6 pm for VT Southwest Center KTU program in Abingdon, VA!

KTU is a semester-long educational research program developed by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in partnership with the Virginia 4-H, that puts scientists and engineers in front of children to encourage the exploration of intriguing topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

After the success of KTU in 2009-2012, we are excited to announce the 2012-13 program happening at the Virginia Southwest Center, located in the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abington, VA for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 (on September 30, 2012). Hands-on activities follow each interactive session and an online component continues the interest and excitement after the campus activities have been completed.


Registration Procedure• Online enrollment begins at 6 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2012
•100 children will be accepted into the program
•Those accepted will represent a geographically diverse area.
•For enrollment information, please visit http://kidstechuniversity-swvac.vbi.vt.edu/
•Registration is on a “first-come, first-served” basis that is open to children satisfying the age restriction, regardless of place of residence or academic achievements. A waiting list will be available after registration is full for a county or for the program.

Registration Fee- In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $100.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). The registration fee must be paid for by check; further directions will be given at the time of enrollment. Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend KTU.


2012/13 VT Southwest Center KTU Schedule (in Abingdon, VA)

Oct. 27, 2012 - “Patterns are Everywhere! How and Why?” An interactive session led by Dr. Reinhard Laubenbacher, Professor at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and of the Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech

Did you know that we are surrounded by patterns--everywhere? For example, farmers need to understand weather patterns to plan their harvests. Your parents need to understand traffic patterns to drive you to school safely. Music and dance excite us through patterns of sounds and movement. Some patterns are pretty easy to spot, like the pattern on a seashell, or the pattern on a snowflake. However, other patterns around us aren’t so easy to see, like the patterns on a pine cone, or the patterns of ocean waves. I’ll bet you wouldn’t guess patterns exist in clouds! To discover some of these patterns, we need to be very, very observant. So join me and together we’ll hunt down some patterns in the world around us--and as we investigate how these patterns form and why they’re there, the answers may surprise you!

April 20th, 2013- "Why Is Antarctica So "Cool" To Geologists?" An interactive session led by Cristina Millan, Ph.D. student in the School of Earth Sciences at the Ohio State University

Geologists are scientists that study the Earth in order to understand what our planet looked like in the past, how it changed to its present form and what it will look like in the future. These are important issues for all of us so we can better predict and prepare for any changes that may occur and can affect our way of life. Antarctica is a great place for geologists to work, because it is a very old continent that has experienced a lot of changes and can help answer some of these questions. Scientists have drilled for rocks in Antarctica to learn how mountains and volcanoes formed and how they might be related to earthquakes or what kind of plants and animals lived there in the past and why and when they disappeared. Rocks can also tell us why there is so much ice in Antarctica, when it all formed and, ultimately, how its melting will affect the rest of the world.