University to Host NSF Conference Friday and Saturday

COLLEGE STATION - October 14, 2005 - Sixty-seven teachers, graduate students, and directors from six states and ten National Science Foundation (NSF) GK-12 programs will attend the first Southwest Regional NSF GK-12 Conference on October 21 and 22, 2005 held at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University.

NSF GK-12 programs around the country finance graduate students to be resources in mathematics and science content in public schools, to improve the use of inquiry learning, and stimulate interest in mathematics and science careers in K-12 schools, according to Larry Johnson, PhD, Professor of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences at Texas A&M. "Graduate students benefit from honing their organization and communication skills as they develop an avocation for future public school interface as scientists or other types of professionals," said Dr. Johnson.

The purpose of the regional conference is to establish collaborations and share resources and ideas to enhance effectiveness of the collective GK-12 programs. The conference program consists of a reception, presentations from each of the GK-12 groups, group activities as would be presented in public schools, panel discussions and poster presentations. The meeting will be recorded in a peer-review proceedings.

Notable features of the conference will be an address by Dr. Karen Watson, Dean of Faculties at Texas A&M, on "Recruitment of Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics," and the attendance of Dr. Sonia Ortega of the National Science Foundation and the director of 144 GK-12 programs across the United States. The public is welcome to attend the poster presentations on Saturday from 1:00 to 1:50 p.m. on the second floor of the Veterinary Medical Science Building at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. For more information visit http://peer.tamu.edu.

Contact Information:
Angela G. Clendenin
Director, Communications & Public Relations
Ofc - (979) 862-2675
Cell - (979) 739-5718