University Days Offers Invigorating, Hands-On Science Education

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Dr. H. John Wood

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Researchers and staff in laboratories at the University of Arkansas will welcome area K-12 students and teachers of science, math and technology during University Days on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 16-17.

Sponsored by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences; the College of Engineering; the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Education and Health Professions; the Center for Mathematics and Science Education; and the Arkansas NASA Educator Resource Center, this annual program seeks to stimulate science education in northwest Arkansas classrooms by offering instruction and hands-on experience.

Teams of two students and one teacher from home, private and public area schools attend this free-of-charge day. They select three separate sessions of interest from numerous science, mathematics and technology choices; experience the science, mathematics and technology activities at their appropriate grade levels; and are provided an internationally known guest scientist speaker at the University Day luncheon.

This year’s featured guest is Dr. H. John Wood, an astronomer who serves as an optical engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Since June 1990, he has been the optics lead engineer on the Hubble Space Telescope Project. He led the team that successfully determined the optical prescription of the telescope while in orbit. He then led NASA's effort to develop and test the corrective optics for Hubble. He currently serves as science liaison in the instrument synthesis and analysis at Goddard. Wood, the author of 50 research papers in astronomy and space optics, will offer a public lecture on “15 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope: Looking at Past, Present and Future Space Research.” It will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Arkansas Union Theater. The public is invited.

“One reason University Day has become such an annual success is that regional K-12 students and teachers have the opportunity to interact with faculty in creative and novel approaches to math and science education,” said Lynne H. Hehr, director of the Arkansas NASA Educator Resource Center. “Students and teachers view windows into the future of science, math and technology as they participate in a day of hands-on laboratory activities using state-of-the-art equipment and technology. We offer students the chance to experience the relevance of science and we offer teachers new ideas and techniques to use in their classrooms.

University Days 2006 requires prior registration. Activities on Feb. 16 will be for grades K-6, with activities on Feb. 17 planned for grades 7-12. The sessions are free to home, private and public school children and teachers. To register or for more information, call (479) 575-3875 or e-mail mmixon@uark.edu.