dgubernick's blog

“I think it is an interesting time that we’re living in, and I think this initiative is going to be really important.”

Martha Ostheimer, Assistant Director of the UA STEM Learning Center, talking about University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart’s strategic plan to transform the UA into a new model of land-grant institution.

"It's a very exciting time for us as we try to take the University to the next level in our efforts at technology, innovation, and commercialization."

Bruce A. Wright, Associate Vice President University Research Parks

“We are teaching sixteenth century math to twenty-first century students.”

Ivan Correa, MetroMatemáticas, March 20, 2013

Ivan Correa was referring to Sonora’s schools when he made that comment, but it was received with nods and murmurs of agreement from the other people in the room who work every day to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education in Tucson, Southern Arizona, and across the border.

As the temperatures start to climb in Arizona, unwelcome encounters with venomous critters increase. State residents are lucky to have ready access to the antivenoms developed by the University of Arizona’s Venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology and Emergency Response Institute (VIPER). VIPER’s director, Dr.

A humanist and a STEM professional walk into a café…

No, this isn’t a set-up for a joke; it describes what will happen tonight at the free Science Café  at the Arizona Science Center when humanist Christiana Honsberg and technical professional Kris Mayers sit down to discuss power. “People think of power in two very different ways: a form of authority or electricity. Are these two forms of power really all that different? Consider how one may affect the other when electrical grids are being used as a mechanism of power.”

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild is driven to make Tucson a place where children can grow, thrive, learn, and then find rewarding careers—he wants to make sure that our children can stay right here in Arizona to pursue their ambitions. As part of this vision, the mayor convened a Summit for Youth Service Nonprofits on March 14, 2013 at Pima Community College to “foment collaboration” in Tucson that improves the lives of our children, youth, and adults.

“If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, we’ve got to open doors for everyone. We need all hands on deck, and that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.”

Just as technology has changed our everyday life, so has technology revolutionized the way that products are designed, machined, and assembled at Arizona’s state-of-the-art manufacturing companies. Six manufacturers in Chandler, Clarkdale, Phoenix, and Tempe open their doors on Tuesday, March 12 for behind-the-scenes tours of their facilities.

Today’s children will grow up to become tomorrow’s scientists, and opportunities to experience the natural world can spark a lifelong interest in science.

What is the relationship between science fiction and science? Does science fiction inspire scientists? Do science fiction and science intersect? On Saturday afternoon, listen to four authors and scientists discuss Where's My Hoverboard? Pop Culture in the SciFi Landscape at the Tucson Festival of Books on the University of Arizona campus.