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Dear Eric,
Welcome to the Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology's monthly
electronic news bulletin. This publication is sent to educational
innovators and leaders in scientific and technical fields in the US and
around the world. Please look to the end of this email for information
about the Academy and its mission. We can be reached at
info@fulbrighter.org
The Academy is an independent non-profit managed by a dedicated group
of volunteers. The Academy receives support from businesses, institutions,
organizations, foundations, and individuals interested in developing a
network of leaders in science and technology. It is not affiliated with
the Fulbright Association, the US State Department or the Board of Foreign
Scholars. These organizations are not responsible for the content of this
bulletin, and it cannot be assumed that they approve or endorse any
material appearing in it.
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The Fulbright Academy's Mission |
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| Transferring basic, life changing science to
the third world. Training and basic equipment in scientific areas
such as agriculture or water purification. Using simple as well as
advanced technologies to educate the millions of young people who
will come of age in the next two decades.
These activities can have a major impact on the standard of
living of many people around the world. Such persons do not require
unsupportable high tech solutions, rather simple, traditional or
novel knowledge and the most basic equipment can have a profound
impact.
The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology will use our
network of leaders -- bringing their expertise to bear on criticial
problems in education, scientific innovation and economic
development. We look forward to your involvement.
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Engineering, Legos, and Fulbright |
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Dr. Chris Rogers, professor of
mechanical engineering at Tufts University, is one of six faculty
members from around the country to receive the National Science
Foundation's 2003 Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching
Scholars. Rogers was recognized for his work in making engineering
accessible and exciting to students of all ages.
Working with the LEGO Company, Rogers developed ROBOLAB, an
educational tool that uses Lego building blocks and robotics to
teach science and math. With the aid of computerized motors and
sensors, ROBOLAB allows students to experience and better understand
sophisticated science and engineering concepts. More than 30,000
elementary schools, high schools and colleges around the world are
using ROBOLAB. It has been translated into 15 languages.
Rogers is active in Tufts' Center for Engineering Educational
Outreach, which works with K-12 teachers around the country to
design curricula, test new teaching strategies and investigate how
children learn best. In 2002, Dr. Rogers was a Fulbright at Lincoln
University in Canterbury, New Zealand, conducting research and
lecturing on incorporating robotics and engineering into elementary
school education.
The awards were presented at a ceremony at the National Academy
of Sciences on June 3. Recipients' four-year grants of $300,000 will
enable them to improve how science, technology, engineering and
mathematics research translates into instruction of undergraduates,
including those not majoring in these fields. NSF Director Rita
Colwell established the award in 2001 as part of the foundation's
effort to promote an interest among academics in both disciplinary
scholarship and in undergraduate education in mathematics, science,
technology and engineering, regardless of students' majors.
Source:
Tufts Journal »
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ChemWeb.Com |
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| Dr. Ott Roots, the Monitoring Co-ordinator at
the Estonian Environmental Research Center in Tallin sent us an
email recommending the ChemWeb.Com website. The site provides the
latest news and updates in eleven different areas of chemistry -
organic, inorganic, analytic, pharmaceutical, etc.
Launched in April 1997, ChemWeb is the largest online chemical
community in the world. It is a unique resource which combines a
huge range of information for those in research chemistry, the
chemicals industries and related disciplines. Membership is
completely free.
ChemWeb.com members can access over 350 journals and 15 databases
from a variety of publishers, such as research relating to Dr.
Roots' interest: halogenated environmental contaminants (PCB,DDT,HCH
and PCDD/PCDF) from the Baltic Sea. ChemWeb.com also has a Careers
Centre in association with sciencejobs.com.
The
ChemWeb.Com site »
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United Nations Millennium Development Goals |
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As part of the millennium celebration all
191 members of the United Nations have pledged to meet eight goals
by the year 2015. In our May newsletter, we wrote about wrote about
one Fulbrighter's efforts to improve UN Goal #5: Improve Maternal
Health. The June and July issues contained stories about UN Goal #7:
Ensure environmental sustainability.
Many members of the Fulbright family are carrying out work that
will help our global society acheive the eight goals. We look
forward to working with key partners around the world that will help
acheive the UN Millennium Development Goals, and participation is
not limited to those who work the academic community. On July 25th,
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (a Fulbrighter himself) launched the
Commission on Private Sector and Development, whose mission is to
foster the millennium development goals.
In launching the Commission, Dr. Annan said, "Ranging from
halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and
providing universal primary education -- all by the target date of
2015 -- the Millennium Development Goals represent a set of simple
but powerful objectives that every man or woman in the street, from
New York to Nairobi to New Delhi, can easily understand and
support." Click on the banner above to link with the Millennium
website.
More on the Millennium
Initiative »
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New Fulbrighters in the US |
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We received a message from Jerome Diaz last
month. This summer, several Fulbright students were assigned to
attend the Group B Gateway Orientation at UCLA. The gateway
orientation was aimed at familiarizing new Fulbrighters on US
culture and society. It also aimed to foster bonds amongst Fulbright
students. They thought it was just going to be another orientation,
just like the rest...or so they thought.
Jerome wrote: "i am a new fulbright student from the philippines.
i recently attended a fulbright gateway orientation at ucla. it was
a memorable week for me and for all of the participants. we all had
a nice time together. to have a glimpse of my experience at ucla, i
have made a website. please do visit it."
UCLA Welcome »
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Selected New Members of the Academy |
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| Dr. Herbert Lyon is a professor of math at
Black Hawk College, having previously served as President of the
college and of University of New Mexico-Los Alamos. He has returned
to teaching, and has a particular interest in the application of
technology for teaching math. He has overseas experience in
Malaysia, Nigeria, China, Jordan, and Qatar.
Dr. David Swanson, Chair of the Department of Sociology and
Anthropology at The University of Mississippi. He also serves as the
Director of the Center on Population Studies, which is located on
the campus. His initial Fulbright to lecture on demographics in
India was canceled because of the Gulf War. Earlier this year he
participated in the German Studies Seminar with FAST Board Member
Michelle Behr.
Dr. Almudena Aguero is a researcher at CIEMAT, a research centre
for energy, environment and technology within the Spanish Ministry
of Science & Technology. Her main expertise is environmental
impact assessment modelling of hazardous and radioactive waste
disposal. She is also involved in climate change consequences on
landscape evolution.
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Reminder: Fulbright Association Annual
Conference |
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The plenary luncheon speaker at
the Association's Annual Conferece is Mireya Mayor, a primatologist
who went on a Fulbright to Madagascar in 2001. She is an expert on
two types of lemurs found in northern Madagascar. Sifakas are among
the most critically endangered primates in the world.
Their 26th Annual Conference is in Washington, DC on Oct. 30 to
Nov. 2. The theme for this years meeting is "Fulbright Exchanges:
Advancing Knowledge & Mutual Understanding." To register for the
conference, please contact the Fulbright Association at 202-347-5543
or visit their website, www.fulbrightalumni.org
Although the Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology is not
affiliated with the Fulbright Association, many Academy members are
attending the Association meeting. While there, our board will be
meeting and board members are meeting with many local funding
agencies and foundations. We look forward to seeing many of you
there.
A
link to the Fulbright Association »
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Educational Outreach & Sponsors |
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Do you have an initiative that could benefit
from a partnership with the Fulbright Academy? Can we help promote
one of your programs or the results of your work? Through our
networks we can bring your work and your message to new
constituencies.
Please tell us how we can help you, and send us your story. We
want to share your plans, your successes and your intellectual
contributions with others.
The Academy continues to work on developing partnerships with
businesses and organizations around the world. We have received
several small grants to support or outreach, but additional support
is needed. Please consider joining as an individual or as an
organization. The links to our website are below.
To make a
donation »
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