Oak Ridge Today

Applications being accepted for NSF Mathematical Sciences Internship Program

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Call for applications closes February 1, 2018

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is accepting applications for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Mathematical Sciences Graduate Internship Program, a 10-week summer program for graduate students pursuing a doctoral degree in mathematics, statistics, or applied mathematics.

To qualify, applicants must be enrolled as a graduate student pursuing a doctoral degree in mathematics, statistics, or applied mathematics at an accredited U.S. college or university, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher, a press release said. For a complete list of discipline areas, visit http://www.orise.orau.gov/nsf-msgi/. Students graduating with a doctoral degree prior to the expected internship start date are not eligible, the press release said.

Selected participants will receive a stipend of $1,200 per week for their participation in the internship and limited travel reimbursement. All applications must be submitted by February 1, 2018. [Read more…]

ORAU sponsors leading students, researchers at Heidelberg Laureate Forum

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Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

ORAU and the National Science Foundation sponsored 21 top U.S. students and postdoctoral researchers in the fields of mathematics and computer science at the 2017 Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Heidelberg, Germany.

Similar to the Lindau Laureate Meetings for Physics, Chemistry, and Life Sciences, students and postdoctoral researchers attended the week-long Heidelberg Forum to network with Laureates in their STEM fields, as well as with international colleagues. (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.)

Laureates who are invited to attend the meeting are recipients of the Abel Prize, the Fields Medal (including the Nevanlinna Prize for contributions in “Mathematical Aspects of Information Science”), the ACM A.M. Turing Award, and the ACM Prize in Computing. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools first in state to earn AdvancED STEM certification for all elementary, middle schools

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Students at Jefferson Middle School collaboratively plan problem-based learning (PBL). (Submitted photo)

Students at Jefferson Middle School collaboratively plan problem-based learning (PBL). (Submitted photo)

 

Oak Ridge Schools is the first district in the state to earn AdvancED STEM certification for all of its elementary and middle schools, a press release said.

AdvancED uses a research-based framework and criteria for the awareness, continuous improvement, and assessment of the quality, rigor, and substance of STEM educational programs, the press release said. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

In the spring of 2016, three Oak Ridge elementary schools earned AdvancED STEM certification: Glenwood, Linden, and Woodland. These schools were the first in the district to demonstrate the capacity to prepare students for STEM fields of study and work, the press release said.

In the spring of 2017, three more schools in Oak Ridge received this distinction: Willow Brook Elementary, Jefferson Middle, and Robertsville Middle.

“Our district is the first in the state to certify every elementary and middle school in the district,” the press release said. “We are committed to preparing our learners for the careers of tomorrow by perpetuating their enthusiasm for STEM disciplines today. Our focus on STEM demonstrates our continued commitment to ensure every Oak Ridge student is prepared for college, career, and life success.” [Read more…]

ORAU awards $32,000 in education grants to area schools

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Clinton City Schools and ORAU Education Grants 2015

Clinton City Schools education grant winners are pictured above. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

ORAU awarded 28 teachers from nine East Tennessee schools more than $32,000 in grant money during the 14th annual ORAU Education Grants ceremony.

The grant money will be used to purchase educational materials and equipment—such as Chromebooks, microscopes, meteorology kits, and more—to help teachers continue to meet rigorous, state-wide curriculum standards, and enhance the learning experience of their students, a press release said.

Since beginning this program in 2002, ORAU has provided more than $410,000 to area schools for projects that complement its mission of enriching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, programs.

“ORAU is honored to support our community by helping our schools secure the tools they need to capture and maintain students’ attention on these critical subjects,” ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page said. “These educators continue to show an impressive dedication to teaching, and we welcome the opportunity to show them how much we appreciate their dedication and hard work.” [Read more…]

Students to test skills, vie for scholarships in UT Pro2Serve Math Contest

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Hundreds of Tennessee high school students will put their mathematics skills to the test and vie for scholarships during this year’s UT Pro2Serve Math Contest, hosted by the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Registration opens Tuesday, August 25, for the 17th annual contest. The daylong event pits students—public, private, and home-schooled—from across the state in both individual and team competitions.

The contest, to be held Tuesday, October 27, at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park downtown, will award $6,000 annual scholarships to UT to the top 10 students in the individual competition. The scholarships are funded by UT and Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. Other prizes also will be given. [Read more…]

ORHS teacher a state finalist for presidential teaching excellence award

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Mary Elaine Vaughan

Mary Elaine Vaughan

Oak Ridge High School math teacher Elaine Vaughan has been named a Tennessee state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, or PAEMST.

The PAEMST are the nation’s highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science, a press release said. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education.

Vaughan is one of five finalists in mathematics for the 2015 PAEMST in Tennessee. Awardees will receive a certificate signed by President Barack Obama, a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. [Read more…]

Curran at ORNL receives SAE Foundation industry leadership award

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Scott Curran and SAE Leadership Award

Stefan Pischinger Young Industry Leadership Award winner Scott Curran, center, is congratulated by SAE Foundation Board Chairman Mazen Hammoud of Ford Motor Company and Patrick Hupperich, FEV North America Inc. president and CEO. (Photo: SAE Foundation)

 

Scott Curran, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has received the Society for Automotive Engineers Foundation’s 2015 Stefan Pischinger Young Industry Leadership Award.

The award, given this week at this year’s SAE Foundation Annual Celebration in Detroit, highlights early career individuals who demonstrate leadership potential and promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-based researched in their respective fields. The SAE Foundation is the charitable branch of the SAE International professional society.

A recipient of three engineering degrees from the University of Tennessee, Curran has been an active member of the SAE since his college days and has been involved in DOE’s Advanced Vehicle Technical Competition as both a student and an advisor. [Read more…]

Two UT juniors, including one from OR, awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

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Adam LaClair

Adam LaClair

Benjamin Brock

Benjamin Brock

Two juniors at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, including one from Oak Ridge, have been named 2015 Goldwater Scholars. The two juniors are Benjamin Brock and Adam LaClair.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program awards scholarships to students studying mathematics, science, and engineering. Each scholarship provides a $7,500 award for undergraduate study and research.

Brock, of Jefferson City, Tennessee, is a Haslam Scholar majoring in computer science. He has done research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Edinburgh, and UT.

LaClair, of Oak Ridge, is majoring in mathematics and computer science. He plans to pursue a doctorate in mathematics and wants to teach mathematics at the university level. [Read more…]

ORAU awards $25,000 for Extreme Classroom Makeover

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Charlie Arp 2015 Extreme Classroom Makeover Grand Prize

2015 Extreme Classroom Makeover grand prize winner Charlie Arp and his students. (Photo by ORAU)

 

The idea that technology has the ability to drastically change students’ lives was the focus of one regional middle school teacher’s video submission for the 2015 ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover competition. His dream of satisfying students’ hunger for technology in the classroom was realized Thursday as ORAU President Andy Page presented Brown Intermediate School science teacher Charlie Arp with a $25,000 technology makeover during a surprise school-wide assembly.

The funding is part of ORAU’s annual Extreme Classroom Makeover competition, now in its seventh year.

In his winning video Arp, explains that when it comes to teaching with technology, the sky is the limit. He describes many new and interactive approaches to teaching math and science, and he insists that, with this grant, he can satisfy his students’ hunger for technology in their day-to-day learning environment. Brown Intermediate School serves students from the city of Sweetwater in the fifth and sixth grades. [Read more…]

Honors: St. Mary’s teacher wins Air Force award

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St. Mary's Teacher wins Air Force Award

Teacher of the Year Marsha Sega receives a check from Steven Dillenburg, chapter president on September 24 in the St. Mary’s School library. (Submitted photo)

 

Marsha Sega is the middle school science and math teacher at St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge. Her work preparing her students to use and excel in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) won her the local Air Force Association chapter’s Teacher of the Year Award earlier this year.

The second part of the award was presented in the form of a check from Stephen Dillenburg, chapter president of the local Air Force Association on September 24 in the St. Mary’s School library, a press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools ‘STEMposium’ convenes educators from across country

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Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers

Discovery Education and Oak Ridge Schools will host a STEMposium on Thursday. It will be an interactive discussion focused on best practices for providing students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they need to succeed in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers, a press release said.

The release said the event will convene educators from some of the most innovative school districts across the country, including Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Houston Independent School District, Grand Prairie Independent School District in Texas, Baldwin County Public Schools in Alabama, Richland School District Two in South Carolina, and the New York City Department of Education.

They will discuss best practices for building a culture around STEM education, the release said. That includes exploring how to implement innovative STEM instructional strategies, and the use of digital content and curricula to drive student achievement. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools announces ACT results for 2013-2014 graduates

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The ACT college entrance examination “assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.” Students are tested in English, mathematics, reading, and science. They receive a score between one and 36 for each test and also a composite score, which averages the performance on all four subject tests.

The ACT is widely accepted as the premier college entrance examination.

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers said: “In the Oak Ridge Schools, we believe it is crucial for our students to perform well on the ACT examination. It is one of our Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness, and we are proud of how students perform on the ACT and of our teachers who prepare them. This year is no exception.”

The 2014 Oak Ridge High Schools graduating class significantly outperformed the state and national averages on each of the subject components of the ACT examination as well as the overall composite. In fact, Oak Ridge’s 2014 graduating class achieved higher in English, mathematics, reading, and composite than any other ORHS graduating class in the past five years. In addition, the percent of ORHS’s 2014 graduates that met or exceeded all four of the ACT College Readiness Benchmark Scores was far higher than the state and nation. [Read more…]