Contact: Jim Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--More than a dozen teachers from East and Central Mississippi are graduates of a Mississippi State workshop on uses of computational science to enhance instruction in basic science principles.
The recent campus training program was sponsored by the university-based Mississippi Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. Usually referred to by its acronym, EPSCoR works to identify, develop and deploy academic science and technology to increase the state's research and development competitiveness and foster economic growth.
EPSCoR programs are funded by a five-year, $20 million National Science Foundation grant that utilizes resources of MSU, as well as the universities of Mississippi and Southern Mississippi and Jackson State University. [For more, visit www.msepscor.org.]
In addition to class presentations and laboratory experiences, workshop participants spent time at MSU's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, High-Performance Computing Collaboratory and other major research areas where computational science is applied daily.
"One of our goals is to help Mississippi's teachers reach and teach their students with technology," said Katie Echols, EPSCoR's education and outreach coordinator.
"Today's students respond to technology because it's an integral part of their everyday lives," she added. "Computational science in the classroom takes advantage of that relationship and shows kids how science and research are cutting-edge and cool."
The participating teachers included (by hometown):
BROOKSVILLE--Emily Michelle Cade, Louisville High School
COLUMBUS--Nancy MacNeill and William Odom, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science; and Amanda Minichino, New Hope High School
EUPORA--Janice Lamb and Teresa Morton, Eupora Elementary School; and Anna Parker, Starkville Academy
LITTLE ROCK--Nichol Hillman, Newton County Academy
PHILADELPHIA--Deborah Duncan, Neshoba Central High School
SMITHVILLE--Darlene Rutledge, Smithville High School
STARKVILLE--Trent Moulder, New Hope High School
STEENS--Tammy Malachowski, East Mississippi Community College
UNION--Judy Flake, South Leake High School
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.