President Obama to Host White House Science Fair

Today, President Obama will host the White House Science Fair celebrating the winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions. The White House Science Fair fulfills a commitment the President made at the launch of his Educate to Innovate campaign in November 2009 to move American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.

The White House Science Fair kicks off a week that culminates with the USA Science and Engineering Festival on the National Mall and in 50 satellite locations, poised to engage more than a million people nationwide.

At the White House Science Fair, President Obama will view exhibits of winning student projects, ranging from breakthrough basic research to new inventions, and will deliver remarks congratulating these students on their diligence, desire to tackle hard problems, and drive to invent and discover.

President Obama has identified STEM education as necessary for laying the new foundation for America’s future prosperity and has made it a priority as part of the Administration’s $4 billion Race to the Top (RTT) competition. States were encouraged to develop a comprehensive strategy to improve achievement in STEM subjects, to partner with local institutions and to broaden participation of women and underrepresented minorities.

Showcasing his commitment to inspire young people to excel in math and science, President Obama will appear in the Dec. 8, 2010, episode of Discovery Channel’s MythBusters, a television show that uses science to determine the truth behind urban legends. MythBusters has approximately 13 million viewers a week and is very popular with 9-14 year olds. The show will also be included in the Science Channel’s commercial-free kids STEM television block as part of Educate to Innovate.

More than 850 corporations, trade associations, federal agencies, colleges and universities and 300 K-12 schools will come together Oct. 23-24, 2010, in downtown Washington to host one of the country's largest science and engineering festivals. With over 1,500 interactive exhibits, 75 stage shows and 50 satellite events in 25 states, this festival is poised to reach over a million people nationwide.

Among the exhibits at the White House Science Fair is one from the winners of the Inspire Award, the most prestigious award at the 2010 FIRST Tech Challenge, honoring the team that performs well in all categories and deemed as the most desirable alliance partner by their peers. The NASA Robotics Alliance Project supports participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition by providing grants to high school teams, as well as sponsoring FIRST regional competitions. The winning team was the Rock n’ Roll Robots, composed of all Girl Scoutsers, and represented by Catherine Wooten, Taylor Halsey and Salia Wilson, all from Los Angeles, Calif.

Winners from broad range of NASA-sponsored or affiliated STEM competitions will participate in the festivals, including those from the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award, to create new products using technology; Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, for middle school students; FIRST Lego League, for elementary students to create LEGO-based robots; Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, for using local data; PBS Design Squad, for students who design and build new inventions with recyclable materials and the Team America Rocketry Challenge.

NASA Selects Astronaut Leland D. Melvin to Lead Office of Education

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced Tuesday the selection of Leland D. Melvin as the agency's new associate administrator for education, effective immediately. He succeeds James L. Stofan, who had served in an acting capacity since the spring.

Since April 2010, Melvin has been assigned to the Office of Education at Headquarters leading the Education Design Team. His job was to develop a strategy to improve NASA's education offerings and to assist the agency in establishing goals, structures, processes and evaluation techniques to implement a sustainable and innovative science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education program. He also served as the partnership development manager for the agency's new Summer of Innovation education initiative, aimed at engaging middle school students in STEM activities during the summer break.

"I am delighted to have Leland lead the Office of Education at a time when engaging more students in STEM-related studies and careers is so critical -- not only to NASA but to our nation," Bolden said. "With his dedication and passion, I know we will have a bright future in education under his leadership."

"I also want to thank Jim Stofan for the outstanding job he has done leading the Office of Education since April," Bolden added. "He launched several key new education programs during his tenure and will continue to be a valued asset as he resumes his previous role as deputy associate administrator."

As associate administrator, Melvin will be responsible for the development and implementation of the agency's education programs that strengthen student involvement and public awareness about NASA's scientific goals and missions.

"My passion for education was inspired by my parents, who were both middle school teachers," Melvin said. "I witnessed the direct impact that educators can have in a community and on an individual's destiny. NASA's people, programs and resources are unparalleled. Our unique assets are poised to engage students, to captivate their imagination and to encourage their pursuit of STEM-related studies that are so vital to their future. This is an exciting challenge and I am ready to work with Administrator Bolden, my colleagues at NASA, our partners, and students across the country to usher in a new era of opportunity to inspire that next generation of explorers."

Melvin joined NASA in 1989 as an aerospace research engineer at the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. He joined the astronaut corps in 1998 and has served as a mission specialist on two space shuttle missions: STS-122 in 2008 and STS-129 in 2009. He has logged more than 565 hours in space. In 2003, Melvin co-managed the former Educator Astronaut Program, which recruited teachers to become fully-trained astronauts in an effort to connect space exploration with students across the country.

Melvin earned a bachelor of science in chemistry from the University of Richmond, where he also excelled as a wide receiver for the Spiders’ football team. He was drafted into the National Football League by the Detroit Lions in 1986 and also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and the Toronto Argonauts. After injuries sidelined his football career, he returned to academia and earned his master’s degree in materials science engineering from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

His recreational interests include photography, piano, reading, music, cycling, tennis, and snowboarding. He also loves walking his dogs, Jake and Scout.