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Houston Museum of Natural Science Student and Teaching Awards

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Through the generosity of the Cockrell Foundation, The Houston Museum of Natural Science is proud to offer the Evelyn Frensley Scholarship for Outstanding Achievement in Science or Mathematics.

Two awards of $1,500 will go to two high school juniors in Harris County. Of special interest to the Museum review committee is a description of plans for college and future career and a description of projects or activities that demonstrate ability and interest in science or mathematics.

In recognition of the fine educators of Houston we also offer the Wilhelmina C. Robertson Excellence in Science or Mathematics Teaching Award. This award of $1,500 will go to one K-5th grade science or math teacher, and one 6th-12th grade science or math teacher who demonstrates significant ability and dedication to teaching in either discipline in Harris County.

The scholarships and awards will be presented at a special Excellence in Science or Mathematics Luncheon in the fall of 2010. Deadline for all nominations is June 14, 2010.

The deadline for all nominations is April 24, 2009.

For any questions or concerns please contact the HMNS Education Department on 713.639.4651 or email sstevenson@hmns.org.

17-Jun-10 2:00 PM

The Knowledge Box: Making The Connection

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Article updated June 2010 with most recent PDF. Article reprinted from American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE) June 2007 Newsletter by Andy Ellis, National Board of Directors President.

The Knowledge Box is a traveling exhibit showcasing the many aspects of the oil and gas industry. It's purpose is to provide educators a forum to effectively present the petroleum industry, and to inform students of the vast career opportunities in the field. Designed to help teachers, this box includes teacher resources, hands-on activities and interactive lessons correlated to state and National Science Standards.

To give you an idea about the goals the Knowledge Box hopes to achieve, here are a few of the objectives.

• Discuss the importance of petroleum in our lives
• List several everyday objects made from petroleum
• Communicate connections between geology, petroleum and future careers
• Understand economic significance of the petroleum industry
• Explain the contributions of scientists and technology in the fields of geology and petroleum
• Analyze the effects of faulting, folding and earth’s movement
• Describe the origin of oil and natural gas
• Evaluate the economic and environmental impact/issues of fossil fuels
• Summarize the steps in locating, drilling and producing a well
• Compare and contrast land and offshore drilling and production

Several Chapters have already started sponsoring these Knowledge Boxes in their areas. If your chapter isn't listed yet, it's not too late. Contact your chapter representative for details or click here for more information: http://www.aade.org/Downloads/KBOX%20presAADE%20NATIONAL%20CHAPTER%201.pdf.

17-Jun-10 1:00 PM

SPE Gulf Coast Section Resurrects International Study Group

Philippe Mitterrand — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

After a brief period of inactivity, the Society of Petroleum Engineers Gulf Coast Section has reactivated its dormant International Study Group. Originally formed in 2003, this study group organized evening monthly meetings with panels of speakers discussing the topic of “How to Do Business in (country) ,” focusing on the differences and challenges of working in various geographic regions.

In 2010, the newly energized International Study Group will focus on commonalities, enabling networking and sharing of experiences with engineers and managers of both National Oil Companies and Major Oil Companies headquartered outside the United States. The plan is to have foreign speakers come and talk to the Study Group when they come to Houston on business, or, alternatively, to use the latest videoconferencing technology for real-time presentations from around the world. Consequently, the International Study Group meeting time may vary, not adhering to an “every third Tuesday at lunch” schedule. Therefore, interested parties should monitor the SPE Gulf Coast Section newsletter for times and venues, or sign up for monthly Study Group email alerts at http://www.spegcs.org/en/art/?320.

The International Study Group's mission is to provide a forum for the Houston area SPE membership and the global Oil and Gas community to share information on business practices and considerations, projects, and technological applications significant to the oil and gas industry worldwide. The International Study Group will collaborate with other Gulf Coast Section Study Groups to ensure maximum value to the Section, which is located in one of the leading international centers for the industry. “

I am very grateful for the opportunity … to revive the International Study Group,” said Philippe G. Mitterrand, who has volunteered to be the International Study Group Chair. “I am confident we can add to the accomplishment generated by the earlier promoters of the group, and create a vibrant, Houston-based, global forum where all aspects of the Oil & Gas business may be aired.”

SPE members interested in helping to schedule speakers for this study group and non-members wishing to attend the monthly meetings may contact:

Philippe G. Mitterrand

Chair International Study Group SPE-GCS, Houston, Texas

Tel: 832-524-6294

Email: iimm@sbcglobal.net

18-May-10 6:00 PM

"Change in Cold": A presentation on the International Polar Year

Deborah Silvi — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:00:00 GMT

ECH is partnering with the Houston Museum of Natural Science to sponsor a "Change in Cold" presentation on the International Polar Year and funded by the PEW Center for Global Climate Change.

IPY is a large scientific program focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic which involve over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics.

For information on IPY, see http://www.ipy.org/about-ipy.

For information on PEW Center, see http://www.pewclimate.org/.

9-May-10 5:00 PM

Science Quest - Providing Science Classes to Grade K-12

Jon Bartell — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Hello, my name is Jon Bartell, and I own Science Quest, a company that provides science classes to children in private schools, day care facilities, and public schools throughout Harris and Montgomery counties. Contact me at 281-732-9327, or from the web site at http://science-quest.com/. I am a retired scientist with over 25 years of experience.

I have been providing these services for over seven years. Science Quest classes are perfect for all age groups. Classes are 45 minutes in length. A class could include a number of animals – for example, rabbits, turtles, birds, lizards, ferrets, hedgehogs, snakes, chinchillas. All animals are rescues and come from interesting parts of the world. There is a world of discovery and great stories surrounding each of these animals. The children are allowed to touch the animals to their hearts desire. I teach the importance of being gentle, kind, and patient when dealing with the animals. For example, if the animals are hungry we might offer them food – the rabbit is always up for a carrot!

In addition, I bring a number of scientific experiments to the classroom. I selected each of these experiments because of their great WOW factor. Each has a story of basic chemistry or physics that is explained in an age-appropriate fashion, and is always entertaining. After all, no matter what we teach our students, if they aren't listening, it is for naught.

I provide classes covering a wide range of science topics. Many of the schools and centers I attend have a science curriculum that I’m able to parallel with school projects and combine with hands-on activities. I have other activities for older students including The Egg Drop Contest, Float Your Boat Contest, a working hovercraft the kids can ride, Build a Bridge Contest, Rocket Building (Alka-Seltzer as well as larger water rockets) and making Slime. This is not the white glue slime but real Polyvinyl Alcohol based slime (yes it is very safe).

I hope this information provides an overview of what Science Quest is. I look forward to coming to your school.

Following are references from school districts and organizations which have benefited from my programs:

Conroe Independent School District 3rd grade teacher writes: "I am writing this letter to recommend a wonderful program for your school or campus. As a teacher, I see programs every year aimed at motivating our students to succeed and look to their futures. Mr.Bartell, the Science Guy, came to our campus last semester and I must say his presentation is one of the best I have seen. He does not just "talk" about science, he brings science alive. His program is interactive and exciting for students. Mr. Bartell's program reinforces how important reading and math are to anything the students hope to accomplish. He reminds them that they are the future of science and exploration. That there are great discoveries yet to be made and they can be a part of them. His program began with our affect on the environment. The students loved the variety of animals Mr. Bartell brought to share and the first hand stories of their rescues. The kids were amazed with his friend the bird and their wonderful relationship. The snake was also a big hit! Mr. Bartell's knowledge of the animals and the environmental dangers they face was spell-binding. His down to earth "things everyone can do to help" showed the students that they can make a difference. They are part of the solution. Mr. Bartell's program continued with ways to use everyday items and trash to create exciting science adventures at home. He takes science out of the realm of text-books and into the real world. His easy to do experiments make science accessible and meaningful to all types."

From ParentsConnect Average Parent Rating: "This is a real Scientist with a gift for getting kids (and grown ups) excited about science and learning. There is no crazy wig or lab coat. There are a dozen or so animals that the kids LOVE, there are interactive experiments, crazy fun toilet paper tricks, and an infectious sense of humor that grown ups will appreciate. Jon is amazing!" A Happy Parent Writes: Thank you Mr. Jon for the best Birthday party ever. My son and his friends couldn't stop talking about it. I was surprised to see how many parents decided to stay. I think we had as many adults as kids. It was a blast. Thanks again for making my son's birthday one he will not forget. Pictures of a few Science Quest “assistants.”

Mr. Peabody

Spike

Tommy

26-Jan-10 11:00 PM

Providing an Affordable Living Space for People Who Have Lost Their Home Due to a Disaster or Financial Emergency

Dr. Zafar Taqvi — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:00:00 GMT

2009-10 Future City Competition challenge for middle schools in the Texas-Houston Region is open for registration at http://www.futurecity.org. This year's theme is Providing an Affordable Living Space for People Who Have Lost Their Home Due to a Disaster or Financial Emergency. Contact Regional Coordinator, Dr. Zafar Taqvi at 281-244-4436 or email Z.Taqvi@IEEE.org. For information about last year's competition and schedule, see the IEEE local Galveston Bay website at http://ewh.ieee.org/r5/galveston_bay/futurecity-houston/. Registration deadline is October 31.

1-Sep-09 6:00 PM

Your Professional Home

Mattthew Kolodney — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Your Professional Home – Once upon a time, when many engineers spent most of their time at one corporation, you could build up a network of friends and colleagues to meet your needs. Furthermore, the corporation tried to meet you half way. They looked for a job where you fit fairly well, and they cared about your long-term development. Can you say that today?

Multi-Profession Careers – Once upon a time, the majority of people who got a degree in chemical engineering stayed with the profession throughout their career. Some became managers, sales engineers, etc., but they stayed within the chemical processing industry. That has changed significantly, and will change further with time. Professional societies can help you reduce the number of forced career changes, help you decide where to go next, help you get there, and help you come up to speed in your new career area.

Job Hunt Networking – Engineering is a cyclic business. There will come times when you need jobs, and they’re hard to find. At those times, the majority of jobs are found by networking. A professional society is a great place to network.

Active membership takes it a step further. Somebody you know casually in your professional society will be happy tell you about opportunities and pass your resume along. Furthermore, if you have worked closely with somebody in your professional society and you have favorably impressed them, they can give you valuable advice and vouch for you with their employer.

How to Job Hunt – During hard times, job hunting skills are critical. They aren’t taught at engineering school. The professional society and the people you meet there can provide critical information on how to job hunt in your field.

Source of Mentors – Once upon a time, every company had plenty of gray-haired engineers around to serve as mentors. That’s no longer true. Furthermore, finding a good mentor is like finding a good friend – not everybody is right for everybody else. You can look over lots of potential mentors at your professional society.

Technical Information – Once upon a time, there were lots of gray-haired engineers where you worked, and when you had a technical question, they had an answer. That is no longer true. However, there are lots of experienced engineers in your professional society. If you help other people, they will help you.

Networking for New Ideas – More people work for smaller companies, where technical resources are slimmer. In addition, people change jobs more frequently, and have fewer old friends to help and advise them at their current job. Your professional society can help fill these gaps.

Continuing Education - Professional societies offer continuing education for professional development and licensing requirements. The cost is far lower than commercial and university-sponsored classes.

Social – Professional societies offer opportunities for social friendships. For young engineers, there are young professional groups in the societies. Some societies have formal professional development programs for young members. STS-AIChE offers some good opportunities, and the programs of other societies are available through ECH (Science, Engineering & Technology Council of Houston).

Opportunity to Try New Job Functions – Interested engineers get to try functions such as sales, marketing, technical writing, teaching, etc., on a low risk basis. You get to learn and test yourself before changing jobs. If a field isn‘t for you on a full-time basis, you haven’t lost much. Or, it gives you a chance to broaden your skills without changing the main thrust of your career.

Work on Professional Skills – If you’d like a project to broaden your skills, the society will help you define a project where you can learn something of value to yourself, while you help your profession or society. This could help you explore or get into a new engineering specialty.

Project Management Experience – Perhaps you want to try managing a project or two on a low-risk basis, before you try it at work. Or, success at managing a project with your professional society could help convince a reluctant manager that you can handle it at work.

Supervisory Experience – Supervision of others is a skill that most engineers don’t learn quickly on the job, but it can be learned. Professional societies have courses on it, and you can practice being a committee chair or chapter officer.

Strategic Planning – Again, this is something you don’t automatically experience on the job, but can learn and practice in a professional society.

Experience Running Trade Shows & Meetings – Many businesses have events for advertising, demonstrating their skills, attracting new employees, etc. Again, participating in and running these events, is learned by experience, and professional societies are a great place to learn.

What if you have needs that the professional society doesn’t seem to meet? Perhaps the programs that STS-AIChE advertises don’t meet your particular needs. First, you can propose an idea that you feel would be mutual beneficial. As volunteer recruiter, you could come to me, and I’ll work with you. Second, there are many other professional societies that might meet your needs better. Visit the ECH web site: www.echhouston.org.

24-Feb-07 6:00 PM

Technical Communication: Your Profession. Your Career. Get the Most of Them.

Deborah Silvi — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Discover the Benefits of STC Membership. See attached file /attachments/wysiwyg/17/STCbrochure.pdf .

22-Feb-07 7:00 PM

Podcast on How to Build a Loyal Following for a Blog

Anne Gentle — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:00:00 GMT

In this podcast interview with Anne Gentle, Information Developer at BMC Software, Inc., Anne discusses her popular blog on TalkBMC and gives advice on how to build a loyal following for a blog. Where does blogging fit in an enterprise communications strategy? Anne touches on this topic, and all the topics she is most enthusiastic about, like the technology that makes it easier for people to find information, social media, and wikis.

Download the podcast at http://talk.bmc.com/podcasts/podcast-gentle.

4-Feb-07 3:00 PM

Coastal Conference

Cheryl Desforges — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 18:00:00 GMT

Houston Geological Society and Engineering, Science and Technology Council of Houston join forces to increase public and governmental awareness of an impending, but silent geologic disaster.

By Cheryl Desforges, Continuing Education Committee Chairman, and Robert Traylor, TCEQ

Inundation of the Louisiana and Upper Texas Coasts is becoming one of the great geological disasters of the 21st century. This could have a huge economic impact not only to the inhabitants of the Gulf Coast, but also to our whole nation. The public has become aware of subsidence through press coverage of the elevated frequencies of flooding and increases in the loss of coastal areas in recent years. Unfortunately, the press and even some governmental agencies have only focused on identifying man-induced causes, such as fluid withdrawal from groundwater and petroleum extraction, as well as sea level rise due to global warming. As scientists, who are intimately familiar with the Gulf Coast, we know this subsidence is primarily due to the complex geological setting of the Northern Gulf Coast Basin itself, as well as contributions from man-induced causes in isolated localities. Today’s scientific analysis does not allow us to quantify the proportion of each cause across the region. The major impediment to this type of analysis is the difficulty measuring vertical tectonic movements, because of an inadequate and outdated datum reference plane. Research has been conducted in Louisiana to enable quantification of the various causes of subsidence, but has not been carried into Texas.

Planning for significant and costly public works projects is currently underway in Louisiana and at the Federal level. Most efforts to date have been directed at programs that would help to restore wetland areas of the coast. However, recognition that the entire coast is subsiding, including populated areas, have prompted some to call for massive public works projects. These include building coastal levees to protect life and property. Input from scientific evaluations of all the causes of the problem is now critical, so we, as a nation, can direct these public works expenditures to projects that will have satisfactory outcomes.

To increase the awareness of the issues, the HGS and ECH are organizing a three day conference “Coastal Subsidence, Sea Level and the Future of the Gulf Coast”, to be held November 3, 4 and 5, 2005. The first day of the three-day conference will be devoted to understanding the reasons for subsidence, how to measure them, and how to analyze for each component’s contribution to the overall subsidence budget. On the second day, the focus will be twofold: one part on assessing the economic/cultural impact and the second part on reviewing mitigation efforts, options, and consequences. A field trip on the third day will visit sites of active faulting and subsidence within the Houston area.

Conference participants and speakers will include contributions from the scientific community, government agencies, elected officials, construction and real estate industry representatives, members of the media, and the general public. We invite you to join us for this event and also ask that you help spread the word about this issue. We are also seeking corporate sponsors to help defray some of the expenses for this non-profit community service project, so please encourage your companies to become sponsors.

12-Jun-05 1:00 PM