Intel ISEF Brings 1,500+ Students to Pittsburgh; Carnegie Science Awards; Math and Science Collaborative on “Our Region’s Business”

More than 1,500 of the brightest high school students from throughout the world have come to Pittsburgh for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held May 13-18, 2012. That this highly prestigious 50+ year old event is in Pittsburgh says a lot about the region’s capacity to support the science fair, which requires more than 900 advanced degree holders to act as judges. Judy Hallinen, assistant vice provost for education outreach at Carnegie Mellon University and Chuck Kahle, CTO at PPG Industries, sat on the committee to help recruit judges and promote the fair regionally.

Over the course of 15 years, the Carnegie Science Awards have honored more than 275 individuals for their accomplishments in science, technology, engineering and math. This year’s awardees were celebrated on May 11 at a reception at Carnegie Music Hall. Ann Metzger and Ron Baillie, co-directors of the Carnegie Science Center, discuss how a STEM education is vital for growing the next generation workforce.

One of this year’s Carnegie Science Award recipients, the Math and Science Collaborative provides professional development programming in math and science to teachers in 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Nancy Bunt, program director at the Math and Science Collaborative and Dr. Ron Sofo, superintendent at Freedom Area School District in Beaver County discuss the collaborative and the value it offers to students and teachers throughout the region.

“Our Region’s Business” airs Sundays at 11 a.m. on WPXI-TV. Hosted by the Allegheny Conference’s Bill Flanagan, the 30-minute business affairs program is co-produced with Cox Broadcasting. The program is rebroadcast on PCNC-TV at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, and at 3:30 p.m. Mondays. It also airs Sundays on WJAC-TV (Johnstown-Altoona) at 6 a.m. and WTOV-TV (Wheeling-Steubenville) at 6:30 a.m.