Science, Engineering, and Mathematics

Walt Whitman High School, 2008 winner of the Maryland State Science Bowl!

The SEM Area hosted an exciting 2008 Maryland Science Bowl Competition featuring teams from several counties across the state. 2008 runner-up Albert Einstein High School also won the "Enhancement Activities" competition for the second year in a row.

This year's event, held January 19, 2008, was generously sponsored by the MC/MCPS Partnership and Planet Cotton. A coordinating committee comprising faculty members and staff from Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring was supported by a cadre of faculty/staff from all three campuses as well as community members.

Ten high school teams from across the state competed this year in a fast-paced challenge of their knowledge covering several disciplines: astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, general science, mathematics, and physics. The enhancement activities where designed to encourage teams to "Stay-All-Day" and focused on applied mathematics, biology, and engineering challenges.

The winning team advances to the 18th annual U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., from May 1-6, 2008, at the 4-H Centre, Chevy Chase. This all-expense paid event is a truly spectacular display of teamwork, academic prowess, AND a whole lot of fun!! It is free and open to the public.

We had an exciting lunch speaker, Ms. Deborah Amato, Deputy Chief Technologist for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, who started her career at NASA as a student intern while completing degrees at MIT and Maryland. With a mechanical and aerospace engineering background, Ms. Amato spoke about her current role at NASA which involves research and development in advanced technologies for future space missions.

The Science Bowl, a flagship program of the U.S. Department of Energy, is a proven tool in encouraging students to excel in math and science and to pursue careers in those fields. By increasing the visibility and fun of academic achievement in the sciences, this program has succeeded in placing young people on par with peers who excel in athletics.