Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship winners announced

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, announced the four 2011 winners of the Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships, an academic exchange program established in 2007 to promote the power of music as a global force for strengthening and expanding people-to-people relationships and developing greater mutual understanding among cultures.

The Fellowships were awarded to Kyle K. Inman of DePauw University, Lauren Knapp of Grinnell College, Jennifer Saura of Harvard University, and Meja Shoba of the University of California, Los Angeles. Recipients were chosen through a multi-tiered, merit-based selection process beginning with field and discipline reviews by U.S. and foreign academic leaders and area experts. mtvU and musical artists James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem, 30 Seconds to Mars’ Jared Leto, and Matt & Kim then reviewed and nominated the top qualified candidates. Final selections were made by the Presidentially-appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

To read more about the award, click here.…Read More

Student selected for National Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.

Jeffrey Marks, second year Prince George’s Community College political science major, has been awarded an internship with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. Emerging Leaders Program. The program, sponsored by Walmart, is a paid position for college students. Interns work four days on Capitol Hill, in federal agencies and nonprofit organizations, attend educational seminars that focus on domestic and international issues, participate in leadership-training sessions and visit cultural and historical sites in the Washington, DC area. Each cohort must complete a team community service project in the surrounding community. The semester-long opportunity began August 28 and continues through December 10.

To read more about the award, click here.

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Universities receive solar project awards

Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced more than $145 million for projects to help shape the next generation of solar energy technologies and ensure that the United States remains a leader in this global market. Sixty-nine projects in 24 states will accelerate research and development to increase efficiency, lower costs and advance cutting-edge technologies. Funded through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the projects will also improve materials, manufacturing processes and supply chains for a wide range of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and components of solar energy systems. Some of these investments also support efforts that will shorten the overall timeline from prototype to production and streamline building codes, zoning laws, permitting rules, and business processes for installing solar energy systems. The SunShot Initiative seeks to make solar energy systems more cost-competitive, without long-term subsidies, by reducing the cost of these systems about 75 percent by the end of the decade. The achievement of the SunShot Initiative goals will encourage rapid, widespread adoption of solar energy systems across the United States.

Universities receiving awards for advanced solar technologies include:
The California Institute of Technology; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; Colorado School of Mines; Colorado State University; University of Delaware; University of South Florida; Georgia Institute of Technology; Georgia Tech; University of Hawaii; Boise State University; Illinois State University; University of Chicago; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Michigan; University of Minnesota; North Carolina State; Ohio State University; University of Texas; Old Dominion University; University of Washington; University of Wisconsin, Madison.

To read more about the award, click here.…Read More

Great School Fundraiser winner receives Promethean ActivBoard System

Promethean and National PTA announced Tupelo Christian Preparatory School in Belden, Mississippi, as the winner of the 2011 Great School Fundraiser Contest. Edging out six other finalists, Tupelo Christian Preparatory School’s “Up, Up & Away Hot Air Balloon Festival” was awarded the top prize for being the most successful and creative fundraising activity by a local PTA. The school will be presented with the top prize – a Promethean ActivBoard System. The 2011 Great School Fundraiser Contest generated a number of inspiring successful fundraising submissions from communities who had to find creative and effective ways to raise funds to overcome recent budget shortfalls. The Tupelo Christina Preparatory School’s PTA teamed up with two local community groups to host the Hot Air Balloon Festival, which included balloon rides, games, live music, food, art vendors, educational exhibits from NASA, and the historic Natchez Trace Parkway. Funds raised from the overall festival were used to support the school’s technology program.

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National science lab winner announced

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), in partnership with Shell Oil Company (Shell), announced the four national finalists and grand prize winner in the first-ever NSTA Shell Science Lab Challenge. The competition encouraged teachers (grades 6-12) in the U.S. and Canada, who have found innovative ways to deliver quality lab experiences with limited school and laboratory resources, to share their approaches for a chance to win a school science lab makeover valued at $20,000.

Grand Prize Winner: Andrew Goodin, Soldan International Studies High School, St. Louis, Mo.
National Finalists: Michael Barker, Newport High School, Newport, Ky.; Jason Crean, Lyons Township High School, Western Springs, Ill.; Corey Dornack, Lincoln K-8 Choice School, Rochester, Minn.; and John Munro, Highroad Academy in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada

As the grand prize winner, Goodin will receive a science lab makeover support package for his school valued at $20,000. The prize package includes an $8,000 Shell cash grant, $8,000 in donated lab equipment, and $1,000 in NSTA prizes.  The four national finalists will each receive a science lab makeover support package for their school valued at $8,500. The prize package includes a $3,000 Shell cash grant, $3,000 in donated lab equipment, and $1,000 in NSTA prizes.…Read More

Two Ringling College computer animators capture 2011 award

Ringling College of Art and Design today announced that 2011 Computer Animation graduates Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis were winners in the 38th Annual Student Academy Awards competition, capturing the Bronze Medal in the Animation category. Geller and Lewis were among only 15 students from colleges and universities around the world who were honored as winners in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ official awards ceremony held June 11 at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. According to the Academy, winners are chosen from entries received by more than 500 colleges and universities worldwide. While all winners knew they would each receive an award, their placement – Gold, Silver or Bronze – was not revealed until the ceremony. In addition to a trophy, Geller and Lewis received a $2,000 prize.

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Virginia Tech team wins EcoCAR Challenge

Students from Virginia Tech University took top honors  when they were named the overall winners of EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge after designing and building an exceptional extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) using E85 (ethanol). Taking second place, also with an E85 EREV was The Ohio State University . The University of Waterloo took third place with a hydrogen fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.  Virginia Tech competed against 15 other universities to take home the top prize of the three-year competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors (GM).

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Northrop Grumman names 24 Maryland winners Engineering Scholars Competition

Northrop Grumman announced the 24 winners of its ninth annual Engineering Scholars program, which will provide a total of $240,000 in college scholarships this fall to high school seniors across Maryland interested in studying engineering or STEM-related fields. Students from 23 Maryland counties and the city of Baltimore each received merit-based scholarships of $10,000 — payable in $2,500 installments over four years — during an awards reception and dinner hosted by Northrop Grumman at the Baltimore Museum of Industry on June 9, 2011.

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SME Education Foundation awards Family and Director Scholarships

Efforts by the SME Education Foundation to invest in the   future of manufacturing by transforming manufacturing education continues with the awarding of $111,000 in SME Education Foundation Family Scholarships and SME Directors Scholarships to six future manufacturing engineers. The SME Education Foundation Scholarship Winner’s Circle for 2011 includes 171 students who were awarded $498,450 in scholarships ranging from 1,000 to $70,000, with some receiving multiple awards. The highly competitive SME Education Foundation Family Scholarship supports the children and grandchildren of SME members, and encourages their pursuit of careers in manufacturing engineering and technology. The scholarship is made possible by the E. Wayne Kay Scholarship Fund, and awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence and an interest in manufacturing engineering or a related technology.  

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IMLS awards more than $1.5M in grants

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced 215 awards totaling $1,531,000 for the Native American Library Services Basic Grant and Basic Grant with Education/Assessment Option Program. IMLS received 219 applications requesting $1,570,000 in funds. “Tribal libraries play a vital role in ensuring the educational and cultural preservation of their communities. This funding helps American Indian and Alaska Native libraries to maintain and expand their core services,” said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth.

Aspiring scientists named as competition champs

Now in its third year, the Kids’ Science Challenge has named the winners of this year’s competition, in which 3rd through 6th graders from all over the country designed creative solutions to solve science and engineering problems. The winning students, chosen from more than 1,300 entries, will collaborate with scientists and engineers to see their ideas come alive. Funded by the National Science Foundation and created by Jim Metzner, award-winning producer of the Pulse of the Planet radio series, the Kids’ Science Challenge encourages elementary school students to discover that science is cool. This year’s winners are: Sona Dolasia, a 6th grader from Mill Valley Middle School in California; Peyton Robertson, a 3rd grader at Pine Crest School in Florida; and Merrie Benjamin, a 3rd grader at Pine Cobble School in Massachusetts.

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Alabama teen wins national poetry contest

From a competitive field of more than 365,000 students nationwide, 16-year-old Youssef Biaz of Auburn, Ala., received the title of 2011 Poetry Out Loud National Champion at the National Finals held in Washington, D.C. on April 29.  With his achievement, he also receives a $20,000 award and his high school, Auburn High School, will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Biaz was among nine finalists and 53 state champions from around the country who participated in the sixth national poetry recitation contest, sponsored by the National Arts Endowment and the Poetry Foundation.

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