Calling All Scientists: More Science Innovation Needed

By Courtney Ann Jackson- Talk Radio News Service

Higher value on science innovation and education is needed in the United States according to both political and scientific leaders. The leaders participated in the “Best and Brightest Forum on Medical Innovation: Achieving Recovery Through Discovery” Friday at the Newseum, and discussed the economic impact that medical innovation policies can have.

U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) delivered the keynote address and commented both from the political perspective and from the perspective of someone who has fought through serious health issues, including battling cancer twice.

Specter has recently introduced new legislation entitled the Cure Acceleration Network (CAN).

Said the Senator, “there is the so-called valley of death between what happens in the laboratory and what happens in application. A lot of great ideas from the National Institute of Health have been translated to the bed-side with great delays...This legislation would set up a separate agency with separate funding to push for clinical trials so that we can realize the benefits of this great research.”

Sen. Specter added that he just couldn’t stand by the Republican party given the economic problems of the country and the prospect of falling into another Great Depression. He said that was one of the driving forces behind him leaving the party.

Also present for the event was Dick Gephardt, former U.S. Democratic House Majority Leader and Founder/President of the Council for American Medical Innovation. Said Gephardt, “today’s policy decisions will have a long-term impact on the future of medical innovation in the United States.”

Lift Off to Better Science Education

By Courtney Ann Jackson- Talk Radio News

A boost in math and science education is important for today’s youth according to the Center for Excellence in Education. The Center’s Research Science Institute is the only cost-free for selected students to attend. The Center’s annual Capitol Hill luncheon Tuesday featured an example of the ultimate rise within the sciences field.

The keynote speaker and CEE Trustee was 2006 Nobel Prize Recipient in Physics , Dr. John Mather, who discussed his experiences in the field and his current projects. “I knew from childhood that science was interesting...My parents read to my sister and to me from biographies of Galileo and Darwin,” Mather said.

While discussing the Nobel Prize winners that have helped the Center President Joann DiGennaro said, “they’ve really worked with boots on the ground. They have created. They have been innovated and many of them have come from humble backgrounds.”

New programs from the CEE will help to evaluate the state of skills in American high school students excelling in math and science fields. DiGennaro, said, “We believe we can make a significant difference and we’re not asking the government for the money to do it.”

Honorary luncheon host Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) complimented the CEE’s work of capturing the standard of excellence in education and hard work that are “quintessentially American.”

Pelosi: “Science, science, science and science”

By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held a photo opportunity today with Congressman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), Chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee and Dan Mote, President of Maryland University.

Speaker Pelosi said that funding from the recovery package to assist science and innovation was “already making a difference.” She said, “It’s a recognition that our country depends on education, on science and technology, and our recovery package reflects that.”

Congressman Gordon said, “There approximately six and half billion people in the world and of those who are working about half of those make less than $2 a day.” He hoped that money invested into science and research would ensure that future generations have a better standard of living.

Mote called the recovery act “remarkable.” He said, “Speaker Pelosi we cannot thank you enough for your passion for science, science, science and science.” He added, “this is a wonderful period for the United States of America, as people will be educated in science and technology, there will be innovation in science and technology, and as we come out of this recession people will be going into jobs that don’t currently exist.”

In her closing remarks, Speaker Pelosi said, “I keep saying to people if you want to know our domestic agenda, it is science, science, science and science, and by the way that’s our national security foundation as well.” She complimented President Obama on putting science as a top priority on his agenda.

Numbers slipping in math and science performance

Approximately two-thirds of high school physical sciences students have teachers who did not major in the subject in college or are not certified to teach it, according to findings by the National Math and Science Initiative.

A hearing was held before the Education and Labor Committee on "Innovation in Education through Businesss and Education Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Partnerships." Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) said that the best way to help American children succeed in math, science and all over subjects is to invest more in the success of their teachers. Miller mentioned TEACH Grants which provide tuition assistance of $4,000 each year for outstanding students who commit to teaching math, science and other 'high-need' subjects in schools but also noted there was still more work to be done.

Phil Mickelson, professional golfer and co-founder of the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, said it was important to equip teachers with effective teaching tools so they could inspire their own students. Mickelson also noted that children's natural curiosity would be piqued if they realized how much math and science affects everyday activities such as sports and game equipment.

Sally Ride, Ph. D., president and chief executive officer of Sally Ride Science as well as former NASA astronaut, pointed out that the U.S. became a world leader largely due to its innovation in STEM subjects but now, the education system places very little emphasis on those very subjects. Ride also said that in fourth grade, 66 percent of girls and 68 percent of boys are still interested in science but those percentages drop significantly by the sixth and seventh grades.

Tom Luce, chief executive officer of the National Math and Science Initiative, said that the 'math and science crisis' cannot be addressed until dealt with on a national scale with successful programs. Luce said that reinforcing math and science was the best way for the U.S. to grow economically and to maintain its competitive edge.

No more "partisan, political purposes" in science policy

At a discussion of "Science is the Stuff of Progress" at the Center for American Progresss, Neal Lane, the former director of the National Science Foundation and former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, says that the integrity of science needs to be restored by the next President so that "policy will actually be based on the best science." (0:49)