VSU Hosts Science Saturday March 14

Scene from the Feb. 28 Science Saturday presented by the College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences at Valdosta State University.

VALDOSTA — The College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Valdosta State University will present Science Saturday: Adventures in Math and Computer Science from 9 a.m. to noon on March 14 — also known as 3.14 or Pi Day — in the Hugh C. Bailey Science Center.

Science Saturday: Adventures in Math and Computer Science is ideal for students in the middle grades. However, all ages are invited to take advantage of this fun-filled and educational opportunity, which will include such activities as Make Wall•E Move, How to Create a Website in Minutes, Let’s Do Geometry on a Sphere, Pi and Other Stuff, Fun with Math Puzzles, Model Airplane Building and Math, Solve the Tower of Hanoi, The Sound of Music and Math, and Can You Do Arithmetic like the Ancient Chinese or the Ancient Egyptians. Participants will have a chance to win a Texas Instruments (TI) calculator every hour or an Apple iPod.   

Science Saturday is supported by VSU’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Initiative and is part of an ongoing effort to inspire the next generation to want to learn more about these areas. Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences understand that the nation’s future economic prosperity is closely linked with student success in the STEM fields. 

According to the United States Department of Education, only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. President Barack Obama has called on the nation to develop, recruit, and retain 100,000 STEM teachers over the next 10 years. He has also asked colleges and universities to graduate an additional one million students with STEM majors.

Science Saturday activities are free of charge and open to the public.

The next Science Saturday will be held on April 18 and involves activities developed by the Department of Biology.

Science Saturday: Adventures in Math and Computer Science organizers is hosted by Dr. Ivan Elstak, assistant professor of mathematics education, and Dr. Victor Chen, assistant professor of computer science, and sponsored by DuPont,  CJB Industries Inc., Lovell Engineering Associates PC, and Saft.

Contact the College of Arts and Sciences at (229) 333-5699, Dr. Ivan Elstak at irelstak@valdosta.edu, Dr. Victor Chen at hachen@valdosta.edu, or Dr. Gary L. Wood, coordinator of VSU’s Center for Applied Research and STEM Initiatives, at lwood@valdosta.edu to learn more.

On the Web:

http://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts-sciences/

http://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts-sciences/stem-education/welcome.php

http://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts-sciences/math-cs/welcome.php

Valdosta State University’s 2013-2019 Strategic Plan represents a renewal of energy and commitment to the foundational principles for comprehensive institutions.

Implementation of the plan’s five goals, along with their accompanying objectives and strategies, supports VSU’s institutional mission and the University System of Georgia’s mission for comprehensive universities. 

The story above demonstrates VSU's commitment to meeting the following goals: 

Goal 1: Recruit, retain, and graduate a quality, diverse student population and prepare students for roles as leaders in a global society.

Goal 3: Promote student, employee, alumni, retiree, and community engagement in our mission.

Goal 4: Foster an environment of creativity and scholarship.

Visit http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/planning/strategic-plan.php to learn more.