Tulane Engineering Forum (TEF)
Founded in 2000, the annual Tulane Engineering Forum is presented by the engineering alumni of Tulane University and The Tulane School of Science and Engineering. The Forum provides an opportunity for professionals to learn from industry and academic experts. Over 500 professionals are expected to attend the 8th annual forum, representing over 200 companies. The 7th annual forum took place on May 11, 2007, at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside and Towers.
Building Louisiana Science and Technology (BLAST)
B.LA.S.T. is the nonprofit umbrella organization created to support bringing programs such as FIRST to Louisiana. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multinational non-profit organization, that aspires to make science, math, engineering, and technology as cool for kids as sports are today. FIRST operates the Robotics Competion in which teams of high school students, sponsored and assisted by local companies and volunteers, design, assemble, and test a robot capable of performing a specified task in competition with other teams. FIRST also runs the LEGO League, a robot competition for children 9-14 years old. For more information, contact Annette Oertling, Ph.D. at annette.oertling@tulane.edu.
For the past decade, the Tulane Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology has been heavily involved in K-12 outreach through grants from Earthwatch, bringing hundreds of school teachers to the field in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Arizona, and here in New Orleans. This model is a very effective method of bringing basic research directly to the classroom. The Earthwatch webpage includes links to recent teacher volunteer pages that highlight their experiences here at Tulane. Other links include information for local schools and the "ask a scientist" page where students and staff post short videos to answer questions from students around the world. Post Katrina, there have been 8 different Earthwatch groups, many of them teachers, working in Tulane labs and in the field. The most recent team developed a page for part of the Tulane www.caterpillars.org webpage. For more information, visit the webpage or contact Lee Dyer, Ph.D. at ldyer@tulane.edu .
Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair
The Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair (GNOSEF) is one of the oldest such fairs in the nation. It is held annually and is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. The Fair is open to any student attending middle or high school in the New Orleans four-parish-area which includes Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard Parishes. For more information, contact Annette Oertling, Ph.D. at annette.oertling@tulane.edu.
Louisiana Engineering Advancement Program (LEAP)
Supported by Tulane School of Science and Engineering and managed and operated by UNO's College of Engineering, this program attracts ethnic minority students from junior/middle school to high school level and assists them to prepare for careers in engineering. Participating schools and students must meet minimum requirements. Students may participate in a video-essay contest, the science fair, the UNO Summer Scholars Program, Engineering Olympics, FIRST Lego League and Robotics, and Career Day. Scholarships are awarded annually to minority students who meet requirements. For more information, contact Lucien Wainie at LWainie@uno.edu . (Website temporarily inactive.)
Tulane Science Scholars Program (TSSP)
The Tulane University Science Scholars Program (TSSP) is a selective program for high school students who have exceptional talent in the science, engineering, and mathematics. The TSSP traditionally holds classes at Tulane from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon on Saturday mornings during the academic year, meeting 8 times in the Fall and 8 times in the Spring. Non-credit courses are offered in the physical, chemical, biological, and computing sciences as well as in various engineering disciplines and mathematics. Instructors are science, mathematics, and engineering faculty members who are actively engaged in research at Tulane University. For more information, contact Annette Oertling, Ph.D. at annette.oertling@tulane.edu.
Merit Badge University
Each year, the School of Science and Engineering hosts "Merit Badge University" in the Boggs Center during the winter semester break. More than 100 Boy Scouts attend this day-long event where they can earn merit badges in Electricity, Electronics, and Engineering as well as Law, Medicine, and Communications. Most of these courses are taught by Tulane faculty or alumni. The event also welcomes the boys (and their parents) to Tulane, and they're encouraged to consider Tulane as they begin to formulate their long range plans. For more information, contact Cedric Walker, Ph.D. at cfw@tulane.edu.
Questions regarding outreach in the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering may be addressed to Annette Oertling, Ph.D. at annette.oertling@tulane.edu.