In the 21st century, the words "science" and "technology" are synonymous with progress.
UB is sponsoring the 2011-12 Western New York Science and Technology Forum "Horizons of the Sciences," a 16-week lecture series that will expose elementary, middle, and high school teachers from local districts to new scientific developments across a spectrum of fields.
"We deal with the newest and most exciting information in the science world," said George Nancollas, Ph.D., professor and Larkin chair of chemistry.
In 1969, as the provost of natural sciences and mathematics, Nancollas founded the UB Science and Technology Forum to stimulate interest in the sciences and to ensure that UB was part of a progressive future.
This year marks the 42nd year UB has hosted the forum. In the last few decades, Nancollas has heard countless stories from educators who believe the forum has had a major impact on their teaching; hearing about new and important scientific research has helped many teachers rekindle their own passion for the subject.
Nancollas created the forum to better the relationship between the university and Western New York science teachers.
By providing educators with information on cutting-edge scientific research, Nancollas hopes to increase the number of pupils in school who receive current information from their teachers and are inspired by the sciences.
The experts who provide lectures cover a number of diverse topics from wildlife conservation to pharmaceuticals.
"I enjoy hearing what scientists from other fields have to say," said Marcus Bursick, Ph.D., a professor of geology who has helped organize the program and has been with the forum since 2002.
Public school teachers are required to do in-service training each year, and although they can complete their hours in a number of ways, many choose to participate in the Science and Technology Forum.
Lynn Tytka, a teacher at St. Mary's High School in Lancaster, believes there are many factors that would influence the success of this program and its actual impact on improving teaching.
"The teacher's attitude towards the program is important," Tytka said. "If they are only there because they have to be, that's not very promising. The quality of the lecture is important, also."
The forum is far from a dry lecture series, according to Bursick. The energy lecturers bring to the forum is a large part of its success. In one meeting of the forum, teachers listened about the conservation of rare birds, while those same rare birds flew around on stage.
The directors of the Science and Technology Forum believe that the best way to inspire Western New York students is to inspire their teachers. The communication between professors, teachers and students in Western New York is another example of the strong relationship between UB and its surrounding community.
The series tries to educate teachers on a variety of current issues. This year's program, "Horizons of the Sciences," will be discussing the consequences of Japan's nuclear disaster, the problem of prescription drug abuse, and the latest technological updates in batteries and bioinformatics, among many other topics.
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