For immediate release: Feb. 9, 2006
GALVESTON, Texas — Shell Oil Co., in partnership with the Texas Regional Collaboratives, awarded a $2,400 grant to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to support the annual Galveston County Science and Engineering Fair scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11, at Moody Gardens. The grant will provide cash awards to students for first place winners in the senior, junior and ninth grade divisions and three outstanding award plaques for achievement in earth, environmental or geophysical science. Other community organizations and businesses have provided additional cash and gift contributions for awards to winning students.
UTMB, Galveston College and Texas A&M University at Galveston provide funding to support the operation of the fair for such things as exhibit table rentals, trophies, programs and similar items. Faculty, staff and students from the institutions as well as experts from the community volunteer to operate the fair and serve as judges.
“The Galveston County Science and Engineering Fair planning committee greatly appreciates the contributions from the island’s institutions of higher education as well as community organizations and businesses,” said Clifford W. Houston, UTMB associate vice president for educational outreach and science fair co-chair. “These contributions will be invested directly in our students, many of whom will be part of our future science and technology workforce.”
Fraiser Wilson, social investment manager at Shell Oil, will present the grant awards. As social investment manager, Wilson is responsible for the company’s education portfolio which includes university outreach and K-12 programs. Over the past few years he has managed more than $1 million annually in youth math and science programs. He also serves on the company’s workforce development initiative team whose goal is to increase the skills and interest of students in math and science and encourage them to pursue technical careers to meet future workforce needs.
“This program aligns well with our workforce development initiative, aimed at cultivating prospective engineers and geoscientists to ensure our industry has the skilled workforce required for the future,” Wilson said. Marsha Willis, a Texas Regional Collaboratives representative from Austin, will help present the awards.
Some 300 students from Galveston County middle schools and high schools are expected to participate in the fair. Top winners in various categories advance to state competition.
Exhibits will be on display for judging starting at 8:30 a.m. The junior division awards ceremony starts at 2:15 p.m. followed by the ninth grade and senior division awards ceremony at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public from 1 to 5 p.m.
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Media Hotline (409) 772-6397
John Koloen: jskoloen@utmb.edu