NSBE - Convention 2011 - (Page 32)

37th NSBE Annual Convention St. Louis, Mo. • March 23–27, 2011 M BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON issouri is widely known as “the Show-Me State,” something that’s most evident in St. Louis, host city of this year’s NSBE Annual Convention and the city showing and telling unlike any other in Missouri. The St. Louis area is known for giving us rapper Nelly, jazz legend Miles Davis, poet Maya Angelou, rock ’n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry and King of Ragtime Scott Joplin, along with actors such as Kevin Kline and John Goodman, organizations such as the St. Louis Rams and Cardinals, and even toasted ravioli. And of course there’s the Gateway Arch, the stunning, 630-foot-high steel structure that hosts tram rides to its top daily. The base of the arch is full of exhibits. (http://www.nps. gov/jeff/planyourvisit/gateway-arch.htm, 314-982-1410) Despite the city’s heavy focus on sports and entertainment, St. Louis is also a bit of a hub for some science and technology attractions, beginning with the nationally known St. Louis Science Center. steM exciteMeNt The sprawling St. Louis Science Center rolls out over three buildings and includes the main facility along with the EXPLORADOME and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium. A whopping 700-plus hands-on exhibits are on display in galleries including the Life Science Lab, Science Park, Designing Technologies for People, Ecology & Environment, Cyberville and more. (5050 Oakland Ave., www.slsc.org) In partnership with the St. Louis Science Center is the Challenger Learning Center – St. Louis, offering space education for corporate and community groups and others. The center’s state-of-the-art space simulators feature an orbiting space station. There is a Mission Control center on site, modeled after the one at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. This attraction is part of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, founded by the families of the astronauts lost during the Challenger space shuttle tragedy in 1986. (205 Brotherton Lane, 314-521-6205) The Academy of Science – St. Louis, which is behind the Greater St. Louis Science Fair, continues its mission to expand scientific outreach, education and resource-sharing to partners in the corporate, academic and public worlds. (5050 Oakland Ave., www.academyofsciencestl.org) African-Canadian inventor and engineer Elijah McCoy gets a spotlight in St. Louis this month on stage at the Grandel Theatre, for the Black Rep’s production of “The Real McCoy,” directed by Andrew Moodie and running March 16–April 10. The Black 32 • nsbe magazine • convention 2011 THINGS Rep is the country’s largest, longest-running African-American theater company, established in 1976. (3610 Grandel Square, www.theblackrep.org) Another classic of a very different sort is the Moto Museum, the place to be for super-rare motorcycles, many of them coming from Europe and going as far back as the 1900s. It’s a must for collectors and fans. (3441 Olive St., www.themotomuseum.com) TO DO IN www.nsbe.org www.nsbe.org otHer AttrActioNs Catering to more general yet curious-minded tastes is the City Museum, a something-for-everyone site that is home to everything from the Shoelace Factory to the world’s largest pencil. (701 N. 15th St., www.citymuseum.org) http://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/gateway-arch.htm http://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/gateway-arch.htm http://www.slsc.org http://www.theblackrep.org http://www.themotomuseum.com http://www.academyofsciencestl.org http://www.citymuseum.org http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - Convention 2011

Nsbe - Convention 2011
Contents
The Essence of Engineering
Flipping the Script on Retention
Nsbe’s New High-Tech Hook-Ups!
The Programs Zone
David Anfield of Walmart
Kerry Nichols of NAVAIR
Arthur Hall of Philadelphia Gas Works
Kevin Engram of Illinois Tool Works
Dr. Kevin M. Carter of MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Nsbe Calendar
Membership News
Mack Named Clarkson University Trustee
National Advisory Board Update
Nsbe Honors a Diversity ‘champion’
Things to Do in St. Louis
Golden Torch Award Winners
NSBE’s Steve Earl: Building for Home and Community
Employer Profiles
Advertisers Index

NSBE - Convention 2011