Governor's Science and Technology Camp Meets at UH This Week

Focus Will Be on Careers in Energy, Ending with a ‘Smart Tank’ Competition

Some of the state’s brightest high school students will be on the University of Houston campus this week for the Governor’s Science and Technology Champions Academy. The invitation-only camp, sponsored by Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas Workforce Commission, is for winners of the ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair, which was held this spring in San Antonio.

Students will live in a UH residence hall and go on a variety of field trips during the week, which began with their arrival on campus Sunday, June 15. On campus, they’ll be introduced to a number of energy and environmental career paths, in keeping with the week’s theme, “Energy Entrepreneurs Education.”

Among the highlights: Tuesday afternoon, they will tour the UH Central Plant and meet with Michael Burriello, assistant director of facilities management, and Raymond Cline, chairman of the information technology department, to talk about a College of Technology project to develop a “living building,” using sensors to allow rooms within the Technology Building – and eventually, the building and campus  – to “learn” when and how people will be using it, automatically adjusting temperature and other settings.

Thursday afternoon, students will work on energy-related experiments in campus labs. They will spend evenings preparing for the Friday, June 20, “Smart Tank” competition, based on the ABC program “Shark Tank.”

 

WHAT:                          Governor’s Science and Technology Champions Academy. The week’s theme is

                                      “Energy Entrepreneurs Education,” focusing on pathways to energy careers.

WHO:                           Winners from the ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair.

WHEN:                         Sunday, June 15-Friday, June 20.

MEDIA                           Options include 1-3:30 p.m. Tuesday; 2-6 p.m. Thursday; or 9 a.m.-noon Friday. 

OPPORTUNITIES:        Students also will be working on presentations for a “Shark Tank” style

                                     competition 7:30 -10 p.m. Monday-Thursday.                                               

WHERE:                        University of Houston campus. Various locations.

MEDIA CONTACT:       Jeannie Kever, 713-743-0778, jekever@uh.edu