GTAC will send teachers to the lab to benefit high school classrooms
Huntsville, Ala. — HudsonAlpha and The Boeing Company know that when high school science teachers go back to the lab, the student classroom is sure to benefit.
Image: Tony Jones, vice president and Huntsville site executive for The Boeing Company, and Dr. Neil Lamb, examine fluorescent fish in the HudsonAlpha educational teaching lab.
The Genetic Technologies for Alabama Classrooms teacher academy, made possible by a $35,200 grant from The Boeing Company Charitable Trust, is a highly practical and immersive training program that will give educators a boost in tapping students’ interests and potential.
“Considering the speed at which many scientific fields are advancing, it isn’t surprising that teachers need assistance in bringing their classrooms up-to-date,” noted Dr. Neil Lamb, director of educational outreach at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. GTAC incorporates science education requirements with emerging scientific careers and needs.
According to Tony Jones, vice president and Huntsville site executive for The Boeing Company, GTAC is an excellent opportunity for a life sciences educator who wants to provide students a timely understanding of genetic concepts and their applications to healthcare, agriculture and energy.
During the immersive, two-week genetics and biotechnology academy, teachers will learn lab techniques, conduct experiments and study the latest trends in genetics and genomics research. “We will give teachers the opportunity to interact with researchers studying genetic influences in cancer, neurological disorders and infectious diseases,” added Lamb. The academy also includes biotech industry tours and talks with company representatives who are dedicated to improving diagnostics and treatments for human disease.
Current Alabama public high school teachers who provide instruction in at least one general biology course are encouraged to apply for the program. “A variety of criteria will be used, including geographic distribution, in determining participants,” said Lamb. Applications for the program, to be held July 18-30, 2010, will be accepted between December 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010. Program attendees will receive room, board and a stipend, as well as materials and resources to take back to their schools.
Information about GTAC may be found online at: https://www.hudsonalpha.org/education
Holly Ralston McClain
hmcclain@hudsonalpha.org
256.324.0425
About HudsonAlpha The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama, is the cornerstone of the Cummings Research Park Biotechnology Campus. The campus hosts a synergistic cluster of biotechnology talent – science and business professionals – that promises collaborative innovation to turn knowledge and ideas into commercial products and services for improving human health and strengthening Alabama’s progressively diverse economy. The non-profit institute is housed in a state-of-the-art, 270,000 square-ft. facility strategically located in the nation’s second largest research park. HudsonAlpha has a three-fold mission of genomic research, economic development and educational outreach. About The Boeing Company Boeing is the world’s leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing operates the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales. Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 160,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries.
