Island hosts prestigious science conference
November 6, 2007
Chancellor Tseng is welcoming hundreds of scientists, researchers and administrators to our island today for an impressive national conference.
The 20th annual Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research conference kicked off at Waikoloa and will continue through Friday. EPSCoR is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program designed to develop a state’s academic science and technology resources in a way that supports the creation of wealth and enhances the life of the state’s citizens.
Under the leadership of Chancellor Tseng, UH Hilo took the lead in 2001 and headed the drive to have Hawai‘i declared an EPSCoR state. Chancellor Tseng served first as chair and now as co-chair of the Hawai‘i EPSCoR State Committee that oversees and provides direction for the statewide program.
EPSCoR has brought over $40 million to the state for research in evolutionary genetics, ecosystem studies and cyber infrastructure.
The program has greatly enhanced the research programs at UH Hilo, notably graduate program in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Sciences. Other University of Hawai‘i academic and research programs throughout the state are also benefiting. The program also funds K-12 outreach programs to increase underrepresented populations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.
Many states competed to hold the national conference in their respective states but Hawai‘i won this year with the success of UH Hilo’s program.
“I felt it very important to hold the annual conference here on our island so that its resources as a natural living laboratory and potential partnerships with community stakeholders could be highlighted,” says Chancellor Tseng, who was principal investigator for the initial planning grant.
The conference is a great opportunity for members of the island community to come and talk to top people about grant funding and policy making. Keynote speakers and panels include science policy and funding experts from the NSF, National Academy of the Sciences, Smithsonian, and others. One of the panels made up of philanthropists and venture capitalists will discuss venture philanthropy and private sector partnerships for science education and research.
UH President David McClain will be attending and the opening keynote speaker is Edgy Lee, CEO and founder of FilmWorks Pacific. Maurice Kaya, chief technical officer at the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism will be on a panel discussing science policy at the state level.
Don’t miss this opportunity! For more information about EPSCoR, please call Terri Chong at 933-3325 or email admepscr@hawaii.edu. For conference details on the web, go to www.epscor07.com.