West Virginia State University News June 13, 2012 WVSU hosts 8th Annual NASA Day Rockets will soar above campus during West Virginia State University's eighth annual NASA Day celebration on Tuesday, June 19. Officials from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with WVSU staff, partners and over 200 youth will gather for the daylong event. The day's activities will allow participants to learn about engineering and science, then put that knowledge to practical use through interactive activities, including creating their own bottle rockets. NASA Day was developed in 2005 by WVSU's Center for the Advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CASTEM) with the mission of encouraging youth to pursue careers in the STEM areas. "We want these kids to consider the sciences as a career; perhaps even become astronauts!" says Dedriell Taylor, site director of WVSU's NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA)."NASA Day is a great opportunity for all the students who are involved," adds Jess White, Student Outreach Program Manager with the NASA IV&V Facility. "The number one thing they're going to get here is career awareness. Hopefully they will be inspired to pursue careers in the STEM areas when they go to college." This year's NASA Day keynote speaker will be Dr. Jan Taylor, Director of the Division of Science and Research at the WV Higher Education Policy Commission. In addition, the Director of the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH, will be present. The WVSU 4-H Youth Mentoring Program, which pairs middle school youth with an adult mentor, is a sponsor of the event. All activities for the day take place on WVSU's campus and begin at 9 a.m. in the Wilson University Union. The interactive afternoon of science experiments, rocket launching, and CASTEM's Star Lab will follow a picnic lunch that begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Student Plaza. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.