Press Release - May 8, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE

PORT ARANSAS AND FLOUR BLUFF SCHOOLS TO SHARE IN $1.52M GRANT FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAM 

The new program will build on existing outreach activities involving The University of Texas and local school systems within Texas. These include the Marine Science Institute’s Study of Arctic Change, a pilot program initiated by Dunton with the Port Aransas ISD that has looked at the impacts of climate change on native cultures and marine ecosystems of the Arctic Region, particularly Alaska. 

“This new project will provide K-12 teachers and students with recent knowledge and innovative learning strategies in the areas of biology, environmental science, aquatic science, geology and oceanography”, said Dunton. “By having GK-12 fellows in the classroom, participating teachers will be able to provide more creative and challenging classroom experiences for their students.” 

The three-year project will provide support for nine graduate fellows and four advanced undergraduate fellows each year to serve as resources for K-12 students and teachers in science and mathematics in Texas.   The program will emphasize collaboration in K-12 classrooms, and in field projects on Texas watersheds, estuaries, and ocean-going vessels. Teachers will also receive stipends for their participation. School superintendents at both Port Aransas (Mr. John Rouse) and Flour Bluff (Ms. Carol Moffett) wrote letters of support for the successful proposal. 

The project PI’s are Drs. Kenneth Dunton of the Marine Science Institute, and in Austin, Jay Banner of the Department of Geological Sciences, Ian Dalziel and Katherine Ellins of The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, and James Barufaldi of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Banner is also Director of the Environmental Science Institute.

Details of the program can be found at: http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu/staff/dunton/GK12/home.htm. For additional information, please contact: Dr. Kenneth Dunton, Marine Science Institute, 361-749-6744, dunton@utmsi.utexas.edu

The Environmental Studies Institute brings together faculty and students in the life, Earth, physical and social sciences at The University of Texas to form a focused, interdisciplinary program of environmental research to understand the complex interactions of the biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere in the Earth system, as well as the human dimensions of these interactions. 

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics is a member of the new Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. UTIG researchers investigate the dynamic geophysical processes that influence Earth's structure and climate. They also develop new mathematical models, data processing and imaging techniques that are relevant to natural resource exploration and the assessment of geologic hazards

The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, located in Port Aransas, is dedicated to education, research, and service as they apply to the Texas coastal zone. The Institute is an organized research unit of the University of Texas at Austin and emphasizes both basic and applied research aimed at understanding the biological, chemical, and physical processes governing the coastal zone ecosystem.

Created: Thu May 09 15:00:36 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) 2002