Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts will celebrate Aerospace Week, Nov. 14-18. Student presentations and programs by guest speakers will be open to the public on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 16 and 17.
“Aerospace Week will promote knowledge regarding aerospace technology, research and exploration while highlighting the significant contributions of the State of Arkansas and the country to the aerospace industry,” said Dean of Academic Affairs Janice Sullivan.
The week will incorporate all areas of study ranging from scientific experiments to re-enactments of historical or literary events relating to aerospace.
Wednesday’s presentation topics will include history and culture from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and the future/arts and literature from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Awards will be presented at 2:30 p.m.
Science and engineering projects will be presented from 8:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursday. Awards will be presented from 2 to 4:30 p.m. with a presentation by Hot Springs Radio Controlled Flying Club.
Aerospace Week also will include ASMSA’s Futures Forum, a monthly program that introduces students to career opportunities. The Futures Forum will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday and 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Thursday.
ASMSA class of 1996 alumnus Brian Shiro will be one of the featured speakers (via Skype) on Wednesday. Shiro works as a geophysicist with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s tsunami warning center near Honolulu, Hawaii. However, he will be talking about the organization he founded, Astronauts4Hire, which provides trained astronauts to commercial businesses involved in space exploration.
Also speaking on Wednesday will be Lt. Col. (Ret.) Larry Louden, who spent 27 years in the U.S. Air Force. He also worked as a ground school instructor for Trans World Airlines and as a pilot for TWA. He has logged more than 8,400 hours of flying time in a wide variety of military and civilian aircraft.
Thursday’s guest speaker will be John Cummings, a retired aeronautical engineer for McDonnell Douglas. Cummings worked on the communications systems for NASA’s Gemini project.
A pilot from Little Rock Air Force Base also will speak Thursday.
For more information about Aerospace Week, contact Stephanie Rizzo, ASMSA research and marketing specialist, at rizzos@asmsa.org or at 501-622-5133.