KTU U niv Tech ersit y Kids‛ Kids‛ Tech University Virginia Tech KTU is a semester-long educational research program developed by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in partnership with the Virginia 4-H, that puts scientists and engineers in front of children to encourage the exploration of intriguing topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. AFTER the success of the 2009 - 2014 KTU programs, we are excited to announce the 2015 Virginia Tech KTU program being offered to kids, who as of Sept. 30, 2014, are between the ages of 9 and 12. Hands-on activities follow each interactive session and an online component continues the interest and excitement after the campus activities have been completed. GENERAL INFORMATION • Online enrollment begins 6 pm, Oct. 20, 2014 • 450 children will be accepted into the program • Participants accepted will represent a geographically diverse area • For enrollment information, please visit http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu/ • Registration is on a “ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served” basis that is open to children satisfying the age restriction, regardless of place of residence or academic achievements. A waiting list will be available after registration is full for a county or for the program. • In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $100.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend. http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu/ KTU SCHEDULE JANUARY 24, 2015 Dr. John McDowell, Virginia Tech “Why are the foods that you love the most in danger from rusts, blights, molds and mildews?” Did you know that grapes, chocolate, and bananas can get sick? And that these diseases are caused by microscopic organisms that are relatives of germs that can make humans sick? We will discuss a few of the most important crop diseases and threats for the future, including potential effects of climate change. We will also discuss how scientists are using information from genomes of plants and plant germs to ﬁgure out how germs cause disease and how plants can ﬁght back against them. Did you know that plants have immune systems that are very similar to our immune systems? Our discussion will illuminate this surprising similarity and will also reveal how “plant doctors” use this information to breed healthier plants and reduce pesticides. FEBRUARY 21, 2015 Dr. Ivan Galysh, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory “Space weather - the ﬁnal atmosphere!” APRIL 11, 2015 Dr. Tim Long, Virginia Tech “Why will 3D Printing of Plastics Change the Future?” 3D printers are rapidly appearing in many ofﬁces and homes, and many think that 3D printing will change every aspect of our lives. The secret may be in the “ink” for the printer, scientists are rapidly designing new molecules that will print objects for many applications, ranging from devices for our bodies to robots and drones. 3D printers will change the manufacturing jobs of the future, moving from a large plant to distributed manufacturing sites on every street corner. This is only accomplished with partnerships between scientists and engineers, working together to construct molecules that will be designed for the 3D printer of the future. Please note: Students enrolled in the VT KTU program are enrolled for all of the KTU events that are found on this ﬂyer. We will be talking about two sets of satellites, FCAL, MAA, Pollux, Castor which I designed and built for the Navy that were deployed from space shuttles. These satellites were near perfect spheres with the purpose of measuring the drag effects of the earth’s upper atmosphere so scientists and engineers can better predict satellite positions knowing how the atmosphere affects the orbits and how space weather changes the amount of drag on satellites. We will also discuss why we need satellites, what is an atmosphere and what is an orbit. MARCH 21, 2015 Dr. Sarah McDonald, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute & the VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine “What are viruses and how do they make us sick?” Viruses are microscopic germs that invade our bodies and replicate inside of our own cells. Oftentimes, viruses can make us very sick in the process, causing anything from a mild common cold to life-threatening conditions like cancer. But, have you ever wondered: How do viruses make us sick? How do vaccines work to prevent us from being infected? Why do we have vaccines for some viruses, but not others? In this session, we will discuss these intriguing questions and learn how scientists are racing to keep “one-step-ahead” of disease-causing viruses. CONTACT Dr. Kristy Collins Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech [email protected] http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu/