PR / Marketing Office * 4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura CA 93003 * (805) 654-6462
March 15, 2007 CONTACT:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Alisa Sparkia Moore
Public Information Officer
(805) 654-6462
Marcos Lupian
Director MESA Program
(805) 654-6400 ext. 6337
VENTURA COLLEGE MESA PROGRAM
TO HOST OPEN HOUSE
VENTURA: The Ventura College MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program is hosting an Open House on March 29 from 11:00a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Guthrie Hall. The event is open to the public, free and intended to explain the MESA (Math, Science & Engineering Achievement) Program to middle, high school and college students and their families. The MESA Program provides student participants with unique research, scholarship, intern and networking opportunities.
On display will be science research projects completed by VC MESA students last summer at several universities. Some of the Faculty Assistant in Mathematics Engineering and Science (FAMES) projects completed at Ventura College last semester will also be on display. The scientists, whose topics included such issues as “Synthesis of Polyotaxande Materials for DNA Delivery” and “Preventing Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa,” were selected for internships with various universities across the country, including Stanford, UCSB, Purdue and UC Irvine. MESA students from Ventura College won numerous awards and poster contests for their projects last year in competitions around the country. In addition to their academic work, MESA students participate in a number of college clubs, including the SHPE Chapter (Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers), the Pre-Med Club, and the SACNAS Chapter (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science). VC-MESA students will be present at the open house to answer any questions.
One of the country's most innovative and successful programs, MESA works with thousands of educationally disadvantaged students so they excel in math and science and graduate with math-based degrees. MESA helps California maintain its competitive edge by supporting those talented students become the math and science professionals that the state needs. MESA does business with more than 200 companies. The program’s academic support of undergraduate students has resulted in high community college transfer rates to math-based fields, and greater numbers of graduating engineers and computer scientists from scholastically underprivileged groups.
For more info, call Program Director Marcos Lupian at 654-6400 ext: 6337, or mlupian@vcccd.edu. |
