Radford’s inaugural Science Festival brings interactive science and technology to all

To inspire scientific curiosity, Radford University hosted the inaugural Science Festival, sponsored by the Artis College of Science and Technology (ACSAT) on Apr. 14.  

The festival featured interactive opportunities from the ACSAT ‘s disciplines, such as star shows in the RU Planetarium, an archaeological dig demonstration by Director of the Forensic Science Institute Donna Boyd and Associate Professor of Anthropological Sciences Jake Fox, an air show by Radford’s fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles piloted by Professor of Geology Skip Watts and an Open House with Roachzilla, the Department of Biology’s enhanced cockroach. 

ACSAT welcomed regional partners from the Science Museum of Western Virginia, the Mill Mountain Zoo and Novozymes Biologicals who shared displays and exhibits at the day-long celebration which started off with in the grand opening of the Glowing Rock Mine in the Museum of Earth Sciences (MES). The MES also premiered a gem mining sluice in which visitors panned for semi-precious minerals.

Salem’s Heather Walker ’00 and her daughter Gracie were among the first to delve into the sluice.“Radford’s reach into the community is growing,” Walker said. “It makes me feel good to see what my alma mater is doing.”
 

Emily Whately, a freshman geology major from Virginia Beach, operated the sluice in which 8-year-old Gracie was searching for gems and minerals.

“It is exciting to see the next generation be excited about the things I am excited about,” Whately said.

Mark and Amanda ’07 Foutz and their sons Ben, 8, and Bryce, 5, spent a full day at the Science Festival.

After watching Radford Professor of Chemistry Frances Webster’s pyrotechnic Magic of Chemistry show, Ben called the festival “awesome because of all the cool science stuff." Brother Bryce leaned more to biology, saying “Roachzilla was my favorite  . . . once I learned he didn’t bite.”

Amanda Foutz said it was her first visit to the Center for the Sciences since she took classes in Reed-Curie Hall.

“It is really amazing what is here.  I am thrilled to see it through Ben and Bryce’s eyes now.  We came to see the technology, but the science caught their attention, even the physics demonstrations,” Foutz said.

According to David Horton, assistant to the ACSAT dean, more than 500 guests of all ages visited the festival, which kicked off on Friday with a lecture by Zonnie Gorman about the complexity and value of cryptography.

Gorman’s father was one of the original Navajo Code Talkers who were recruited to develop a code using the Navajo language that was instrumental to successful American combat operations in World War II. Gorman has lectured about the Navajo Code Talkers throughout the United States, appeared in the History Channel documentary about them and is featured in the MGM double DVD release of the 2002 movie Windtalkers.

“Our partners have been extremely helpful in making this first Science Festival successful,” Horton said. “They have helped us showcase science in the region and demonstrate to all the real work of science.”