State Science Advisor

Developing government, education and private sector partnerships.

The State Science Advisor (SSA), appointed by the Governor, provides advice and counsel on science and technology issues to the Governor, state legislature and other state agencies. The Science Advisor serves on a broad range of boards and commissions pursuant to the oversight of key scientific initiatives, research efforts, federal and state mandates and on-going programs devoted to science and technology issues. The Science Advisor has specific responsibility to supervise or participate in the following key areas:

Advisory Council on Science and Technology (SAC)

The SSA and SAC review significant advances in science and technology and advise and make recommendations to the Governor, state legislature and governmental agencies on the use of science and technology to foster scientific literacy and to strengthen the state’s economy, educational system and quality of life. The SSA serves as an ex-officio member of the SAC and provides staff support for all SAC activities and initiatives.

Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology

The State of Utah has chosen the Governor’s Medal as a symbol of recognition for those individuals who have provided distinguished service in the fields of science and technology. The Governor’s Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in the following areas: academia, industry, government and education. A special category recognizes individuals that may not meet all of the specific criteria but whose accomplishments merit recognition for this award.

Utah Applied Science, Technology and Engineering Camps (ASTEC)

The SSA supports a state-wide science camp initiative that provides opportunities for students to become involved in hands-on science, technology and engineering activities. The ASTEC program supported 16 camps during the summer of 2007, as well as the Salt Lake Valley Science Fair (SLVSF) and the Science Olympiad. Participants are represented from the entire state of Utah and ranged from the Olympiad and SLVSF to engineering-related activities such as building telescopes and robots. The Science Olympiad was one of the two camps that focused on bringing innovative, hands-on science education training to public education science teachers. The intended outcome of the camp was to help science educators (15 participants in total) implement their own Science Olympiad competitions for their students. Dr. Sharon Ohlhorst, the director of the training camp intends upon following up with the teachers to determine if the camp will result in the implementation of Science Olympiad’s at the respective schools and what further support will be required for the teachers. Financial support for ASTEC was a result of both legislative funding ($100,000 in 2006; $150,000 in 2007), as well as private donations ($75,000 in 2007) and awards were given as a result of a competitive application process.

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STATE SCIENCE ADVISOR

The summer camps and their related activities encourage students to continue to explore educational opportunities in the sciences. Alex, a student from the Salt Lake Community College “Slick Science” camp confirms this to be the case..... “I built four robots [in Slick Science], have been checking out a lot of books at the library and Radio Shack is my favorite store now!” Perhaps an engineer in the making!

Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development (WIRED)

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) recently received a US Department of Labor grant for $5.1 MM through the Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) program. This 3-year grant focuses on supporting the Utah life science industry by building strong partnerships through government agencies, higher and public education institutions, life science industries and community and philanthropic entities. The anticipated outcomes are to promote regional economic transformation through strengthening collaborative partnerships, mapping and leveraging resources and supporting the growth of workforce talent for the life science industry. The WIRED initiative, called the Utah Life Science Employment and Development (ULEAD) initiative, was officially “kicked off” on May 10, 2007 by Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Labor Emily Stover DeRocco.

Seth Ferrin with his ”black rocket.”

Zach Fowler with the rocket launcher.