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Creating the Next Generation of leaders in scientific research By tierney Saccavino
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very year it seems that America’s position as a leader in scientific research faces new challenges. Recent statistics often paint the U.S. as a nation that is on the verge of losing its competitive advantage in math and science — subjects that students will need to excel in to compete internationally as engineers, scientists, physicians and entrepreneurs. For example, 15-year-olds in the U.S. now rank only 25th out of 30 countries in math performance and 21st in science performance, according to a recent assessment by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. It appears that strategies to help our nation continue to be the global leaders and innovators in science, technology, engineering and math will require a stronger focus on science education for our young people. We must help all students to improve performance in these areas while we support and motivate high-achieving students to soar to new heights. As a company based on advances in medical research, Acorda Therapeutics has seen first-hand the impact that support for science education can have on young people. As we know, the appreciation for science in our
students tends to begin in the classroom. But increasingly we also realize that to be successful in promoting science education we must involve more than our hard working science teachers. This effort should also involve companies and research organizations that are working to develop new medicines and technologies. In addition government must also play a crucial role by positioning science education as a top priority on the national agenda. President Obama is taking steps in this direction with a number of government programs and initiatives designed to promote science education. This year funding for government-backed programs is slated to increase by 6 percent, to $3 billion. This is certainly a step in the right direction, but we must all join in the effort. There is a great opportunity for more companies, research organizations and governments at the local level to work together to support and promote science education in our own communities. To help achieve that goal, this year Acorda Therapeutics collaborated with WFAS-AM and Westchester County government to launch a new awards program designed to recognize and honor outstanding high school students who are involved in independent research in science,
math and related areas. The Acorda Scientific Excellence Award works in several ways to support and promote achievement in scientific research. First, it gives much-deserved recognition to many of the outstanding students in science who are right here in Westchester. This award will honor them for efforts in independent research above and beyond their school work, where they show the type of initiative and independent thinking that are the hallmarks of major advances in science. It will also recognize our schools and teachers for their efforts to support these great students, and give kudos to the families that support science education at home. Beyond that, though, this program will also help to share many wonderful stories of excellence in research with the entire Westchester community – helping us all to see the achievement and recognize the impact that young scientists can have. On a weekly basis award winners will be invited to be guests on a new radio program called “The Acorda Scientific Excellence Award” hosted by radio personality Lisa Wexler. The program airs on Sundays at 9 a.m. Our hope is that the effort to honor young scientists and share their stories will
inspire all of us to get more involved in promoting science education and especially the efforts of our young people to become tomorrow’s leaders in research. This award program is just one example of what efforts to support and promote science education at the community level can look like. Other local efforts that have been successful in Westchester County and in communities across the country include K-12 science fairs, science and engineering internships, STEM scholarships and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competitions. What these efforts all have in common is that they are avenues for local government and industry to collaborate in order to strengthen science education, whether it’s through funding, judging science projects, teaching, mentorship, or experiential learning. When the resources of an entire community come together to support our students, there is no telling how far our young people can excel in science in the years ahead. Tierney Saccavino is senior vice president of corporate communications at Acorda Therapeutics in Ardsley. She can be reached at tsaccavino@acorda.com.
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