Tribute to General Atomics

TRIBUTE TO GENERAL ATOMICS -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 11, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. KEN CALVERT
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2004

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor General Atomics, an organization that has been a catalyst for improving science and technology education for thousands of students year after year. General Atomics, located in San Diego, California, began in 1955 for the purpose of harnessing the power of nuclear technologies to benefit mankind. General Atomics' basic research into fission and fusion has matured into many technologies, making them one of the world's leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely operated surveillance aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless, and laser technologies.

While General Atomics has been pushing the boundaries of technology for almost 50 years, they have also heavily supported educational programs in their own community and beyond. As part of their commitment to education, General Atomics provided technical and administrative guidance to the newly-formed Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP), which was created in my congressional district five years ago to inspire students to pursue an education in science and technology fields. Beyond their five years of participation in STEP, General Atomics has played an active role in bringing science and technology directly to Riverside County students and those from surrounding areas through their participation in each of the previous annual STEP Conferences that have been held in Riverside, California. They support the STEP Teacher Program by presenting tutorial workshops each year for elementary and middle school math and science teachers. In addition, they have become an integral and featured part of the STEP Student Program, which is attended by over 4,000 students plus more than 400 teachers and parents each year. Their exhibit booth in the "Discovery Zone" provides students with a hands-on introduction to plasma, electricity, thermal energy, and more. Technical personnel from General Atomics are on hand to explain to the students how the technologies work and how they are used in government and commercial applications. In the "Oh! Zone," students participate in an interactive Science Show with Rick Lee and Alex Nagy, two General Atomics scientists. The Science Show involves live demonstrations, often using student volunteers, of different technologies and scientific principles in order to show students that science can be interesting, useful, and fun.

General Atomics is a valued member of the technical community and a true partner in education. Their generous efforts have helped make science and technology interesting and accessible to thousands of students within the Inland Empire, throughout Southern California, and beyond.