August 1 was a doubly exciting day at Blandy. That first Wednesday of August, as usual, was the day of our annual Summer Research Forum, when we showcase the research from all of our REU and many of our graduate students for the entire Blandy community. This year the day also featured the formal dedication of the new Blandy Field Lab. Over 100 supporters and members of the project team attended a morning ceremony to mark this historic moment.

John Hawley, Associate Dean for Sciences in the College of Arts & Sciences, at the dedication of the new Blandy Field Lab.

The 4000-square foot building, designed by Train and Partners, will not only usher in a new era of research at Blandy, its green design and construction will establish a new standard for future building projects here.  

We were very honored by the attendance of a number of special guests who helped with the celebration.   Dave Stegmaier spoke on behalf of Congressman Frank Wolf. Congressman Wolf chairs the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies and has a long-standing and deserved reputation as a champion for investment in the sciences. His subcommittee has jurisdiction over the National Science Foundation budget, and NSF funding played an instrumental role in the lab's construction.

Chris Weaver represented Lantz Construction, the general contractor for the project. Chris, Gerard Folio, and especially their on-site project manager Bob Baer did a fantastic job maintaining a smooth and uninterrupted construction schedule. Lantz broke ground on the project on  September 28, and we moved into a completed lab just eight months later. Of course the dedication and high quality workmanship from their subcontractors was critical in ensuring the quality of the project.

John Hawley, who began his term as Associate Dean for Sciences for UVa's College of Arts & Sciences just weeks earlier, made his first trip to Blandy for the dedication. The College played a critical role in the project, and this dream would never have been realized without the support from Dean Meredith Woo, Senior Associate Dean Rick Myers, Director of Space Planning and Management Anna Towns, and Professor Hawley's predecessor Jim Galloway. John spoke eloquently on the role of science in the University, Blandy's role in science training, and the issue most vital to everything the University of Virginia does: How does all of this continue the Jeffersonian vision?

This new lab was an effort many years in the making, and it was wonderful to have so many who had a hand in it present for the celebration. Folks involved from the early concept stages through construction and even the dedication itself included the University's project managers Kate Meyer and Dave Paley; Senior Academic Facility Manager from the Provost Office, Dick Minturn; Luis Carrazana from the Office of the Architect; the Chair of the Department of Environmental Scinces, Pat Wiberg; the Blandy faculty and staff; and many members of the Foundation of the State Arboretum. Unable to attend was former Blandy Director Michael Bowers, whose leadership originally established the financial path that eventually made the project feasible.

Also in attendance were the students themselves. The 2012 Blandy research community included 25 full-time undergraduate and graduate students, all of whom were the direct beneficiaries of the effort to make the lab a reality. The lab not only took care of their research needs, it became the place where they and the faculty gathered all summer and learned from one another. It created a stronger, more cohesive sense of community among the grads and undergrads at Blandy. The students filled the building with activity and energy, and later that afternoon, they shared with their peers and the public the science that had kept them so excited and motivated all summer long.

Candace Lutzow-Felling, Blandy's Director of Education, was elected to serve a three-year term on the 13-member Board of the National Science Teachers' Association (NSTA) as the Director of Informal Science Education.

The NSTA Board of Directors consists of three elected officers within the Presidential chain of command (president-elect, president, and past-president) and 10 directors

Candace Lutzow-Felling with past NSTA Informal Science Education Directors Elsa Bailey, David Heil, and Elizabeth Mulkerrin at the 2012 NSTA national conference in Indianapolis.

representing the 10 service divisions within the organization (Preschool & Elementary, Middle Level, High School, College, Informal Science, Research in Science Education, Coordination & Supervision, Preservice Teacher Preparation, Multicultural/Equity in Science Education, and Professional Development).   An appointed treasurer and NSTA's Executive Director round out the Board and serve as non-voting members.

NSTA's mission is "... to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all." NSTA serves 60,000 members and over 400,000 active non-members as an advocate for science education with Congress and the Executive Branch of government, producer of excellent and popular print and web-based resources for teachers, and provider of annual regional and national conferences which draw thousands of educators to each event.

Informal science education involves any science learning outside of the classroom that is lead by someone other than a classroom teacher. All of Blandy's education programs for PreK-12 students and for the general public fall into the realm of informal science education.

When asked about the significance of her appointment and what she plans to do during her three-year term, Candace replied "This is an exciting time for Informal Science Education (ISE) within NSTA. The important role of learning experiences in non-school settings is gaining recognition and NSTA recently has strengthened its support for informal science learning for all preK-12 students.  

"Learning at museums, science and technology centers, zoos and aquariums, gardens and arboreta provides opportunities for students to explore and deepen their understanding of science concepts and classroom. As the Informal Science Education Director, I will work to support and advance NSTA's goals for ISE with a focus on four main initiatives:

* Partnerships. Strengthen partnerships between NSTA and national ISE organizations;

* Capacity building. Identify ISE leaders within the 18 NSTA geographic districts and facilitate science collaborations with NSTA District Directors;

* Contributions & Connections. Continue to highlight ISE STEM contributions and innovations at NSTA regional and national conferences;