Circle News

NJIT will once again serve as one of 30 locations for an ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp this summer. The camp will be held July 12-24, 2009 at the NJIT campus. Participants will include 54 middle school students from 45 schools throughout New Jersey.

The residential camp gives students a first-hand experience with experiments, role models and innovative programs to encourage their continued participation in math and science courses in school. Additionally, their leadership potential and citizenship skills are fostered along with their abilities to work in teams and think creatively, while spending two weeks in a college campus environment. The ultimate goal is to raise their awareness of career possibilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Bernard Harris, MD, of Houston, is the veteran of two space shuttle missions and was the first African-American to walk in space. In May of 2009, NJIT awarded Harris an honorary doctor of science at the NJIT Commencement Ceremony at Newark’s Prudential Center.

NJIT is excited to be part of this wonderful camp experience for our local students, said Suzanne Berliner-Heyman. We are not only providing these students with two weeks on our campus, we are also developing the next generation of creative thinkers and inventors.

Unlike most summer camps, there is no fee required to attend the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp. Young people who are academically qualified, recommended by their teachers and genuinely interested in math and science can be rewarded with the opportunity to attend these educational camps at no cost.

Students will attend daily classes in natural science, engineering, mathematics and technology, which will be taught by faculty from NJIT and area school districts. Activities include classroom study, experiments, group projects, weekly field excursions and guest speakers who motivate the students into fulfilling their dreams.

Repeated studies have shown that the United States faces a critical shortage of engineers, scientists and other mathematics- and science-literate workers, many practicing engineers are nearing retirement and not enough students are pursuing related degrees.

Students are from the following towns: Brick; Cherry Hill; Closter; Demarest; East Brunswick; East Hanover; Edison; Fair Lawn; Fords; Franklin Township; Hillside; Hoboken; Holmdel; Jersey City; Kearny; Marlboro; Montclair; Newark; North Bergen; Park Ridge; Parsippany; Paterson; Phillipsburg; Randolph; Readington; Rye, NY; South Brunswick; Teaneck; Union; Union City; West Amwell; West Orange; Woodbridge.

Australian Institute of Sport athlete Emma Moffatt has won the US race of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series, which took place in Washington, DC on 21 June. Moffatt took out first place in 1:59:55, beating fellow AIS athlete Emma Snowsill by 25 seconds.

Moffatt timed her race perfectly, emerging from the 15-kilometre swim in second place, staying with the front pack during the 40-kilometre cycle and then taking the lead early on in the 10-kilometre run. US athletes Sarah Haskins and Mary Beth Ellis had a 25-second lead at the start of the 10-kilometre run, but Moffatt sprinted ahead and cruised to victory.

Moffatt was thrilled with the win.

It is nice to come away with a win because it is a bit of a surprise. The conditions were good not too hot, a little windy, but it was a good day for racing.

I felt comfortable on the bike and I had a smooth transition from the bike to the run. I like to go out reasonably hard at the start of the run and fortunately that paid off today,Moffatt said.

AIS team-mate Annabel Luxford was also a strong contender in the world series triathlon, but a puncture in the closing stages knocked her out of the race.

Fellow AIS athlete Brad Kahlefeldt was also disappointed with his 11th place in the mens race.

sportscotland yesterday announced an investment of £144,255 for the sport of table tennis in Scotland.Scotland is proving a force to be reckoned with on the table tennis scene boasting not only the boys Primary Schools International champions, but also the British Premier League champions.

Yesterday morning Sports Minister Shona Robison visited a club that is leading the way in the sport's development, in Drumchapel in Glasgow.This season Drumchapel Table Tennis Club, which celebrates its 20th anniversary today, became the first Scottish club to take this prestigious title.

sportscotland's investment is designed to build on these foundations, supporting the sport at all levels, encouraging increased participation and ensuring that the athletes have the support they need to deliver when the Commonwealth Games come to Glasgow in 2014.

In particular, this year's funding has allowed Table Tennis Scotland to recruit its first national coach and Li Chao from China took up the post earlier this year. Li's task is to ensure that the Scottish team is in the top eight in the Commonwealth before 2014.

To support Li in his aims, sportscotland has also funded the appointment of two part-time overseas practice partners, to give Scotland's top players the best possible competition preparation as they aim for selection for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next October.

Young people tend to cut down on bone-strengthening dairy products as they enter their 20s -- just when their body needs it most, new research finds.

In a study by researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, a majority of the 1,500 participants reduced their calcium intake in high school and the years immediately following high school. More than half of the males and more than two-thirds of the females consumed less than the daily recommended level of calcium at the end of each of those time periods, the researchers found.

The study findings are published in the July issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

Because human bone mass peaks when a person is in their 30s, consuming sufficient amounts of calcium, protein and vitamin D -- all found in dairy products -- during the teen and young-adult years is considered key to lowering the risk of osteoporosis and some other health issues in later life. According to nutrition experts at Harvard University, calcium can also be found in certain greens, fortified soy milk, and supplements.

About 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day is recommended for high school-aged children and 1,000 millgrams a day for young adults, according to a news release from the journal.

Increased availability of milk at mealtime, a proper attitude and approach to weight, health and nutrition, and a taste for milk were linked to greater consumption of calcium during these critical years, the study authors noted. Excessive television watching and lactose intolerance were tied to lower calcium levels.

Following the analysis of the last Mission 2012 quarterly submission from sports back in April, Britains summer Olympic and Paralympic sports have been experiencing a period of change, challenge and consolidation since the Beijing Games last summer.

This has included a significant number of changes in leadership within sports. To support these new coaches, performance directors and managers in their transition to the UK high performance system, or in their new role, UK Sport brought together many of these individuals from across sports for a high performance induction workshop.

The one day workshop took place last week at Twickenham Stadium in London. The aim was to introduce new sports leaders to the British sporting landscape, UK Sport and how the organisation supports World Class Programmes within National Governing Bodies. In addition it was a unique opportunity to foster strong working relationships with UK Sport, its partner organisations and the representatives of the 15 different Olympic and Paralympic sports present.

The day included presentations from UK Sport Chair Baroness Sue Campbell, as well as CEO John Steele, Chief Operating Officer Liz Nicholl, Director of Performance Peter Keen and Director of Drug-free Sport Andy Parkinson. GB Pentathlon Performance Director, Jan Bartu also spoke to delegates focussing on his experience of leading a highly successful British elite sport over the past 10 years. The afternoon gave the participants an opportunity to spend time in small groups with various representatives from UK Sport and its partner organisations; the English Institute of Sport, sports coach UK, the British Athletes Commission, and the British Olympic and Paralympic Associations.

UK Sport Chief Executive John Steele said: We are embarking on a landmark period in British sporting history, and the people involved in the mission will be fundamental to our success at the London Games in 2012. We are delighted to be working with these world class individuals and hope todays induction will help them work even more effectively with us to support their sports and athletes in delivering on our collective ambitions for 2012 and beyond.

An overhaul of video games classification rules will make selling a video game rated 12 or over to an underage person illegal for the first time, Creative Industries Minister Sion Simon announced today.

The PEGI (Pan European Game Information) system, currently used in most European countries, will become the sole method of classifying video games in the UK. It will replace the current hybrid system that has two separate sets of symbols, either of which can appear on video games, and is sufficiently adaptable to work in the rapidly expanding online games market.

Today’s announcement also heralds a new role for the Video Standards Council (VSC), an organisation which is independent from the games industry and will take a statutory role, with a mandate to implement the PEGI classification system for all video games in the UK.

This new system will work alongside the robust regulation of Films and DVDs carried out by the British Board of Film Classification, to ensure that consumers have the strongest possible protection across these media. There is no intention to disturb BBFC's jurisdiction in respect of linear material. The BBFC will continue to provide Blu Ray distributors with a one-stop service as at present. It is important that the BBFC and the VSC work together to share best practice in a rapidly changing and demanding media landscape.

The Government will now work closely with PEGI and the VSC on the development of a single, clear set of age-rating symbols to give parents the information they need to ensure that children are protected from unsuitable content, and help retailers to avoid breaking the law by selling games to people below the appropriate age. The new system will consist of five age categories and a series of pictorial boxes, describing content such as bad language or violence.