VI-EPSCoR Conference Set for Sept. 23 and 24

The public is invited to learn more about VI-EPSCoR, an initiative to promote the use of science and technology as tools to build the local economy, during a two-day conference on September 23 and 24. The VI-EPSCoR conference is set for Friday, September 23, at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef Resort and on Saturday, September 24, at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center.

Day One of the conference gives the public a chance to hear from some of the leading researchers already at work in the VI-EPSCoR program. Day Two moves the conference venue to the UVI Sports and Fitness Center, where researchers and student researchers take center stage.

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is a program of the National Science Foundation aimed at strengthening research and development capacity and competitiveness in participating states and territories. The Virgin Islands EPSCoR (VI-EPSCoR) program is a partnership between the National Science Foundation and the higher education, government, and business communities of the U. S. Virgin Islands. TheVI-EPSCoR program aims to promote the development of the territory's science and technology resources through targeted research, education, and outreach activities. VI-EPSCoR is hosted by the University of the Virgin Islands on behalf of the Virgin Islands government, and receives its guidance from a governing committee that includes representatives of the territory's public and private sectors.

One of the primary goals of the program is to inspire more Virgin Islanders to engage in scientific research, either in an educational setting or as a career path. And because of UVI's growing reputation as a top school in marine science, the research focus of VI-EPSCoR is on studies of the territory's coastal resources and particularly its coral reefs.

On Day One of the conference, researchers are expected to take part in panel discussions describing the vast diversity of life beneath the sea, and to take a look at current thought on how best to manage marine resources. There is also a panel discussion planned on predicting local weather and seas. Day One activities, set for September 23, will be held in the Harbour Room of Marriott Frenchman's Reef, starting at 8 a.m., with an opening ceremony and remarks by officials from UVI, the National Science Foundation, the V.I. Economic Development Authority and the V.I. government.

The keynote speaker for Day One is Dr. Peter Sale, a coral reef ecologist currently on the faculty at the University of Windsor in Canada. Sale is the author of several books and has published close to 100 scientific papers on corals and coral reef life.

On Day Two, beginning at noon, researchers and student researchers are expected to present details of various projects they have taken part in, including work done through UVI's Summer Science Enrichment Academy. UVI undergraduate students will present their work at the Fall Research Symposium, and VI-EPSCoR researchers will be on hand with demonstrations and displays.

On Day Two of the conference, Dr. Cecil Jennings is the keynote speaker. A native Virgin Islander, Dr. Jennings began his career at the Division of Fish and Wildlife on St. Thomas. He now heads the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, which is part of the Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia.

Admission to the conference is free and the public is encouraged to attend. Conference organizers believe the information shared on these two days will be a source of inspiration for educators, students, businesses and government leaders, and will help VI-EPSCoR to more effectively respond to the economic development challenges facing the Virgin Islands. Members of the press are cordially invited to attend.

For additional information please contact VI-EPSCoR at 693-1380 or rnemeth@uvi.edu.