MAIN STAGE, ON THE QUAD

Kosmic Kelly – Spectacular Science Show

10:30 AM & 2:30 PM

As a wacky energetic scientist, “Kosmic Kelly” uses creative ideas to engage children of all ages on a variety of science topics. Exciting, educational and interactive fun featuring all of the best experiments!  Fizzy rainbow volcanoes, elephant toothpaste, ‘flying things,’ gaseous bubbling beakers, giant bubble snake and more!

Animal Adventures: Animal Encounter Show

12:00 PM & 1:00 PM

A live experience with exotic animals with adventure guides from Animal Adventures. Hear interesting stories and get up close with animals such a snake, alligator, lemur, owl, armadillo, African bush baby!

RUBIN CAMPUS CENTER, ODEUM STAGE

Woodie Flowers – FIRST Executive Advisory Board Co-Chair and Distinguished Advisor   

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Presentation

Education vs Training – A meaningful life seems more elusive now.  To help people in their quest, both the education system and the students should accelerate change.

What happens if one becomes a world-class orthopedic surgeon just as stem cell therapy replaces the need to replace human joints?  What happens if one becomes a very skilled coder just as an AI system becomes a super code-writing tool? Clearly learning to learn and think is fundamental and more important than consuming codified information.  Not that long ago, many careers were “safe” if the practitioner memorized facts.  Now, access to “facts” is ubiquitous, but knowing how to recognize truth is important.   Knowing what to do with facts is ascendant. In a decade or so, uniquely human talents and skills will be essential to staying in the game.  Empathy.  Creativity. Leadership.  Judgement. Ethics acumen.

The presentation will offer advice for both students and schools.  The difference between education and training will be discussed.  Students will be encouraged to learn to use machines to train themselves and use experience with others to gain education.

Some delightful examples of progress will be presented.  Nerd epistemology and humanistic metacognition will be celebrated. 

Dr. Woodie Flowers is the Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Distinguished Partner at Olin College. Dr. Flowers serves as Distinguished Advisor to FIRST and participated in the design of the FIRST Robotics Competition game for many years.

Lisa May – Deputy Space Exploration Architect

Journey to Mars!

12:30 – 1:30 PM | Presentation

Lisa May is the Deputy Space Exploration Architect at Lockheed Martin, where she develops concepts for human exploration of the Moon and Mars, Prior to joining Lockheed, she was CEO of Murphian Consulting, working in diverse technology fields such as nuclear, forensics, space, and transportation. She also consulted to the UAE Space Agency on their Mars mission: Hope. Before starting her firm, she worked at NASA Headquarters where she managed the Mars Exploration Program and chaired the International Mars Exploration Working Group. Lisa has a Master’s degree Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor’s in Communications, both from the University of Virginia.

Paul Ventimiglia – Multiple-time Battlebots winner and WPI alumnus

2:00 – 3:00 PM | Presentation

BARTLETT CENTER PRESENTATION ROOM

Craig A. Shue, Ph.D. – Computer Science Professor, WPI

Secrets and Security: Home Network Safety & Cybersecurity

11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 2:00 PM 

GATEWAY PARK – 60 PRESCOTT STREET PRESENTATION ROOM

First Light:  Celebrating 20 Years of Chandra X-ray Observatory

10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM  and 2:30 PM

In the past two decades, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has made profound discoveries and contributed invaluable information about the cosmos and the wondrous objects within it.  This short film touches upon the challenges of creating the technology behind Chandra, as well as some of the most exciting science as a result of that endeavor.  (20 minutes)

FULLER LABS, LOWER PERRAULT THEATER

Inventing Tomorrow

11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 2:00 PM

In this riveting documentary film, you will meet passionate teenage innovators from around the globe who are creating cutting-edge solutions to confront the world’s environmental threats – found right in their own back yards.  Take a journey with these inspiring teens as they prepare their projects for the largest convening of high school scientists in the world, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).  (60 minutes)