ASU partners for 2012 Arizona SciTech Fest

Arizona State University and other science and technology representatives joined Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer recently to announce plans for a 2012 Arizona SciTech Festival.

“Arizona is an intellectual center and emerging world leader for advances in aerospace, aviation and defense, semiconductor and electronics information technology, optics, life science, health science, renewable energy and telecommunications,” said Brewer in reading a proclamation establishing February 2012 as Arizona Science and Technology Month.

“Arizona is now focused on ushering in the next generation of great scientific and technological leaders and must cultivate the scientific talents of all its students,” read Brewer.

Public celebrations of science, technology and education, such as the Arizona SciTech Festival, a multi-week statewide series of events, “are critical to raising student and public awareness of the impact science and technology have on our lives and to inspire the next generation of scientific leaders,” noted Brewer.

Joining Brewer at a press conference at the Arizona Science Center was Sethuraman Panchanathan, deputy senior vice president and chief research officer at ASU.

Home-grown talent is a topic often raised by employers looking to move to Arizona, Panchanathan said.

“The SciTech Festival offers a high-profile way for Arizonans to appreciate the rich base of sophisticated research and technology in our state,” he said.

In addition to ASU, founding partners for the festival include the Arizona Technology Council and the Arizona Science Center. Support is coming from a number of sources, including the Helios Education Foundation, Flinn Foundation and Cox.

More information about the Arizona SciTech Festival is at http://www.azscitechfest.org.