The New York Film Academy will be holding a joint talk with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Warner Bros Studios on Tuesday, May 20th 2014 at 4:15pm PST. In an effort to raise awareness on the development of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the talk aims to showcase the programs, products, and overall results of the Academy’s initiatives to merge STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) fields with the Visual Arts. Rajiv Uttamchandani will be representing the New York Film Academy while Dr. Matthew Greenhouse will speak on behalf of NASA.
THE SPEAKERS
Rajiv Uttamchandani is an astrophysicist, professor, and Director of STEAM Education Initiatives at the New York Film Academy Los Angeles. His primary interests are in the development of programs that foster interests in STEM fields to visual artists and members of the public at large. He has recently started significant collaborations with NASA, in which he aims to use the development of the James Webb Space Telescope as an educational tool to engage visual artists in the sciences.
Dr. Matthew Greenhouse has served on the James Webb Space Telescope senior staff as Project Scientist for the JWST science instrument payload since 1997. He is the recipient of several NASA awards and honors including: the Robert H. Goddard award for Exceptional Achievement in Science, 21 other individual performance awards, and five team awards including the Naval Research Laboratory Alan Berman Research Publication Award.
JOINT-TALK DETAILS
Through collaborations with various institutions, the New York Film Academy has developed several unique programs and curricula that merge the STEM fields with the Arts. Our programs provide arts-based students with an opportunity to directly engage in the documentation of cutting-edge STEM endeavors, thereby implementing STEM subjects directly into the context of their desired professions. In addition, these programs provide an incentive for students and faculty in STEM fields to better their abilities at communicating complex ideas and concepts to non-specialists and the public at large.
There exists a strong need for the diversification and outreach of STEM education towards non-specialists. Most individuals in society outside of STEM fields have little or no interest in STEM education, and part of this comes from the traditional manner in which STEM courses are taught, and in which results of research are presented.
HOW TO ATTEND
If you’re interested in attending this exclusive joint-talk event at Warner Bros Studios, please RSVP to LAEvents@nyfa.edu and include your name and your association with NYFA.
Seats are also available to the general public, but please clarify that you have no association with NYFA.