[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 130 (Monday, October 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO GENERAL ATOMICS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor General 
Atomics, an organization that has been a catalyst for improving science 
and technology education for thousands of students year after year. 
General Atomics, located in San Diego, California, began in 1955 for 
the purpose of harnessing the power of nuclear technologies to benefit 
mankind. General Atomics' basic research into fission and fusion has 
matured into many technologies, making them one of the world's leading 
resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the 
nuclear fuel cycle to remotely operated surveillance aircraft, airborne 
sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless, and laser 
technologies.
  While General Atomics has been pushing the boundaries of technology 
for almost 50 years, they have also heavily supported educational 
programs in their own community and beyond. As part of their commitment 
to education, General Atomics provided technical and administrative 
guidance to the newly-formed Science and Technology Education 
Partnership (STEP), which was created in my congressional district five 
years ago to inspire students to pursue an education in science and 
technology fields. Beyond their five years of participation in STEP, 
General Atomics has played an active role in bringing science and 
technology directly to Riverside County students and those from 
surrounding areas through their participation in each of the previous 
annual STEP Conferences that have been held in Riverside, California. 
They support the STEP Teacher Program by presenting tutorial workshops 
each year for elementary and middle school math and science teachers. 
In addition, they have become an integral and featured part of the STEP 
Student Program, which is attended by over 4,000 students plus more 
than 400 teachers and parents each year. Their exhibit booth in the 
``Discovery Zone'' provides students with a hands-on introduction to 
plasma, electricity, thermal energy, and more. Technical personnel from 
General Atomics are on hand to explain to the students how the 
technologies work and how they are used in government and commercial 
applications. In the ``Oh! Zone,'' students participate in an 
interactive Science Show with Rick Lee and Alex Nagy, two General 
Atomics scientists. The Science Show involves live demonstrations, 
often using student volunteers, of different technologies and 
scientific principles in order to show students that science can be 
interesting, useful, and fun.
  General Atomics is a valued member of the technical community and a 
true partner in education. Their generous efforts have helped make 
science and technology interesting and accessible to thousands of 
students within the Inland Empire, throughout Southern California, and 
beyond.

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