WHO: Renowned marine explorer Robert Ballard, professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, Gov. Donald Carcieri, Smithfield Superintendent of Schools Robert O’Brien, the Smithfield School Committee, and East Providence High School teacher John Langella, who has participated in oceanographic research with Ballard.
WHAT: Robert O’Brien will honor Robert Ballard with a Partnership Award during a meeting of the Smithfield School Committee. Ballard is being recognized for having established an outpost of his Inner Space Center at Smithfield High School, enabling Smithfield students to interact with scientists at sea and observe oceanographic research in real time. Smithfield High School is the first and only high school in the country to be equipped with the technology to link to researchers at sea year-round. John Langella will demonstrate the equipment via video conference and Internet2 from the URI Inner Space Center in Narragansett.
WHEN: Monday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Smithfield High School, 90 Pleasant View Ave., Smithfield
CONTACT: Todd McLeish at the URI Department of Communications & Marketing at
401-874-7892 or tmcleish@uri.edu for additional information.