Archived Message
Message from the SEE Project Director
Katrina
and Its Aftermath!
The name Katrina will be remembered for years to
come. It is not the name of the girl next door, but the name of
the most destructive hurricane to hit the United States ever. It
has impacted many families in the southern region of the United
States and beyond. The Project SEE family, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
members and AAAS staff have all been touched both directly and
tangentially by Katrina. We hope these persons are getting their
lives back to normal as much as possible. But by all estimates,
Katrina’s effect will be felt for years.
Never in our history have we seen an entire city
destroyed. In years to come, the city of New Orleans, the Gulfport
area of Mississippi and locations in Alabama will be reconstructing
the communities destroyed by the wind and storm surges. This reconstruction
will become a virtual laboratory for many professions. Professionals
of all disciplines will be needed to bring the affected areas back
to their past vibrancy. However, before rebuilding starts, a massive
clean-up effort is taking place after an assessment is made of
every structure that remains standing and the infrastructure that
supports it.
This rebuilding effort will require professionals
in disciplines such as engineering, medicine, and architecture.
All of these professionals, including law enforcement, must make
sure the areas are safe and inhabitable. Construction personnel,
computer scientists, chemical and mechanical engineers are just
a few professionals that come to mind that are needed to bring
the area back to its glorious past. In addition, medical examiners
and forensic scientists assist in helping families identify their
loved ones who lost their lives in the fury of Katrina.
Let’s hope that in years to come, the concepts
of science, technology, engineering and mathematics introduced
by Project SEE combined with the emotional impact of Hurricane
Katrina will result in the desire of children to use their talent
and seek careers in medicine, technology and mathematics to better
the human condition. In this year, terms such as tsunami, category
5 hurricanes, storm surges, levees, sea level and many others have
become a part of our everyday language. Show the children and make
the connection that the things shared in our everyday science laboratory
can lead to careers that impact and sustain our future wellbeing.