For Immediate Release
Office of Media Affairs
December 12, 2001

President Honors Nation's Leading Science Mentors

Ten outstanding individuals and ten organizations today received the sixth Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. Those honored by the White House today have achieved remarkable personal and institutional results in increasing the participation of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities in science, mathematics, and engineering.

A central goal of the President's education blueprint, No Child Left Behind, is to strengthen the teaching of K-12 math and science education in our schools and enhance their interaction with institutions of higher learning.  The Mentoring Awards are a vital part of this goal.

The awards recognizes individuals that are excellent role models for their colleagues and are leading the national effort to more fully develop the Nations human resources in science, mathematics and engineering.

The annual award -- administered by the National Science Foundation -- includes a $10,000 grant and a Presidential commemorative certificate given to both individuals and institutions that have established outstanding and sustained mentoring activities.  Those being honored have provided encouragement and guidance through their wisdom, motivation and coaching, and have opened doors and provided resources to a significant number of students at the K-12, undergraduate, or graduate level from groups traditionally underrepresented in science, mathematics and engineering.

The 2001 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring awardees are:

INDIVIDUAL AWARDEES:

Earlene Armstrong, University of Maryland, College Park Pamela H. Dase, Centennial High School, Columbus, Ohio Public Schools Clinton H. Dixon, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA Mary W. Gray, American University, Washington, DC Judith K. Gwathmey, Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases and Muscle Research, Inc., Boston, MA Bharati Mehrotra, Tougaloo College, Jackson, MS

Therese Ann Markow, University of Arizona, Tucson, for work done at Arizona State University, Tempe Max Warshauer, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos Melvin R. Webb, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA Theodore R. Williams, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH

INSTITUTIONAL AWARDEES:

Center for Science Excellence, Contra Costa College, San Pablo, CA Department of Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, CO Maryland Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program, The Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD MentorNet, College of Engineering, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY Office of Outreach, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth Olin-Yale-Bayer-New Haven Public Schools Science Fair Program, New Haven, CT Project on Science, Technology, and Disability, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington DC Project SEED and the ACS Scholars, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

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