News Release

National Science Board's annual Public Service Award

Former astronaut, radio show, science writing group earn National Science Board's annual Public Service Award

Grant and Award Announcement

U.S. National Science Foundation

Arlington, Va.--The National Science Board (NSB) today announced former astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan, radio show "Earth & Sky," and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing as its selection for the 2003 NSB Public Service Awards.

The awards honor those persons and organizations selected by the board as the year's top advocates of public understanding of science and engineering.

Sullivan is president and chief executive officer of Columbus, Ohio's Center of Science and Industry, one of the nation's foremost private science education outreach organizations. In this role she has guided the greatest period of growth in the center's 39-year history while maintaining focus on its principal mission of educating through quality hands-on learning.

"Earth & Sky" and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing were named for the board's group award.

Austin, Texas' Earth & Sky, Inc. is a non-profit radio program production company that provides the science radio program "Earth & Sky" to nearly 1,000 United States and Canada-based media outlets that garner worldwide coverage. "Earth & Sky," led by the on-air team of science writer Deborah Byrd and broadcaster Joel Block, tackles in plain language the science behind broad topics that range from global climate change to astronomy--and even mummies.

The Council for the Advancement of Science Writing is a non-profit educational foundation composed of journalists and scientists who seek to improve the quality of mass media science reporting. The council develops and funds programs to help journalists, universities and corporations report science and medical news accurately and in non-technical language.

"The awardees have consistently made extraordinary accomplishments toward ensuring our nation's citizens understand that science and engineering is the stuff of everyday life, and for some, the possible career of choice" said the National Science Board Chair (Dr.) Warren M. Washington. "It is with great pleasure that the board points out the fact that all of this year's awardees bear the common thread whereby their efforts directly impact the lives of non-scientists daily. They make science understandable to children and adults listening to radios, reading newspapers, watching news broadcasts, and taking part in hands-on activities."

The awards will be presented in a formal ceremony at the State Department May 21.

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NSB Program Officer: Susan Fannoney, (703) 292-8096, sfannone@nsf.gov

Web Resources: Center of Science and Industry: www.cosi.org
Earth & Sky: www.earthsky.com or www.earthsky.org
Council for the Advancement of Science Writing: http://nasw.org/users/casw/


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