PAEMST Week: Thursday—NSF Day

National Science Foundation Day for PAEMST Awardees began with a 6:45am queue in the back lobby of The Willard. We boarded two NSF-bound busses, dividing by early-alpha and late-alpha states. This succeeded in deterring any Alabama vs. Wyoming shenanigans from breaking out.

Upon arrival at NSF's DC HQ, we got a tasty continental breakfast before posing for a group shot in NSF's airy atrium. I'll post the shot when I gain access to it. For now, here's the atrium.

There was a large PAEMST poster on display with this year's winners' faces scattered into a circle around the award logo.

Following remarks from Valentine Kass, Pamela O'Neil, and Cora Marrett, we had a nice talk from Nafeesa Owens, and a pithy preso from Northern California's own Einstein Fellow, Marc "Zeke" Kossover! I snapped this slide from his preso for posterity.

Next we hoofed it over to NSF's annex next door for three rounds of presentations, delivered Japanese-school style: sets of students remain in different classrooms while teachers move room to room.

Einstein Fellows Jean Pennycook and Pamela Truesdell told us about Research Experiences for Teachers. Akiko Elders and Jose Herrera from NSF told us about The Noyce Foundation, and Einstein Fellows Kathryn Culbertson, Camsie McAdams, and Aaron Schuertz told us about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship.

There was a small level of distraction during these prsentations as this was the day that the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act was delivered. Blocks away from us at the Supreme Court, demonstrators were demonstrating, and every media correspondent with a valid credential was on the scene waiting for the announcement. I know the California awardees were pleased with the ruling, but did not presume to know how Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, et al felt about it.

We had our pick of yummy Cosi box lunches to take with us as we headed into the interspaces of the NSF complex for informal talks with actual NSF scientists and mathematicians. We broke bread in small groups with these professionals, and talked about the challenges of STEM education.

There was then an interval reserved for catching a breath or meeting with elected representatives. I had made no attempt to intrude upon my representative or senators, assuming (rightly or wrongly) that they/their staffs had better things to do. I headed back to The Willard and snapped a few interior/exterior shots.

At 5:30pm the awardees queued for our walk to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, where we were to rehearse our Awards Ceremony before guests were admitted and seated.

My additional guests were my brother, Bryce, and his wife, Mary Butler. They drove 7 hours from Rochester, NY to attend the ceremony! And they drove 7 hours back the next day. I would not have asked that level of commitment from anyone, but I'm delighted they got a chance to take part in the event.

There was pomp and circumstance: bagpipe music played as the honorees entered the auditorium already filled with seated guests who were generous with their applause. If you'd been evading the magnitude of this award until this processional, chances are it caught up with you here. You were in the midst of friends and family, and the Secretary of Education was about to shake your hand while your other hand carried a personalized certificate signed by the President of the United States of America.

The PAEMST Program produced a simple but professional printed program for guests and awardees. There were kind words from NSF's Pamela O'Neil and Cora Marrett before an address from Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.

There is no history unless you record it, and here I am with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and NSF Deputy Director Cora Marrett at the Awards Ceremony.

And here is a close-up of the certificate I'm holding, signed by Barack Obama.

We also received a letter from the President. (As always, click to embiggen.)

The ceremony proceeded with each awardee being recognized and applauded and they crossed the stage, collected their documents, shook the hands of the dignitaries, and posed for their photograph.

A reception in the foyer of the auditorium followed, allowing us to mix, mingle, and bring our guests up to speed with the week's events.

One item to share with the disappointing news that we would not have a photo-op with President Obama the next day as tentatively scheduled. Colorado was on fire, and the President needed to pay a visit. Such are the uncertainties of Official Washington.

Instead we were to have Dr. Jill Biden who continues to teach through here tenure as Second Lady. The Presidential photo-op is never guaranteed, and those of us following the news knew on Wednesday that Mr. Obama was scheduled to visit the firefighting and relief efforts in Colorado on Friday. Nafeesa Owens made the unhappy announcement during our ceremony rehearsal.

There was no wallowing in misery among the awardees. We understood how things worked and there was nothing that could be done to change the reality of the situation. PAEMST recognition events happen at different times each year; there is no day, week, or month that comes with a guarantee the President won't be able to pose with PAEMST awardees. The 2012 PAEMST photo-op is the only one he's missed during his administration to this point.

Jean, Mary, Bryce, and I retired to a late dinner at the Old Ebbitt Grill near The Willard. It seemed like the place to be, even at 10pm on a Thursday night. The food was great and the prices were ridiculously reasonable! No wonder there's always a crowd there.

We had a great dinner and chatted past midnight. I did not get to bed at a reasonable hour.

So endeth Day 2.