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.