News Release
Date: February 5, 2016
Contact:
Mark Lambert
(540) 985-9031 – Office
(540) 400-3100 – Cell
malambert@jchs.edu
Jefferson College of Health Sciences Co-Hosts “Bite of Science” Teacher Training Program
ROANOKE, Va. (Feb. 5, 2016) — Jefferson College of Health Sciences and the Center for Excellence in
Education (CEE) will co-host a Bite of Science professional enrichment session, cost-free, for middle and high
school teachers on Tuesday, February 9, 2016.
This Bite of Science session will be held on the Jefferson College of Health Sciences campus at Carilion Roanoke
Community Hospital, Room 617, located at 101 Elm Avenue, SE, in Roanoke, VA from 5 to 8 p.m. The dinner is
for STEM teachers who wish to broaden their perspective of science in their classroom.
The mission of the Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP) is to assure a future talented and diverse U.S. workforce
in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). TEP provides rural and urban underserved high
school teachers the opportunity to connect with experts from industry and academia to explore cutting-edge
research and make meaningful professional links with direct benefits for their students.
Bite of Science is designed to improve teachers’ ability to provide students a context of how science is applied in
the real world and inspire students to pursue careers of excellence and leadership in STEM. This Bite of Science
session for teachers is estimated to impact at least 3,400 students in Roanoke and surrounding communities.
The event will feature Rob Day, Chief Operating Officer of TechLab and Dr. John C. Chappell, Assistant Professor
at the Virginia Tech-Carilion Research Institute.
The speakers will discuss their work and relate it back to the classroom for the teachers to inspire and guide
students toward academic opportunities and STEM careers.
The goals of the Teacher Enrichment Program are to:

Provide teachers with professional enrichment opportunities;

Furnish the opportunity for teachers to ask questions and to interact directly with scientists and engineers;

Foster excitement in teachers to create an interest in students for STEM fields through engagement with
STEM professionals in and outside of the classroom;

Inform teachers so they have a better understanding of research and development;

Create awareness of the skills and knowledge needed for the 21st Century STEM worker; and

Allow teachers the opportunity to network with their peers.
About the Center for Excellence in Education
The Center for Excellence in Education was founded in 1983 by the late Admiral H.G. Rickover and Joann P.
DiGennaro, President of the Center. The Center's mission is to nurture high school and university scholars to
careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and to encourage
collaboration between and among leaders in the global community. CEE sponsors the Research Science Institute
(RSI), the USA Biology Olympiad (USABO), and the Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP). For more information
about the Center and its programs, visit CEE’s website, www.cee.org.
About Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Jefferson College of Health Sciences is a private higher education institution that “prepares, within a scholarly
environment, ethical, knowledgeable, competent and caring healthcare professionals.” The College focuses on
providing healthcare education and is an affiliate of Carilion Clinic. Founded in 1914 as the Jefferson Hospital
School of Nursing, Jefferson now provides more than 1,000 students with opportunities to become part of the
healthcare profession, serving communities from southwest Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. The
school’s graduates are building healthier tomorrows in our region and across the country every day. More
information is available at www.jchs.edu.
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