Rotary Program: 8/2/06

Program Chairperson: Jeanne Clark

Speaker: Eric Thomas, Executive Director of the East Kentucky Science Center

Eric Thomas graduated from Pikeville High School and earned his B.S. degree as well as his Masters and Rank I from Morehead State University majoring in law enforcement and secondary science education. He piloted programs for NASA and the National Weather Service and has several years of experience in secondary education and 3 years as a regional science consultant for the Kentucky Department of Education. Eric is also a part-time instructor for both Morehead State University and Big Sandy Community and Technical College. As Director of the Science Center, he oversees all the operations of the center as well as developing and implementing of all planetarium and educational programs.

Eric says the history of the Science Center goes back to 1994, when educational and political leaders of the area saw the need to raise test scores in math and science and began an outreach program that led to the funding of the present facility in 1998. The result is a $ 4.5 Million facility on the campus of Big Sandy Community and Technical College that houses the 85-seat planetarium, a 3,000 square foot exhibit hall, classroom space, meeting rooms, and a gift shop. In this space the center houses the latest state- of- the- art equipment that can simulate the night sky to any date in the past 5000 years or even that far into the future. Since the doors opened in 2004, 55,000 students have toured the facility, (12,000 of those which were from Pike County) from the surrounding counties and as far away as Virginia and W. Va. The center has also hosted an annual science fair for grades 5 - 12, and awarded over $8,500 in savings bonds to the first, second, and third-place winners. About 55% of the funding for the center comes from the State Education Cabinet, 15% from ticket sales, 20% from grants, while the remaining funds are derived from donations, sponsorships, and membership fees. Eric described some of the exhibits, programs and displays that can be seen at the center, but says that it must be seen to be appreciated. He encouraged everyone to make plans to visit the center as soon as possible. For more information, you can find them on the internet at www.wedoscience.org. Thanks Eric for the informative program today. - JMC