Hall student representatives, Javier Garcia & Stephanie Lau spoke at the 2012 gala about how the Hall changed their lives. Javier Garcia discovered the Hall in 2008 as a Cal student. He came on board to help create bilingual Spanish/English activities for the EQUALS program. He went on to be a lead facilitator for the Ingenuity in Action exhibit and is now working with the education team, delivering science workshops to school groups. Motivated by his experience at the Hall and the inspiring people he’s met here, he has decided to apply for graduate school and pursue a career in STEM education.

Stephanie Lau grew up in Oakland, and became involved with the Hall when she was in high school. Through a program called Environmental Science Information Technology Activities, she received experience and mentorship while learning how to use technological tools to answer scientific questions. This experience inspired her to pursue a career as a scientist. She is the first person in her family to have done so. She recently completed her undergraduate degree in molecular and cell biology, and plans to get her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences.

We thank Javier and Stephanie for sharing their stories with our gala guests and we wish them all the best in what we are sure to be bright futures.

The Lawrence Hall of Science is working to significantly increase the quality and quantity of science learning for every student by providing programs that engage and inspire students in science across learning environments. The Hall’s expertise in all aspects of science education — from cutting edge curricula, research, and assessment methods to tried and true hands-on learning experiences — makes us uniquely suited to address this challenge. Advancement in science and technology is key to creating a more vibrant economy and a better world, and it all starts with investment in science and math education.

Here in California, a statewide study led by Hall researchers and partners showed that students have little access to high-quality science education in elementary school. If we don’t develop interest and skills during the first six years of education, it’s all the more difficult to do it over the next six. To address this, the Hall is working to improve science education in schools and to provide quality opportunities both out-of-school and at our science center. Every year:

• We engage hundreds of thousands of students and adults with exhibits and educational programs from our science center.
• Our science and math curricula reach at least 25 percent of the nation’s students at some point in their schooling.
• We serve 20,000 teachers annually through regional, national, and international workshops and programs.

The biennial gala is the Hall’s most important fund-raising event and helps us continue to advance in our mission. We hope you will join us on June 2nd as we celebrate the wonderful contributions of our partners and supporters that enable the vital work of the Hall to continue.

• Tom Horton
  Chair


• Mary Henderson
  Co-Chair


• Jim R. Moore Jr.
  Immediate Past Chair

• Stephen C. Beck
• Louis V. Ehrlich
• Kim Epley
• Roger W. Falcone
• Anne Grodin
• Paul Hertelendy
• Kenneth C. Lutz
• Gary Masada
• Helen Meyer
• John Meyer
• Noel Murphy
• Ann Baxter Perrin
• Don Proctor
• Michael Randall
• John Robbins
• Kevin Saavedra
• Jinee Tao
• Jasmine Tarkoff
• Robert M. Tarkoff
• Neil Tuller
• Richard Woodward