Maurice Henderson, program manager for NASA’s support of Science On a Sphere, will be in Fort Wayne for the grand opening of Science Central’s new Sphere exhibit on Saturday, October 5. “We’re delighted that Mr. Henderson will be here for this long-awaited opening at Science Central,” said Martin S. Fisher, executive director of Science Central. “He brings great insights about the Sphere, along with a wealth of knowledge about space, to our event. The community will be able to learn about many great space programs from Mr. Henderson.” Henderson will make presentations utilizing the Sphere at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the AEP Foundation Theater.
A product of the Richmond, Virginia Public Schools, Mr. Henderson holds a MS in Engineering and Management from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS in Electrical Engineering (Magna Cum Laude) from Tufts University, Medford, MA. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.
He retired as an executive with Lucent Technologies, after completing a challenging career as the Managing Director for their United Arab Emirates and Gulf Coast countries operations. In addition to his international experience, Mr. Henderson provided leadership in sales, marketing and manufacturing project management during his career with AT&T.
Since returning from the Middle East, Mr. Henderson has worked extensively with NASA on public outreach and science education, serving as the program manager for NASA’s support of the Science on a Sphere visualization platform, and the Hubble Space Telescope traveling exhibits based at NASA Goddard in Maryland. He works with developers at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), and with the NASA science community.
Science On a Sphere is a dynamic, animated global display system developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It uses computers and video projectors to show planetary data on a six-foot diameter sphere. It was developed by NOAA researchers initially as a research tool, and ultimately as an educational tool to illustrate science to people of all ages. To the naked eye, the Sphere actually appears to be floating and rotating in mid-air, just like a real planet. It will be a “must see” exhibit at Science Central, illustrating earth, space and social sciences. It will also provide real-time imagery, such as satellite, buoy and sensing station links to global weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other activities occurring on Earth, as well as NASA images of the planets and moons of our solar system. Visit http://sos.noaa.gov for more information.
The official opening for the new exhibition is scheduled for Saturday, October 5th, 11 a.m. at Science Central, 1950 N. Clinton Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Free admission will be offered to the public from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. that day.
Science Central, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization, has provided a hands-on fun learning environment for almost 18 years. Through our 120+ exhibits, school tours, distance learning programs and weekend public events, we bring the excitement of science and technology to over 130,000 children and adults annually. For more information, contact Science Central at 260-424-2400 or visit us on the web at www.sciencecentral.org .
