March 22, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Wyndmoor educator is a scientific good Samaritan
by PAULA M. RILEY

Henry Disston, Jr. a native of Chestnut Hill and graduate of CHA, is president of the Delaware Valley Science Fairs.  These regional fairs, that award $1 million in scholarships and prizes, encourage students from 6th through 12th grade to conduct scientific experiments and research in 14 different scientific and engineering fields.  (Photo by Paula M. Riley)

This is another in Paula M. Riley’s ongoing series on Chestnut Hill area community leaders.

“I’ve found my niche!” says Wyndmoor resident Henry Disston Jr. “It will not make me rich or famous, but I feel like I’m really making a difference, and that’s good enough for me.” As president and director of Delaware Valley Science Fairs, Inc. (DVSF), Disston has been making a difference in the lives of hundreds of middle and high school students throughout the Delaware Valley.

Disston describes the uniqueness of the DVSF: “Students are not making volcanoes or displaying Styrofoam solar system models. These fairs are all about asking questions, conducting experiments, posing problems and then solving them.”

Students choose from one of 14 categories including microbiology, chemistry, botany, computers, engineering and medicine/health. The very specific research processes they follow include regular reviews of their topics and methodologies by the DVSF Scientific Review Committee to ensure that proper scientific safety procedures and guidelines are being followed.

Disston’s original involvement in the science fairs began while he was the assistant director of museum education at the Benjamin Franklin Institute. The fairs were a joint venture between the Institute and the Philadelphia Inquirer from the first fair in 1949 until the early 1990s.

When the joint venture stopped funding the fairs, Disston was greatly discouraged. He had seen the powerful impact the fairs had on the lives of students. “I had to keep this program going. It works! It’s hands-on, exciting and real science.” He decided to make DVSF its own organization. He established DVSF, Inc., as a non-profit organization and worked diligently to establish a broad base of financial and other supporters. In 1996, Disston resigned from his job at the Institute to run DVSF, Inc. full-time.

Drexel University became one of DVSF’s primary sponsors; providing facilities, office space, overhead and much assistance to Disston. This year, the science fairs will award students approximately $1 million in prizes, awards, scholarships and savings bonds. This includes multiple full and partial academic scholarships to Drexel University.

Winning these awards is just one of the benefits of participating in the science fairs. The students learn how to conduct research as they are required to comply with the International Rules for Precollege Science Research. Disston considers this the real benefit to the fairs. “Students are doing exactly what scientists are doing every day. They have to pose a question, conduct scientific research, perform experiments using sound scientific methodologies and support their conclusions.”

DVSF is one of the largest and oldest science fairs in the country. The primary goal of DVSF is to generate interest in science and technology and help students learn science by doing science. There are 12 separate regional competitions, each separated by grade level (6 through 12) and the different scientific and engineering categories. Winners from the regional competitions are invited to the Delaware Valley Science Fair scheduled on April 4 at the Valley Forge Convention Center. The top 16 winners from this fair (and 10 teachers) win an all-expense paid trip to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, this year to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The International Fair, which draws students from across the United States and from 47 other countries, is the culmination of a year-long program. DVSF begins early in the school year with workshops for public school teachers throughout the tri-state region. These are designed to assist teachers in instructing students on how to complete hands-on inquiry based research projects. Teachers can incorporate this knowledge into their curriculums and use it to support students participating in the DVSF.

Another key aspect of the DVSF program is the use of mentors. By leveraging the relationships Disston has established with scientists and engineers, DVSF connects students with mentors in their particular fields of interest. The mentor relationships help students learn more about their fields and prepares them for their participation in the fair.

Scientists and engineers also serve as judges of the competitions. The 300 judges are leaders in their fields and represent professional societies, academia and businesses across the region such as pharmaceutical, technology, healthcare and engineering organizations.

“There are so many life skills that the students learn,” explains Disston. Whether or not the students win awards or pursue a career in science, students are learning critical thinking skills. “They learn how to think scientifically, how to ask questions, how to interpret data and make decisions,” he continues. “As a sixth grader you can be interviewed by experts from industry. You have to defend your work and support your conclusions. Each year they participate, they perfect these critical life skills.”

Many of the participants, however, do go on to study science. Elena Glassman, a past winner of DVSF, explored whether it was possible to move a computer mouse using brain waves. She is now studying at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and works in the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. “I work at the center of the research universe,” says Glassman, “and the only reason I am in the job doing the serious research is because I had research experience in high school.” Other winners’ research has involved exploring new medicine for breast cancer treatment and discovering a new fault in Utah.

Disston loves to tell stories about the students who have had such wonderful experience with DVSF. As director, he personally reviews all the entries, consults with many students on their research and always accompanies the winners to the weeklong Intel International Fair and workshops held each year in May. He cherishes the relationships he has made with many students over the years and is repeatedly impressed with the work and commitment displayed by the students.

Disston grew up in Chestnut Hill, graduated from Chestnut Hill Academy and Penn State, and then spent five years in special education. He then spent 18 years in the Franklin Institute Education Department. It was there that his passion for teaching science caught fire. He designed lectures, produced shows and supervised the museum’s education staff. His work with DVSF however, is the most satisfying of his career. “Our efforts with the teacher workshops, mentor programs and the actual science fairs are teaching these kids so much about science and about life in general. I love this work and plan to do it until I retire, that is, if I ever retire.”

For more information about DVSF, check out its informational video at www.drexel.edu/dvsf.