GSSM President delivers keynote address at Columbia March for Science
May 1, 2017
Dr. Hector E. Flores, president of the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM), delivered the keynote address at Columbia’s March for Science on Saturday, April 22, 2017, held at the Statehouse building in downtown Columbia. The event, attended by hundreds, was one of over 600 marches taking place globally on Earth Day, including a large one in Washington, D.C. In addition to Flores, the Columbia March for Science featured 15 other speakers including scientists, religious and community leaders, and Columbia’s Poet Laureate.
Flores’ keynote address, “The Meaning of Science,” summarized his journey as a biologist, affirmed the wonders and societal benefits of a strong science community, and emphasized the need for better communications across scientific, political and religious divides. He also stressed the responsibility of scientists as engaged citizens and able communicators.
“We must take on this responsibility to inspire and educate, seriously and with the same passion we apply to our experiments. This should start not in college, not in high school, but as early as kindergarten, when children have already started to ask questions and are ready to have their minds inducted into the discipline and the beauty of scientific discovery,” Flores said.
Read President Flores’ full address at: https://www.scgssm.org/about/welcome-president/presentations
About GSSM
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) is a two-year, public, residential high school in Hartsville, SC, specializing in the advanced study of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), with a unique emphasis on economics and entrepreneurship.
GSSM’s residential program can serve as many as 288 high school juniors and seniors annually from across the state. In addition, the school impacts more than 10,000 students and teachers each year through its innovative outreach and virtual programs. Learn more by visiting www.scgssm.org.
