Neurosurgeon and Mentor to Address 2002 National Science Olympiad

Benjamin S. Carson, who went from an angry street fighter in Detroit to become director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital,will speak at the 2002 National Science Olympiad during the Opening Ceremony on May 17, 2002 at the University of Delaware's Bob Carpenter
Center.

"Dr. Ben Carson, who received an honorary degree from the University of Delaware in 1997, is a gifted physician, a pioneering scientist and a man whose triumphs over his own personal hardships have encouraged countless others," Robert R. Davis, vice president for University development and alumni relations, said. "His courage, compassion and candor should give our graduates an inspiring look at the difference one individual can make in the modern world."

His autobiography, Gifted Hands, chronicles the road from a broken home and poor self-esteem to his life today. His second book, Think Big, elaborates on his philosophy of success in life, and his newest book, The Big Picture, offers an in-depth look at a professional surgeon’s life, as well as his perspectives on priorities, race, society, success and living out a life of faith in a complex world. He also has edited a medical textbook on craniofacial surgery and authored or coauthored numerous scientific articles.

Carson performs 400-500 surgeries annually, of which more than half are pediatric patients at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. His dual patient care and research interests include developing better treatments for pediatric brain tumors and helping children who are born with achondro-plasia, a congenital deformity resulting in dwarfism.

In addition, he performs hemispherectomies (brain surgery to control intractable seizures) and has developed, along with Hopkins’ plastic surgery division, a strong craniofacial program to allow children with congenital deformities to undergo combined neurosurgical and plastic surgical reconstructions.

In 1987 at the Hopkins Children’s Center, Carson was among the 70-member medical team that separated 7-month-old German conjoined twin boys, who were joined at the back of the head and shared the major cerebral blood drainage system. The 22-hour procedure is believed to be the first time that hypothermia, the deliberate lowering of the body temperature, was coupled with circulatory bypass and deliberate cardiac arrest to spare brain tissue. The boys returned to Germany, where they are living today.

In 1997, he led a South African medical team in a 28-hour operation to separate 11-month-old Zambian twin boys, joined at the top of the head but facing opposite directions. Immediately after surgery, they began breathing on their own, and today doctors believe they have suffered no neurological deficits.

A native of Detroit, he received his undergraduate education at Yale University and his medical degree from the University of Michigan School of Medicine in 1977. He served surgical and neurosurgical residencies and fellowships at Hopkins and also trained at Sir Charles Gairdner in Western Australia. He serves on the boards of directors of Yale and the Kellogg Co.

Local students to participate in the 2002 National Science Olympiad at University of Delaware May 17 - 18, 2002

(Editors Note: For more information on your local team, contact team coach __________________ at ____________________.)

Young scientists from ______________________ will participate in the 2002 National Science Olympiad Tournament to be held May 17 - 18 at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware.

The _______ students are coached by ________________, who teaches _____________ at the school. Team members include ____________, ____________.____________and ____________, who are in the ___ grade.

[You may wish to add information here about some of your group’s activities, previous awards, etc.]

Over 2000 high school and middle school students from across the nation and Canada will participate in the tournament’s 46 competitions, half for middle school teams and half for high school teams. Competitions include such activities as

• "Battery Buggy," in which teams must construct a battery-powered vehicle to traverse a specified course;
  
•  "Cow-A-Bungee," in which a mass attached to an elastic cord is dropped and must come as close as possible to, but without touching, a landing zone;
  
• "Feathered Frenzy," in which students demonstrate knowledge of how birds interact within their populations and with the environment;
  
• "Mission Possible," which involves construction of a Rube Goldberg-like device to accomplish a specific task;
  
• "Science Crime Busters," in which students must correctly identify liquid and solid materials in a crime scenario; and
  
• "The Wright Stuff," in which participants must construct and fly an airplane driven by rubber bands.