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Edison lecture series makes a virtual return in February 2021

The college of technology will be hosting their Edison Technology lecture series virtually in late February of 2021. | File photo

The College of Technology will be hosting their Edison Technology lecture series virtually in late February 2021. | File photo

The College of Technology, in conjunction with its Accelerate Houston partnership, will be hosting their second Edison Technology Lecture Series in late February 2021.

“The Edison Technology Lecture Series is set up as a means of helping students to see the possibilities for their academic and professional lives in the area of technology,” said College of Technology recruiting director Sharon Green.

The series first took place this past February with over 400 students in attendance from around 12 Houston area high schools. Events were held at both the UH main and Sugar Land campuses that included panels and lectures by UH professors.

The panels featured students from College of Technology professional organizations, industry representatives and the office of admissions. Students were able to participate in live demonstrations and ask questions at each panel about things such as career opportunities and majors that may interest them.

With the coronavirus pandemic preventing any in-person activities, the lecture series will be taking place online on Microsoft Teams as a two-hour virtual event. 

Plans for the series include short clips of demonstrations so students will still be able to enjoy visual activities to try and emulate the essence of the previous event.

Green said she wants to show students that learning can be engaging and they can relate to what they’re experiencing. She said she’d like students to still have this kind of learning experience so they can see what their potential is.

Between live demos, Green said she is hoping to include lectures that teach students how to treat others in their professional careers by valuing each other’s assets as well as their own.

Green mentioned that the goal of the series is to enhance the skills of people, especially from underrepresented communities, in the technical field and that these skills have an opportunity to develop at a young age.

“There definitely was a focus on students from underrepresented groups,” Green said. “We really wanted teachers to help us identify students who were interested in the technical field.”

Unlike the previous lecture series, the virtual format allows for schools outside of the Houston area, which Green hopes will be able to include out of state high schools.

“I’m a big believer in students being able to begin their own futures,” Green said. “We want to give them the tools and the motivation to begin that journey and help connect them to the opportunities that build that pathway.”

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