Camarillo, CA. - For the second year CSU Channel Islands (CI) is hosting the STEM EXPO, entitled “Exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Careers”, at the Ventura County Science Fair on Wednesday, April 6, 2011. The Science Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Agricultural Building at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

The growing list of local science/technology companies and other guests currently includes: Aera Energy; Amgen; Associates Insectary; California Oil Museum; Channel Islands National Park; CREEC Network Ventura County/VCCRD; Department of Conservation Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources; Lockheed Martin; Santa Barbara Botanical Garden and Solar World, who will offer hands-on opportunities for middle and high school students to learn about the science that each one is involved in.

There will also be a portable planetarium from the Discovery Center with 30-minute rotations available to students in grades 6 – 12 who are attending the fair.

Students will participate in a treasure hunt to locate answers for questions supplied by participating companies and incorporated into a treasure hunt list. Sample questions from last year were: “What does Aera inject into the ground in Ventura to help produce oil?”; “Why is your Direct TV dish pointed to the south?” and “Find the deepest spot in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.”

For additional information about this event please contact Dr. Philip Hampton, Professor of Chemistry at CSU Channel Islands, 805-437-8869 or at philip.hampton@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.