FIRST ® LEGO® League: Come see Local Children Aged 9 to 14 Apply Research and Robotics To Explore the hidden but fascinating world of trash, from collection, to sorting, to smart production and reuse  with FIRST ® LEGO® League "TRASH TREK?" Challenge. The must also invent a solution to help our trash problem and create their own LEGO MINDSTORMS robot to accomplish trash-themed "missions" on a playing field, and show how well they practice FRIST LEGO League Core Values.

FIRST ® LEGO® League Junior: Come see Local Children Aged 6 to 9 discover the hidden (or not so hidden) world of trash exploring the real-world theme of sustainability. Teams will learn about simple machines as they display a model they built of LEGO elements with a motorized part. They will illustrate and present information through a Show Me Poster during the FIRST LEGO League Junior Expos.

The non-profit Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is proud to be the organizer for the 8^th annual event hosted at the Putnam Museum & Science Center in Davenport.  Since 2009 when the first QC Tournament was held in Davenport with 13 teams, the program has continued to grow. In 2015-2016, there are 13 FIRST Robotic events being held in the Quad Cities reaching over 150 teams with 1,400 K-12 students supported by 300+ volunteers.

This is a fast-paced, high energy event that will be enjoyed by all ages and expose everyone to the exciting world of robots, engineering, computer program, creative problem solving and most importantly, TEAMWORK!

The events are free and open to the public.  Further information including a listing of 97 teams is available at:  http://www.qcesc.org/FLL/FLL-QC-Davenport-Coaches.html

Background:
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $22 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts FIRST^® Robotics Competition (FRC^® ) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^® Tech Challenge (FTC^® ) for Grades 7-12; FIRST^® LEGO^® League (FLL^® ) for Grades 4-8; and FIRST LEGO League Junior (FLL Jr.) for Grades K-3 Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. Today, over 400,000 students in 87+ countries participate in FIRST. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is in its 53^rd year of operation as a non-profit, umbrella organization representing ~20+ engineering, science and technical societies in the Quad City area with approximately 3,000 associated professional members.  The QCESC mission is "To Promote and support engineering, science, and technical professionals and associated societies in Quad City Region and To Encourage and support students to study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields"..  Further information available at www.qcesc.org.

• Students aged 6-9 participating in the Jr. FIRST LEGO League (FLL) programs
• Students participating in the Basic Robotics classes offered to 5th and 6th graders across the district
• Students aged 9-14 participating on FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competition teams that will compete December 12th and 13th at the Putnam Museum
• Students in grades 9th-12th participating on the FIRST TECH Challenge (FTC) competition teams that compete throughout the Fall and Winter
• Also featured will be engineering students from Western Illinois who will present a drone that uses a Raspberry Pi and a heat sensor. Raspberry Pi  is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. A Raspberry Pi programming class will be piloted to 3rd and 4th graders at Cody starting in January and will roll out across the district, with the help of volunteers, next year.

Nov. 20, 2015, Rolling Meadows, Ill. - Pooja Chitgopeker, MBChB, of the University of Iowa Department of Dermatology, has received a clinical research grant from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Chitgopeker is one of 10 recipients of a 2015 ASDS Cutting Edge Research Grant. CERG unites education and innovation to encourage clinical research and the transfer of new technologies from the research setting to surgical practice.

Chitgopeker will study "1550-nm Non-Ablative Laser vs. Ablative 10,600-nm Carbon Dioxide Fractional Laser in the Treatment of Surgical and Traumatic Scars: A Comparison Study of Efficacy, Treatment Regimen and Cost."

ASDS announced the distribution of $96,000 in grants for clinical research this year during the recent ASDS Annual Meeting in Chicago. Since 2000, ASDS has awarded more than $1 million in clinical research funding in surgical oncology, lasers, neuromodulators, fillers, liposuction and other cosmetic procedures.

"These grants play a vital role in allowing ASDS to remain at the forefront of innovation and leadership in dermatologic surgery," said ASDS President Naomi Lawrence, M.D. "The research that the CERG program empowers continues to yield findings that make a difference for our specialty."

About ASDS

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery is the largest specialty organization exclusively representing dermatologic surgeons who have unique training and experience to treat the health, function and beauty of your skin. ASDS members are pioneers in the field. Many are involved in the clinical studies that bring popular treatments to revitalize skin and fill and diminish wrinkles to the forefront. Their work has helped create and enhance many of the devices that remove blemishes, hair and fat, and tighten skin. Dermatologic surgeons also are experts in skin cancer prevention, detection and treatment. As the incidence of skin cancer rises, dermatologic surgeons are committed to taking steps to minimize the life-threatening effects of this disease. For more information, visit asds.net.

High school students encouraged to submit an original app

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Dave Loebsack is excited to announce that students in Iowa's Second District will have the opportunity to participate in the Second Annual Congressional App Challenge (CAC), an app development competition for high school students. Students are invited, either as individuals or as teams, to create and submit their own software application ("app") for mobile, tablet, or other computing devices on a platform of their choice. Apps are created for myriad purposes, from providing entertainment, to monitoring personal health, to facilitating work functions. For the Challenge, students can create any type of app they like, as long as it meets certain functional requirements.

"I am excited that students in Iowa's Second District will have an opportunity to participate in this competition, which is designed to engage students' ingenuity and inspire participation in STEM education fields," said Loebsack. "I encourage all students who have an interest in technology to use their creativity and design an app to enter the competition."

The Challenge submission period is currently open and lasts through January 15, 2016. Winners will be selected by a panel of local judges, and the winning app will be featured on a display in the U.S. Capitol building. Information on how to submit an app for the competition can be found here.

For further information about the Congressional App Challenge, please visit: congressionalappchallenge.us or you can contact Kate Petersen in Loebsack's office at 202-225-6576.

Background Information on the CAC

The CAC was created to recognize that STEM skills are essential for economic growth and innovation, and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17% between 2008 and 2018, compared to 9.8% growth for non?STEM occupations and according to some estimates, the U.S. may be short as many as 3 million high?skilled workers by 2018. To maintain American competitiveness, it's crucial that the United States invests in our youth now, and helps them acquire these necessary STEM?based skills. The CAC highlights and encourages students to pursue those skills.