Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Wilmington, NC – Programming for the week of June 2 for UNCW Community Link, a new interactive, public affairs television show, explores how NASA is inspiring the next generation of explorers and discusses health disparities with the New Hanover Community Health Center’s Executive Director.

This week Betty Ann Sanders speaks with NASA’s Dr. William Williams, precollege officer, and Norman “Storm” Robinson III, aerospace education specialist.

"’To inspire the next generation of explorers . . . as only NASA can’ is one of our three core mission statements,” explained Dr. Williams. "Our emphasis is on education. Through NASA’s unique resources, we hope to personally and physically inspire young people to go into math, science and technology. We also want young women to see female engineers, scientists, etc,” he added.

Robinson, aerospace education specialist, explained how NASA is inspiring the next generation of explorers. “First and foremost is exposure—increasing presence in classrooms, more contact with teachers, administrators, and state superintendents, providing teachers with resources to energize classrooms and not being prejudiced to who receives this information. Our outreach is focused, yet all inclusive. We work with home schoolers, large, prominent school districts, museums and libraries,” added Robinson.

Also this week, H. E. “Hunter” Thompson, Jr. talks about health care disparities with Alfred Thomas, executive director of the New Hanover Community Health Network.

"There are a number of health disparities between the general population and minorities that need to be addressed. For example, the overall rate of prostate cancer is 35.7 per 100,000 across the state; that number is doubled for African Americans—79.6 per 100,000. 93.0 of 100,000 people die from diabetes; for blacks it is 169.5 out of 100,000 and 154.6 per 100,000 for American Indians,” Dr. Thomas explained.

UNCW Community Link reaches beyond the television studio to allow citizens to sound off on compelling issues facing Southeastern North Carolina. Hosts Betty Ann Sanders and H. E. “Hunter” Thompson, Jr. engage and challenge the region’s newsmakers and opinion-shapers and then ask viewers to voice their opinions. Through collaboration with the Southeast Public Interest Network of North Carolina (www.SpinNC.org), citizens can use the latest Internet technologies to continue the dialog on show topics and community ideas.

UNCW-TV has won four Awards of Excellence from the Alliance for Community Media.

For more information on this show’s topics please visit:

Langley Research Center

http://www.larc.nasa.gov

NASA Aerospace Education Services Program

http://www.okstate.edu/aesp/AESP.html

New Hanover Community Health Network

http://www.nhchc.net



Tune into UNCW Community Link

Wilmington & Brunswick County 7:30 p.m. Mondays

4:30 p.m. Wednesdays

1:30 p.m. Thursdays

The Learning Network on Time Warner Ch 5 and Charter Communications Ch 12

Pender County 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

Government Channel 8

Carteret County/Havelock 8 p.m. Thursdays

Time Warner Channel 10

Jacksonville 7 p.m. Thursdays

Time Warner Channel 10