NASA’s first Future Forum of 2011 will bring together agency officials and local business, science and education leaders to discuss the agency’s role in advancing innovation, technology, science, engineering, and education and NASA’s benefit to the nation’s economy. Rep. Donna F. Edwards will deliver opening remarks at 8 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 11, at the University of Maryland’s Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center in College Park.

The one-day forum will feature panel discussions with NASA speakers such as Chief Technologist Bobby Braun; Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati; Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Laurie Leshin; and astronaut and Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin.

Media representatives interested in attending the forum should contact David Steitz at david.steitz@nasa.gov or 202-358-1730 by noon Wednesday, Aug. 10. The forum will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed online at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Social media users can participate in the forum via Twitter using the hashtag: #NASAFuture. During the event, Tweeps can submit questions by including @NASA_Technology in their tweet.

NASA’s Future Forum series will be visiting four geographically distributed university campuses this academic year. For more information on NASA’s Future Forums visit:
http://go.usa.gov/BoL

For more information about the University of Maryland, visit:
http://www.umd.edu/