Consider this: Paul Lewis wore a tie for the occasion.

On March 5, local teachers and astronomers were among those who gathered to celebrate the opening of the Teachers Resource Distribution Center, a new clearinghouse of space sciences materials that provides K-12 teachers with a host of current space information in a variety of formats.

Lewis, Director of Astronomy Outreach and Public Programs for the Physics Department, will serve as TRDC director. Well-known for his loathing of dress codes, the affable astronomer agreed to don a coat and tie to oversee the center's grand opening, which hosted 60 guests at the Nielsen Physics Building. Present were Dr. Lynn Champion (Director of Academic Outreach, College of Arts and Sciences), Dr. Lorayne Lester (Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences) and Dr. John Peters (Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs). Presentations by Dr. Larry Taylor and Dr. Harry McSween (geology professors) and Ms. Tina Riedinger (astronomy instructor), helped convey the importance and opportunities the TRDC provides in getting young students interested in science.

Lewis explained that studying the universe is an excellent means by which to spark children's enthusiasm for science in general, and is also a good way to "educate the public about the benefits of technology."

The TRDC is open to teachers from across the state and includes videotapes, slide sets, audiocassettes, lesson plans, computer software, and laser disks. Teachers can go online and cruise Cyberspace to visit NASA centers and download project information from missions like Galileo and the Mars Pathfinder. They are also free to duplicate any of the materials for use in their classrooms, or to ask for suggestions on what resources would best suit their needs.

Shelley Hanford, a TAG (Talented and Gifted program) teacher from Cedar Bluff Intermediate School, was one of the educators who attended the opening. Hanford said that at her next teachers' in-service meeting several teachers asked to borrow her TRDC information packet, distributed at the dedication ceremony. She said her fellow teachers have expressed great enthusiasm for the center and the possibility of putting together their own space presentations in multimedia formats.

One week after the dedication, Lewis gave an astronomy presentation to Hanford's students that she said really "opened up their interest in the field."

"The outreach really is effective," she said, explaining that the new center resources, coupled with in-school visits, are a "highly effective" means of getting kids excited about science.

The TRDC is located on the mezzanine of the Physics Building and is funded by the NASA Tennessee Space Grant Consortium, the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the Planetary Geosciences Institute.

Some other teaching resources available on the World Wide Web: