Geoffrey C. Orsak, Ph.D.
Director, The Infinity Project

Just look around you - at school, at home, at your doctor¹s office, at the movies and the mall, or in your car. Nearly every day a new piece of exciting technology is engineered to improve your health and safety, to increase your ability to communicate and interact with others, and to entertain you in ways never imagined.

Just in the last decade we have seen the monumental impact of the Internet on nearly every aspect of our lives. We have seen the development of the cell phone, once only imagined in cartoons and science fiction movies. We have seen new devices for examining the body and treating illnesses and injury. We have seen the deployment of airbags and antilock brakes for making auto travel much safer for everyone. We have even seen small robots maneuvering on the surface of Mars and beaming video home across millions of miles of space.

The world is increasingly becoming a place filled with technology - a place where basic knowledge in the creation and use of technology and engineering will be as important as basic knowledge in biology, chemistry, geography, mathematics, and physics.

To give our children the opportunity to fully participate in this technology and information- rich age, a national team of university researchers, industry experts, and high school math and science teachers have initiated a bold new effort to bring engineering and technology education to all high school students. This effort, named "The Infinity Project," is designed to educate and excite a new generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and users of technology. It is intended to give high school students a clear view of the basic fundamentals of modern technology and engineering while demonstrating how engineers envision, design, and build the devices which are powering the world around us.

During the 2000-2001 academic year, this new curriculum is being piloted in 14 high schools in the state of Texas. Approximately 500 students from a wide variety of backgrounds will have the opportunity to learn first hand about the world of modern engineering and technology. Beginning in 2001, we anticipate significantly expanding the offering of this new curriculum both within the state of Texas, nationally, and internationally.

Please look through this web space for more detailed information about the Infinity Project. In addition, if you are a school administrator, teacher, or parent who is interested in learning how you can be part of the Infinity Project, please send us an e-mail .

We look forward to your participation and interest in this very important endeavor.