We Stand with Ahmed - and We Hope He'll Join Us for Astronomy Night

We Stand with Ahmed - and We Hope He'll Join Us for Astronomy Night

U.S. Chief Data Scientist D.J. Patil

September 16, 2015

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 AT 8:00 PM ET BY DJ PATIL

Summary: U.S. Chief Data Scientist D.J. Patil shares why he's proud to see people across the country standing up for innovation and intellectual curiosity today.

Yesterday, a 14-year-old student named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing his engineering project (an electronic clock) to his high school. Officials mistook it for a bomb.

When I was growing up, my friends and I were fortunate to know how to use soldering irons, circuit boards, and even a bit of duct tape when nothing else worked. We played, experimented, and learned through trial and error. The best part? When I brought my work in, my teachers loved it. And thanks to them it fed my desire to embrace science, engineering, and technology. That learning to play with technology and curiosity has helped me on every step of my journey so far.

That’s why I'm so proud to see people across the country standing up for the innovation and intellectual curiosity that Ahmed has shown.

That includes the President: President Obama

@POTUS

Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.

And he's not the only one. Today, Dr. John Holdren—the President's top science advisor—reached out to Ahmed and personally invited him to come to join us at the White House Astronomy Night on October 19, where we'll bring together scientists, engineers, and visionaries from astronomy and the space industry, along with students and teachers. They'll share their experiences and spend an evening stargazing from the South Lawn.

We think Ahmed will fit right in.

That's because we think it's really important that kids with a passion for science and technology have the opportunities they need to reach for the stars (sometimes, that's literal).

It's why the President has prioritized broadening participation in science and technology to a more diverse pool of students.

It's why we host kids from across the country at the White House Science Fair.

It’s why we believe that the National Maker Faire is so important, and why we are a nation of makers.

And it's why we're dedicated to telling the untold stories of some of the brightest minds in our country—to inspire young people to follow in their footsteps.

Ahmed, you inspire us—and we can't wait to meet you.

P.S.—Don’t forget your NASA shirt. I’ll be wearing mine.

DJ Patil

Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Data Policy and Chief Data Scientist in the Office of Science and Technology Policy