This project received a $40,000 grant from the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. based on a proposal submitted by Jeffrey I. Seeman of the Department of Chemistry, University of Richmond, and the projects Principal Investigator on October 29, 2007. In late January 2008, the project was funded in its entirety. Read the proposal abstract.

Following very helpful discussions with Martha S. Vogel who runs the Metro Richmond (VA) Science Fair, Seeman conducted video interviews at three different venues:

• The Fairfax (VA) County Area III Regional Science and Engineering Fair (thanks to Myra Thayer);
• The Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair (Cora Beth Abel); and
• The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Atlanta, GA) (thanks to The Society for Science and the Public and Rick Bates, Director of External Affairs).

Three different video crews joined Seeman at these venues.

As a result of a press release issued by the University of Richmond on this project, Tom Lawrence, a University of Richmond graduate and owner of GroundWork Design, a Richmond-based knowledge management and web application development firm, volunteered to participate in the project. Tom added his expertise and enthusiasm in broadening the project from its original conception (see proposal abstract) to what it is today: The Archimedes Initiative.

 

Video editing was performed at GroundWork Design in Richmond, VA. Daniel Pruett, a senior in Mass Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University, joined the project as a video editor. He rapidly dove into the work and it became as much his as anyone’s. To recognize his contributions, Daniel was ‘promoted’ to Associate Producer of the videos.

The proposal to produce eight five-minute videos has morphed into The Archimedes Initiative.