FIRST® Robotics Competition Dallas Regional tournament, set for this week, March 13-15 at the Irving Convention Center

DALLAS & FORT WORTH, Texas--Mouser Electronics, Inc., a leading engineering resource and global distributor of semiconductors and electronic components, will be a major sponsor of the FIRST® Robotics Competition Dallas Regional tournament, set for this week, March 13-15 at the Irving Convention Center.

Through FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) programs, high school students have the opportunity to partner with engineers, professors and business people to solve real-world engineering challenges. Mouser has been a major sponsor of the FRC Dallas Regional for several years. Mouser was a "Friends of the Future" sponsor last year, and returns this year as the "Captions of Innovation, Pit Sponsor." The FRC Dallas Regional brings together teams from Texas, surrounding states, Mexico and Brazil. Teams will compete for several awards and the opportunity to advance to the FIRST Championship April 23-26 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

The Irving event will include students, university and corporate mentors, plus local leaders in business, government, education and the media.

"Fostering STEM education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math is a large part of our mission here at Mouser," said Kevin Hess, Mouser's Vice President of Technical Marketing. "We are dedicated to inspiring young people's interest in science and technology, and we are proud to sponsor a program that supports the brightest young minds and future engineers. The FIRST Robotics Competition provides students with a platform for innovation and a chance to solve real engineering challenges while helping to build self-esteem."

As it did last year, Mouser also donated electronic components to students through a partnership with the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA). Each FRC robotics team receives a kit of parts, including motors, batteries, a control system, a PC, and a mix of automation components - with no instructions. Teams have six weeks to transform their kit into a working robot designed to perform specific tasks.

It was through the support of companies like Mouser that kits were supplied to more than 2,500 teams around the nation last year. The top 400 teams from regionals across the United States will advance to next month's championships. To learn more about Mouser's support of FIRST, visit http://www.mouser.com/FIRST/.

With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser caters to design engineers and buyers by delivering What's Next in advanced technologies. Mouser offers customers 20 global support locations and stocks the world's widest selection of the latest semiconductors and electronic components for the newest design projects. Mouser Electronics' website is updated many times per day and searches more than 10 million products to locate over 4 million orderable part numbers available for easy online purchase. Mouser.com also houses an industry-first interactive catalog, data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, and engineering tools.

About Mouser Electronics

Mouser Electronics, a subsidiary of TTI, Inc., is part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. Mouser is an award-winning, authorized semiconductor and electronic component distributor, focused on the rapid introduction of new products and technologies to electronic design engineers and buyers. Mouser.com features more than 4 million products online from more than 500 manufacturers. Mouser publishes multiple catalogs per year providing designers with up-to-date data on the components now available for the next generation of electronic devices. Mouser ships globally to more than 400,000 customers in 170 countries from its 492,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility south of Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit http://www.mouser.com.

About FIRST®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $16 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® Junior LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.