Welcome to the AV STEM Center Blog

This blog will provide information about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics efforts within the Antelope Valley, as well as links to helpful STEM sites and info from beyond. Check back periodically for updates.

Connect a Million Minds Tagline

Connect a Million Minds Tagline

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Third Annual STEMPosium Event Features Mike Melvill and Nathalie Gossett

The Antelope Valley's third annual STEMPosium, held on 5 November 2014 at the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center in Palmdale, hosted over 200 local business, industry, government, and education stakeholders on hand to learn more about the state of STEM in the region.  Three panel discussions featured education partners from AVC's STEM Grant (Christos Valiotis, Project Director), Cal State University Long Beach's Antelope Valley Engineering Program (Dr. Ken Santarelli, Director), Antelope Valley Union High School District (Greg Nehen, Asst. Sup. of Ed. Services), AVC Palmdale Center (Sharon Dalmage, Director), and AVC SB1070/Career Pathways Trust Grant (Dr. Tom O'Neil, Project Director) who discussed progress in each segment, as well as Young Industry Professionals (Stefan and Eileen from BAE Systems, Christy from XCOR, and Justin from AFRL) regarding their experiences, and current industry leaders, Dianne Knippel (Edison), Al Bowers (NASA Armstrong), and Richard Caulkins (LA County Sanitation Districts) on how best to prepare students for the STEM workforce.

Nathalie Gosset, futurist and Senior Director of Marketing and Technology Innovation Evaluation from the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at USC, provided a thought-provoking presentation on gender-specific education customization in STEM fields based upon brain research.

On the tenth anniversary of SpaceShip One, keynote speaker Mike Melvill, the first civilian astronaut and long-time test pilot, gave a retrospective of the development and preparation process in Mojave leading up the  historical spaceflights which won the Ansari X Prize.

Local middle schools including Hillview, Joe Walker, and TPAA had displays, as did the Society of Women Engineers and the Falcon Academy of Sustainable Technology  Solar Car Project.  Video presentations of AVC's STEM Club and Knight High School's Outback Challenge team, as well as "A Perfect Fuel for the Rewards of Risk" rounded out the day.

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