California STEM Summit Held in San Diego 10/15-16/12

The California STEM Learning Network, along with industry partners, is sponsoring the California STEM Summit on 15-16 October 2012 in San Diego.  The keynote speakers include California Education Secretary Tom Torlakson, NBA great and new California STEM Ambassador Kareem Abdul Jabbar, David Seidel - NASA's Deputy Education Director, and Sugata Mitra - Newcastle University Professor of Education Technology.  They are joined by legislators, policymakers, business, industry and education leaders who will network to cover strands throughout the theme of "Transforming Ideas Into Action."  The sessions may be viewed through FORATV at http://www.castemsummit.com/tunein/ .  Follow the summit through tweets @CaSTEMLearning .

Silicon Valley Driver for Technology Jobs

At a meeting of some members of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness on 2 August, Steve Case (AOL founder), among other high-tech leaders in Silicon Valley, were hopeful that the region's technology companies and those using social media and other technology will drive a resurgence of job creation.  Entrepreneurship and innovation are seen as key components, along with "untangling visa regulations"  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/02/MNH81KIE4Q.DTL&tsp=1 and education reform.  The need for STEM-skilled workers, particularly in green-tech and engineering, was also stressed.  http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=22024 

Case was also one of the keynotes at The Atlantic's "New Work Era Summit," on 19 July, along with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Sen. Mark Warner, and a distinguished panel on the subject of "Educating for Employment."  To view the sessions, visit http://events.theatlantic.com/new-work-era-summit/2011/ 

MIT President Seeks Inclusive Approach to STEM

Susan Hockfield, MIT's first woman president, noting that 43% of the institution's students are women, of whom 85% will earn a degree in science or engineering, acknowledges the need to seek an inclusive approach to faculty selection in the STEM fields; ideally her goal would be to have 50% women professors.  Her advice for young women:  "If young women want to help invent the future--and change lives and change societies--there's no better way to do it than through science and engineering."  Hockfield also discusses green energy projects being undertaken at the university, as well as the need for energy policy reform.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-dakotah/women-in-power-susan-hock_b_881881.html

Supreme Court Rules Against Stanford Patent Claim

As a follow-up to a December 7, 2010 posting on this blog:

The US Supreme Court recently ruled against Stanford University in a case involving the patent rights of faculty members and private companies involved in technology transfers.  In a 7-2 ruling in Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University v. Roche Molecular Systems Inc., et al., 000 U.S. 09-1159 (2011), the Court held that the existence of federal funding for research does not automatically result in grant of patent or invention rights under the Bayh-Dole Act.  http://chronicle.com/article/Supreme-Court-Rebuffs/127776/

Cybersecurity Education Firm to Begin With Shuttle Engineers

Education in the growing field of cybersecurity is set to begin with NASA engineers after the conclusion of the space shuttle program.  The nonprofit Global Institute for Cybersecurity and Research (GICSR), in connection with  NASA, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, the US Department of Homeland Security and the US National Security Agency, as well as security certification companies and academia, is beginning a cybersecurity certification program in Florida; it is hoped that the program will expand to other states to help staff the unfilled positions across the country [SC Magazine  http://www.scmagazine.com.au/Feature/259366,cybersecurity-the-next-frontier-for-nasa-engineers.aspx ].

New Model for Training Engineers

The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is marrying engineering education with a spirit of entrepreneurship and creativity.  Using a "design-based approach," the school encourages students not only to determine what is important, but also to use creative skills to solve problems or find innovative solutions in hands-on applications beginning early on in their education.  Forty-five percent of the students are women, and the school has more than its share of Fulbright scholars and NSF fellowships being awarded to them.  Read more in an Inc. interview with President Richard Miller.  http://www.inc.com/articles/201104/olin-school-of-engineering-richard-miller-interview.html

STEM Education at iTunesU

Here's a link to a number of resources related to STEM education and careers which can be found at iTunes U - many are free to subscribe/download:  http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMultiRoom?fcId=421972407 .

"Building a Grad Nation" Summit Promotes STEM Education

A three-day summit of educators, community leaders, and policy makers is taking place in Washington, DC this week to strategize on how to increase the US graduation rate to 90% by 2020, in addition to preparing students for success in 21st century education and careers.  Among the positions being explored is promoting STEM education, as well as providing additional federal funding for training and retention of STEM teachers.  These efforts are seen as key in maintaining US global competitiveness.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melody-barnes/education-is-key-to-winni_1_b_837958.html

MIT Study Addresses Number of Women Faculty in Science and Engineering

In a follow-up to briefs issued in 2002 and 2006, Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports that the number of women faculty in science and engineering has nearly doubled, and women occupy more senior administrative positions.  However, efforts to hire and retain women in faculty and administrative positions still face hurdles, including the perception that standards have been lowered for women, as well as stereotypes about women's "sweet" natures.  http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-03-21-mit-women-higher-education_N.htm

Smithsonian Celebrates Women in Science with Comics

As part of its commemoration of Women's History Month in March, and International Women's Day, the Smithsonian is airing programs on Sunday nights on women's contributions to science, as well as a series of comic books to accompany the programs.  Recently reported by Brigid Alverson in Comic Book Resources, the comics "each illustrate 'a key moment in the scientist's early life, when they started asking the questions that led to their research.'"  http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/03/smithsonian-comics-celebrate-women-in-science/   Teacher resources on women inventors are also available at http://invention.smithsonian.org/downloads/wminventorsguide.pdf .

New Study Posits that Female Instructors May Help Keep Females in STEM Fields

A new study released by UMass Amherst discussed in Inside Higher Ed provides evidence that females (and to a lesser degree, males) in STEM courses such as introductory calculus respond better to female than male instructors.  Female students tended to answer notably more general questions in class and to stay after class to ask questions of female instructors than they did with male instructors.  Nilanjana Dasgupta, associate professor of psychology at UMass, lead author of the study, opines that "women who are exposed to women doing math and science successfully end up with "stereotype inoculation" in which they gain confidence."  Therefore, having enough female instructors in the mix would be an important factor in increasing student success.  http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/03/03/study_suggests_role_of_role_models_in_encouraging_female_undergraduates_in_math_and_science

STEMTech Conference Slated for 10/2-5/11 in Indianapolis

The League for Innovation in the Community College is holding its second annual STEMTech Conference on 2 through 5 October 2011 in Indianapolis, IN.  The deadline for presentation proposals is 15 April 2011.  The theme for the conference is to increase student access and success in STEM majors and careers.  Keynote speakers include David Thornburg and Jim Brazell.  An on-line version of the conference will be held on 3-4 October 2011.  Visit  http://www.league.org/stemtech/ for more details.

"Get the Math" Shows Middle and High School Students Math in Real-World Application

http://www.thirteen.org/get-the-math/ "Get the Math" is a multimedia project which shows middle and high school students how algebra is used in the real world, such as music, fashion, and video gaming.  Interactive challenges are provided by industry professionals in those career pathways, as well as lesson plans for teachers related to the challenges.

The "Maker Movement" Working with STEM Education

In a February commentary in Education Week, "Encouraging the Hand-Mind Connection in the Classroom," Margaret Honey and Eric Siegel discuss how the "Maker Movement" can provide relevance to STEM education by deeply engaging students in content while cementing 21st Century learning skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative interactions, in students.  "Makers share in the common delight of tinkering, hacking, creating, and reusing materials and technology. They organize themselves into thriving communities to create objects that they are passionate about and to engage others."  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/02/02/19honey.h30.html?tkn=LVOFGJPU+LZWDcGKabdPkKcovfQOCPNviRf9&cmp=clp-edweek

The commentary also references a September 2010 Report to the President entitled "Prepare and Inspire:  K-12 Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for America's Future."  (see Helpful STEM Links in this blog) 

NAPE 2011 Professional Development Institute - Equity Matters in College and Careers - Arlington, VA 4/11-14/11

The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity is holding its annual Professional Development Institute on the theme "Equity Matters in College and Careers" in Arlington, Virginia on 11-14 April, 2011.  Several STEM-related sessions will be held, including "Pink Brain, Blue Brain," sessions related to under-represented genders/ethnicities and persons with disabilities in STEM, and cyber-security.  For more details and to register for the conference, visit http://www.napequity.org/page.php?328.

"Diverse" Blogger Posts on STEM Diversity

Dr. Lorelle Espinosa posts in her "Diverse" blog [http://diverseeducation.com/blogpost/337/a-reflection-on-the-need-for-achievement-minded-approaches-to-diversifying-stem.html ] that an appreciative inquiry approach is necessary to document the successes of diverse students in STEM education, not only to focus on the barriers that they face.  She points to a new publication New Directions in Institutional Research:  Students of Color in STEM as one good example of this approach (see Helpful Links section of this blog).

"Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists" Webinar on 3/10/11

Jean Lim Terra, President of the Amgen Foundation, and Chancellor Robert Birgeneau of UC Berkeley, will present during a free webinar on the subject of "Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists" on 10 March 2011 at 11:00 a.m. PST.  They will discuss the Amgen Scholars program and other initiatives partnering business and education "that are deepening scientific literacy and successfully engaging students to pursue degrees in the sciences."  To register for the event, visit https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=284370&sessionid=1&key=6DFE67FEEAEF0B77666D41F0A82B3DB1&sourcepage=register

Transportation Sector and Technology Grants Available - Grant Application Due by 2/22/11

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, has let a request for grant proposals related to improving curriculum and participation by girls and minorities in STEM skills in transportation sector programs at the elementary and high school levels.  Grant proposals are due by no later than 22 February 2011.  For more information on the grant requirements, view http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=60553 

Lancaster School District STEM Academies Parent Information Meeting 3/16/11

Lancaster School District will be hosting a parent information meeting regarding their two new STEM Academies planned for Endeavour and Discovery Middle Schools.  It is anticipated that the Academies will feature Project Lead the Way's Gateway to Technology curriculum beginning in fall of 2011.  The information night will occur on Wednesday, 16 March 2011, at 5:30 p.m., at Endeavour Middle School, 43755 45th St. West, Lancaster, CA 93536.  For more information, send an e-mail inquiry to stemacademy@lancsd.org or look for upcoming links at the district website at http://www.lancaster.k12.ca.us/ .

Middle Schoolers' Essays Show Connections Between STEM and Careers

A series of entertaining and insightful essays written by middle school students about their favorite classes (math and science, in many cases) shows how the courses are relevant to their future career plans.  The essays relate how real-life application can enhance the STEM experience.  http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/feb/08/what-current-class-is-going-to-prepare-you-best/