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.

Antelope Valley Hosts STEMPosium 10/1/13

Antelope Valley College (AVC), Cerro Coso College, Cal State Long Beach, Antelope Valley Union High School District (AVUHSD), the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance (GAVEA), and the AV Board of Trade sponsored the 2^nd Annual Greater Antelope Valley STEMposium on Tuesday, 1 October 2013.  State and local dignitaries welcomed nearly 200 regional business and community members and educators in attendance at the event, which was held at The Hellenic Center in Lancaster.  

The STEMposium participants heard an engaging keynote address by LTG Ellen M. Pawlikowski (USAF), Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center at the LA Air Force Base, on STEM as an American competitive advantage, as well as from Dr. Elaine Shen of Beacon Economics on STEM Workforce trends.  Other presentations included Dr. Tom O’Neil of AVC on connections between CTE and STEM, a STEM Academy Showcase by Betsy McKinstry and academy coordinators and students from the AVUHSD, as well as panel discussions by area education, industry, and young STEM professionals.  Display tables were staffed by Joe Walker Middle School robotics, Palmdale HS Health Careers Academy, PHS Falcon Academy of Sustainable Technologies, AV High School’s Green Enterprise Academy, and Knight HS Digital Design & Engineering Academy.

The 2^nd Annual Greater AV STEMposium was partially funded by a US Dept. Of Education HSI STEM grant. Christos Valiotis: Project Director-661-722-6300 x6024

High Desert Business and Education Leaders Participate in STEMPosium

Friday, 11 May 2012, saw approximately forty business and education leaders gather at the Hellenic Center in Lancaster, CA for a STEMPosium event co-sponsored by Antelope Valley College, Cerro Coso College, and the Antelope Valley Union High School District.  The group heard remarks from the sponsors as well as from industry leaders, reviewed STEM education efforts in the greater Antelope Valley region, and received input from participants on how best to proceed in the upcoming months.