Loss of a STEM Pioneer

Antelope Valley STEM Education has lost a pioneer with the passing of Bob Johnstone on Saturday, 8 November 2014.  A retired engineer from Edwards AFB, Director of The Aerospace Office at the City of Lancaster, and Chairman of the AV Math Science Engineering and Technology  Consortium, among many other positions and accomplishments, Bob was one of the leaders of the "homegrown engineer" effort for his beloved Aerospace Valley, which helped bring Project Lead the Way pathways to many schools in the area, as well as facilitating degree completion programs with AVC and CSULB-AV.  One of his most recent efforts was to help coordinate the move to create and grow the AV East Kern STEM Learning Network.  Bob will be sincerely missed by his many colleagues and friends.  Services will be held Friday, 14 November 2014, at 10:00am PST, at the Joshua Memorial Park in Lancaster.  In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to DELTA Rescue, PO Box 9, Glendale, CA 91209.

Conrad "Spirit of Innovation" Challenge Open for Registration Until 11/3/14

The 2015 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge is open through 3 November 2014 for registration of student teams from kindergarten through university levels.  With a basic registration cost of $95, teams may choose one of four categories to compete in:  Aerospace & Aviation; Energy & Environment; Cyber Technology & Security; or Health & Nutrition.  There is an optional category (for an additional registration fee) of Giant Leap to Mars.  Once registered, students research problems facing that sector and begin to develop innovative solutions.  An on-line "Investor Pitch" round is conducted on-line, with written and video submissions due by 4 November 2014; winners will go on to the on-line semi-final "Draft Development Plan" round, with a business proposal, technical plan, and graphic representation due by 16 January 2015.  Teams judged to have the top Development Plan will be selected to go on to the Innovation Summit, where they will make in-person presentations, be honored as Pete Conrad Scholars, and compete for $500,000 in sponsored awards.  Final submissions are due in March of 2015, and the Summit will be held in April.

For further details and to register, visit the competition website at Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge .

Liberty Power and USHCC Hispanic Student Scholarship Application Due 7/15/14

Current Hispanic students in two- or four-year universities or colleges, with an interest in energy or the environment, are invited to apply for the Bright Horizon Scholarship sponsored by Liberty Power and the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  The deadline to apply is 15 July 2014.  Four awards, totaling $20,000, are available (one each at $10,000, $5,000, $3,000, and $2,000), and recipients will be awarded in September.  For further details and to apply, visit Liberty Power Bright Horizon Scholarship .

UCI to Offer Online STEM Preparation Modules for High School and Incoming Freshmen

UC Irvine has announced the availability of "STEM UP" on-line modules for incoming freshmen and high school seniors to prepare them for the rigors of college level STEM coursework.  The modules, each of which is three weeks long and costs $125, will be available beginning 23 June.  Free assessments will assist students to determine their current levels, and modules will provide work in Quantitative Skills, Pre-Calculus, Pre-Chemistry, Pre-Physics, and Pre-Biology.  For further information, see UCI STEM-Up Modules .

University Innovation Fellows Application Period Closes 6/30/14

Run by Epicenter, NSF, NCIIA, and Stanford University, the University Innovation Fellows are seeking applications from college and university engineering students to become fellows for the upcoming year.  The fellows will "dream, design, and deliver" innovations related to real-world problems in order to learn skills and dispositions to become leaders in the global economy of the future, while transforming the culture of their campuses. Students receive 6 weeks of intensive training as part of the process.


"In order to submit the application, each student needs to provide at least one faculty letter of support, find a faculty sponsor (does not need to be the same as the letter of support) and create a supplemental YouTube clip. It is the responsibility of the faculty sponsor to apply the students for the Leadership Circle; the faculty sponsor must supply a letter of support from the President of the university or any Vice President-level administrator. Once submitted, the applications will be reviewed with the possibility of moving forward into the interview round."


Applications for the spring term are due by 30 June 2014 (with a fall round due in October).  For further information about the program and the link to apply, visit University Innovation Fellows .

Summer STEM in the AV

Following is a recap of some upcoming STEM events for students in the greater Antelope Valley region this summer.  Please contact the individual agency/organization for further information/eligibility requirements and registration information:

• Tehachapi Intermediate Space Challenge, Tehachapi Airport, 21 May;
• Mojave Intermediate Space Challenge, Mojave SpacePort, 23 May - contact Marie Walker at Fiberset, Mojave;
• AVC Summer Bridge Program (math review for graduating high school seniors planning on enrolling at AVC in Fall 2014) begins 16 June (two sessions) - contact Sharon Dalmage at sdalmage@avc.edu ;
• AVUHSD Summer Pre-Engineering Internships class (incoming AVUHSD seniors who have completed designated engineering/technology course - apply by 19 May or until filled), beginning 9 June, AERO Institute in Palmdale, register at Summer Pre-Engineering Internships Registration , contact James Stockdale at jstockdale@avhsd.org ;
• Tehachapi Summer Gateway Academy, 16-20 June, contact Danielle Evansic at devansic@teh.k12.ca.us ;
• AVUHSD Summer Gateway Academy (free week-long day camp for 32 incoming 7th-8th graders - register by 27 May or until filled) at SOAR Prep Academy in Quartz Hill, 23-27 June, register at SOAR Prep Summer Gateway Academy , contact Carrie Marchant at cdmarchant@avhsd.org ;
• Lancaster School District Summer of Innovation "Power of Code", 21-25 July, contact Julie Vela at velaj@lancsd.org ;
• AVUHSD Summer Gateway Academy (free week-long day camp for 32 incoming 7th-8th graders - register by 27 May or until filled) at Knight High School in East Palmdale, 21-25 July, register at Knight High School Summer Gateway Academy , contact Bill Lewis at blewis@avhsd.org ;
• AVC STEM Science Academy (middle schoolers build and test model aircraft) at The Palmdale Aerospace Academy, 28 July-1 August, contact Sharon Dalmage at sdalmage@avc.edu

US STEM Still in the Shallow End of the Talent Pool

According to the US News and Raytheon STEM Index recently released, the numbers of students pursuing STEM disciplines has increased somewhat since the year 2000, however, the ratio of STEM degrees to total degrees granted in that time period remains fairly flat.  This results in too few students in the pipeline to meet current and future STEM workforce demands.

"The Index is made up of 93 sub-indices and thousands of data points divided into eight components: ACT math and science scores, Advance[d] Placement (AP) test scores in STEM subjects, college and graduate degrees granted, U.S. employment in STEM fields, Program for International Student Assessments (PISA) math and science scores, SAT math scores, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math scores and interest in STEM at the high school level."  US News/Raytheon STEM Index

Cal Poly Pomona YES Program Hosts AV Students

Among approximately 400 middle and high school students, nearly 50 students from the Palmdale area attended the Youth Engineering Success (YES) event hosted by Cal Poly Pomona's chapter of Society of Women Engineers.  This annual event promotes engineering education and careers for young women by engaging activities and exposing them to information about the STEM field they might not otherwise receive.  Daily Bulletin Education - YES Program .  US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan praised the event, as recounted by the CDE in a recent tweet:  CTE That Works for California RT @ArneDuncan .

AVC Hosting "Women in STEM" on 4/11/14

Antelope Valley College's STEM Club will be hosting "Women in STEM," featuring exciting presentations and panels, including keynote speaker Dr. Adrienne Brundage, a forensic entomologist and lecturer at Texas A&M University.  The event, which will be held from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on 11 April 2014 in the AVC Cafeteria (3041  W. Avenue K, Lancaster, CA), is open to all ages; refreshments will be available.

AV Society of Women Engineers Scholarship Deadline 4/25/14

Applications for two $1,000 scholarships, funded by Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, are now being accepted by the AV chapter of the Society of Women Engineers.  Female high school seniors, community college transfer students, and current undergraduates with permanent residency within the Antelope Valley, California (zip codes beginning 935**) and who are/will be pursuing an engineering degree from an ABET-accredited institution are eligible to apply by providing official transcripts and application documents to the AV chapter of SWE at SWE.AntelopeValley@gmail.com by no later than 25 April 2014.  For further information regarding eligibility and application requirements, visit AV SWE Scholarship .

International Studies STEM Degrees Offered

A growing trend in engineering education is "internationalizing" study abroad for STEM students who have traditionally been under-represented in these programs.  One such program is offered at Northern Arizona University, where students get a B.S. in a STEM subject, and a B.A. in a foreign language (Chinese, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish), spend their fourth year abroad to study and participate in an internship, and return for their fifth year at NAU, all at a cost not much in excess of the 4-year program.  The Valparaiso International Engineering Program has a similar approach.  For more information, visit Globalizing STEM Degree Programs .

California State Summer School for Math and Science Applications Due 2/21/14

COSMOS is a four-week residential program for talented and motivated students who are completing grades 8-12. Students who love math and science have a chance to spend four weeks at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz or UC San Diego this summer. They will learn about astronomy, biomedical sciences, computer games, engineering, robotics and more.

 

Students will work side-by-side with outstanding UC researchers and faculty, exploring advanced topics that extend beyond the typical high school curriculum. COSMOS courses are hands-on and lab-intensive, emphasizing current research underway at the University of California campuses.

 

Applications are due by no later than 21 February 2014, and successful applicants will be notified in April.  For more information, visit the COSMOS website at COSMOS

Fresno State Physics Outreach Course

Fresno State University professor Don Williams is spearheading the effort to get more students, and the community, interested in STEM subjects through a physics outreach program.  The program will also begin as a physics service learning class at Fresno State in the spring semester.  Fresno State Physics Outreach

Buick Achievers Scholarship Applications Open 1/6-2/28/14

Sponsored by General Motors, the Buick Achievers Scholarship application period will be open from 6 January through 28 February 2014.  The scholarships, which focus on automotive and related STEM fields, offer $25,000 renewable funding for 100 students.  For further information, visit Buick Achievers Scholarship .

#include Fellowships for Coding Begun by She++ at Stanford - Register by 12/11/13

She++, a coding outreach by Stanford University students, has expanded its #include fellowships for high school females outside of Palo Alto.  Students who register by no later than 11 December 2013 can be paired with a college advisor, and then will be expected to lead technology change in their neighborhoods through a Launch Kit.  They will also gain the opportunity to attend the #include Summit at Stanford 3-5 April 2014.  For more information, visit She++ Inspiring Women to Empower Computer Science .

New Survey Shows 2- and 4-Year STEM Degrees In Demand

A recent survey of talent recruiters at Fortune 1000 companies released by Bayer indicates that holders of two-year STEM degrees are just as much in demand as those with four-year STEM degrees, and that the trend will continue for at least 10 years; half of the respondents said that two-year degree holders would be more in demand than four-year counterparts.  A majority of the recruiters noted that more STEM positions are being created than non-STEM positions, yet many remain unfilled due to a lack of qualified applicants and/or mismatched skill sets.  ACTE Policy Watch Blog: STEM in Demand

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

STEMConnector and TeenLife Media Publish STEM Programs Guide

STEMConnector has teamed up with TeenLife Media to produce a 2013 Guide to STEM Programs which is available for review on-line and for download.  The Guide includes a directory of STEM colleges and programs, a list of the top 10 paying majors, as well as a variety of student and professional profiles and articles related to STEM studies and careers.  Visit http://teenlife.uberflip.com/i/156018.

Claremont Graduate University Publishes Inaugural Digital "STEAM Journal"

Claremont Graduate University has published its inaugural on-line "The STEAM Journal" dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.  To access it, read and download papers under Digital Commons rights, visit Claremont Graduate University "The STEAM Journal" Inaugural Issue .

"Air Force Collaboratory" Project Designed to Draw Students to STEM Subjects

A new US Air Force recruitment/training initiative known as the "Air Force Collaboratory" was announced in the New York Times this week (Air Force Asks Students to Solve Real-World Problems ).  The program tasks students aged 16-24 to participate in an on-line platform where they will work with Air Force personnel on projects such as using rapid prototyping (3d printers) to develop search and rescue apparatus to locate missing persons, build quadrotors which operate with minimal human interaction, and targeting GPS coordinates for new satellites, with a view to attracting more qualified young people to STEM careers in the military.  To see the Collaboratory and to register to participate, go to https://collaboratory.airforce.com/.