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Industry
Comcast and UNH Manchester Partner in STEM Ambassadors Program for High School Students (UNH)
..But officials with UNH Manchester's STEM Discovery Lab and STEM Ambassadors program are hoping to change that for students like Perez, who is one of several English Language Learning students taking part in the program. STEM Ambassadors is a year-long math program which takes place on-site at Manchester's Memorial and Central High schools that helps academically at-risk, English Language Learner (ELL) students, their families and educators. STEM Ambassadors will expand to all three Manchester High Schools in the near future. Comcast's Internet Essentials Program, which is partnering with UNH Manchester to offer the program, recently held an event that brought together teachers from across the state along with state and local officials, aimed at raising awareness of the program and its goal to close the digital divide. 
Diversity in STEM
Why it matters where � and when � Tim Cook spoke up about being gay (Mashable)
Tim Cook, one of the world�s most powerful and high-profile CEOs, is finally talking publicly about being gay. In an essay in Bloomberg Businessweek on Thursday, the Apple CEO wrote that he never hid his sexual orientation, but also never talked openly about it.. Cook is sending a message to other companies � and especially other CEOs � about creating diverse, open work environments. As Cook sees it, his sexual orientation has helped him professionally. �It�s also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you�re the CEO of Apple," he wrote. Apple is one of many tech companies that recently revealed its own diversity numbers. While these reports do not identify the number of LGBTQ workers, they do highlight the lack of diversity in Apple and virtually every other leading tech firm.
Texas Southern adding two new STEM degrees (Houston Chronicle)
In an effort to expand its menu of courses in popular [STEM] fields, Texas Southern University will begin offering degrees in civil engineering and electrical and computer engineering. The historically black university's announcement Wednesday that it would add the degree programs is significant. STEM fields make up a growing portion of the American economy, yet students working toward degrees in those fields are overwhelmingly white. TSU hopes it can help open the pipeline to those jobs for minorities.
STEM Media
Get a Sneak Peek at PBS Kids� Wacky New Show Odd Squad (Geek Mom)
PBS Kids has a new show this fall for kids 5-8 who love the weird, wacky world of math! Well, they might not love math yet, but that�s because they haven�t seen Odd Squad. Odd Squad premieres on PBS Kids on November 26, but if you have the PBS Kids app or visit the official web site now, your kids can get a first glimpse into the extraordinary world of these math whiz kids. Odd Squad is like Warehouse 13 for the smaller crowd. Agents Otto and Olive�who very much remind me of Warehouse 13�s Pete and Myka�investigate the weird goings-on reported to the Squad by flummoxed grownups and kids.
Ohio State launches podcast focusing on manufacturing innovation (Columbus Business First)
An Ohio State University-run manufacturing organization is joining the podcast herd, hoping to connect manufacturers with peers, academics, government agencies and the general public. The Manufacturing Tomorrow podcast series has already booked guests from Marysville's Honda of America Manufacturing Inc., Worthington Industries and PR Machine Works, headed by state. Rep. Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario. OSU's Ohio Manufacturing Institute, which connects manufacturers with academics, is putting on the podcast. The first is already out, featuring Jeff Garlock, Honda's representative to the institute.
Higher Education
Drake plans $65 million STEM development, new degrees (Des Moines Register)
Drake University plans to build a $65 million, six-building complex to meet calls for more science- and math-based education. The private Des Moines university also plans to launch six new degree programs by the 2016 school year, Drake officials told The Des Moines Register on Wednesday. "There's a huge amount of national discussion about the STEM crisis and the fact that we're not producing enough people in [STEM] fields," Drake President David Maxwell said. "We've always been committed to responding to that." Maxwell said the university is also investing in health and science programs to attract students who have opted against enrolling in Iowa.
Education Matters: Remedial Math Improvements at UALR (Arkansas Matters)
Paula Matthews is a returning college student after 12 years. She, like a lot of students is taking remedial math. And research shows that students who fail the remedial course don't go on to finish their college degree. But Dr. Daryl Rice, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Success says drastic changes are taking place at colleges and universities all across the United States including here in Arkansas. So students who may not be a math major or going into a STEM field won't have to take unnecessary math classes.
Reports
Report, experts analyze surging STEM activity at UW-Madison (UW-Madison)
A recent report on instructional activity in STEM disciplines at the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows significant advances in enrollment and degrees since 2000, which campus experts attribute to a number of factors, including job placement, greater career opportunities and enhanced teaching methods. The report, prepared by the Office of Academic Planning and Institutional Research, shows that degrees in STEM fields rose from 35 percent to 40 percent of all undergraduate degrees between 2000 and 2013. Although there is no single explanation for this surge in interest, employment and professional opportunities are clearly primary drivers, says Steven Cramer, vice provost for teaching and learning and professor of civil and environmental engineering.
EdTech
1,000 Years of Scientific Texts From The Islamic World Are Now Online (io9)
Between the 9th and 19th centuries, Arabic-speaking scholars translated Greek, Latin and even Sanskrit texts on topics such as medicine, mathematics and astronomy, fostering a vibrant scientific culture within the Islamic world. Some of the most influential texts are now available at the Qatar Digital Library. The library, a joint project of the British Library and the Qatar Foundation, offers free access to 25,000 pages of medieval Islamic manuscripts. Among the most significant texts: The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices (1206 A.D.), which was inspired by an earlier, 9th-century translation of Archimedes' writings on water clocks.
Code School Brings Its Instructional Videos For Developers To iOS (TechCrunch)
Code School, the online learning destination that grew out of founder Gregg Pollack�s longtime efforts in creating and sharing technical content with a developer audience, has now made the leap to mobile. With the new iOS application, developers can watch Code School�s over 300 instructional videos covering JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Ruby, iOS and Git as well as other popular developer tools, like Chrome Dev Tools, for example. Much of the content in the new app is free, while those who subscribe to Code School�s premium product will be able to unlock all videos.
Viewpoints
Q&A: Professor wants to change engineering education (EDN)
You probably recall the pain and suffering you experienced getting through university. Do you remember studying with books and perhaps a few labs for three years, then having to do a senior design project? Did you see many students drop out? If you did, then you've experienced a culture that professors Mark Somerville and David E. Goldberg say must change so that bright young people will choose a career in engineering and thrive at school rather than just trying to get though. Somerville and Goldberg have written The Whole New Engineer: The Coming Revolution in Engineering Education where they argue that the traditional way of teaching engineering no longer works. To learn about the book and engineering education culture, I met with Prof. Somerville in his office at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass.
Michigan
Bills could make Michigan the first state with STEM education certifications on high school diplomas (MLive)
Michigan could become the first state in the country to give graduating high school students a certification for [STEM] on their diplomas if bills introduced last week become law. Two bills introduced in the Michigan Senate by State Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph, set out the requirements for a STEM certification. Rep. Amanda Price, R-Park Township, will introduce two bills in the Michigan House of Representatives in November, which would mirror the Senate bills. If made into law, the bills would make Michigan the first state in the country to offer a STEM certification on high school transcripts and diplomas.
STEM Food & Ag
An Urban Farm Designed To Make One Thing: A Grilled Ham And Cheese Sandwich (Fast Co.Exist)
.jpg) There's an easy way to make a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. And then there's the Sandwich Factory's way. In an Amsterdam experiment that pushes the limits of urban farming, a group of young artists explored what it takes to make a simple lunch truly from scratch. After buying pigs and cows, planting a field of wheat, waiting for nine months, and spending 35,000 euros, they finally got to eat. "We had this fantastic moment on Dutch television where a lady from the neighborhood was interviewed and said, 'I'm completely against it because my kids are going there now, and what am I going to tell them the next time we have a barbecue? They're going to ask all of these difficult questions,'" says Tjebbes. "Of course, she proved our entire point. This wasn't just for us. If her kids were going to ask difficult questions, then good for them." |
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100 Diverse Corporate Leaders in STEM - Yolanda Conyers of Lenovo
 Yolanda Conyers is the vice president of global human resources operations and the chief diversity officer at Lenovo, the #1 PC vendor in the world. In addition to founding the first-ever diversity office for a company of Chinese heritage, she has transformed Lenovo�s day-to-day human resources operations by ensuring consistency of processes, systems and data for a complex global company with employees in more than 60 nations. With a Bachelor�s degree in computer science from Lamar University and an MBA in international business from Our Lady of the Lake Executive MBA Program, Ms. Conyers has a passion for promoting STEM with young people. "I truly believe that having a diverse employee population gives Lenovo a competitive advantage. In fact, I just launched a book, called The Lenovo Way, in which I talk about how our strength is in our ability to leverage diverse perspectives in the design, development, marketing and sales of our products. Our vision of having a diverse, multicultural company cannot be achieved if we don�t focus on preparing our children to be able to compete for and pursue technical careers."
Million Women Mentors Bi-Weekly Newsletter: October 30, 2014
sm.jpg) Check out this all new Million Women Mentors Newsletter, featuring important announcements on our December 4th MWM TownHall with Tennessee Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey, January's National Mentoring Summit in DC, and lots of Women in STEM News!
16th Global Edition of the Women in Leadership (WIL) Economic Forum
 16th Global Edition from 19-20 November to Focus on Gender Parity, Women's Empowerment, Diversity and Inclusion Dubai-UAE: 30 October, 2014 - naseba, a French business facilitation company with on-the-ground presence in major cities across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, announced Cherie Blair, QC, CBE, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as well as Her Excellency Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, will headline the 16th global edition of the Women in Leadership (WIL) Economic Forum as keynote speakers. The forum is held under the patronage of Ministry of Economy in the UAE and it will be officiated by the Minister, HE Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori. STEMconnector� is an association partner of the event.
CollegeWeekLive and STEMconnector Partner to Encourage the Pursuit of STEM Degrees
.jpg) CollegeWeekLive, the leading website where students and colleges meet live online, today announced that it has forged an alliance with STEMconnector�, the definitive source for STEM information. Students and their families, teachers, and high school counselors are invited to participate in CollegeWeek Live�s popular All Access Virtual College Fair on November 13, 2014 where they can watch live video presentations about STEM careers which are in demand; hear about special initiatives such as Million Women Mentors that help young women earn STEM degrees and enter the workforce; chat live with STEMconnector representatives; and enter to win the event�s $2,500 Scholarship. |
