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STEM Jobs
Tech Talent Hunt Tries New Venue: Middle School (Wall Street Journal)
The rivalry between Apple Inc. and Google Inc. to dominate the smartphone business is fueling the technology industry's newest talent search: software prodigies as young as 13 who are creating apps for their mobile devices. Grant Goodman sensed an opportunity when Apple removed the preloaded YouTube app from its iPhones last year. He quickly built an advertising-free app called Prodigus to play online videos "fast with no compromises." Prodigus, Grant explains, was his second iPhone app. He recently built a third, a game called "iTap That," and incorporated a company, Macster Software Inc., to manage the business. Next week, the 14-year-old will take a break from his business to start high school in Glen Head, N.Y.
US Manufacturing Grows at Fastest Pace in 3� Years (AP)
U.S. manufacturing grew in August at the strongest pace in more than three years as factories cranked out more goods and new orders rose. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index rose to 59 from 57.1 in July, the ISM said Tuesday. That was the highest reading since March 2011. Any measure above 50 signals that manufacturing is growing. Tuesday's ISM report coincides with other signs that manufacturing is helping drive the U.S. economy's improvement. Factories are benefiting from strong demand for aircraft, furniture, and steel and other metals. The boost from manufacturing has helped offset slower homebuilding, a slowdown in consumer purchases and weaker spending on utilities and other services.
The 100 Best Jobs (U.S. News & World Report Careers)
All jobs aren�t created equal. In fact, some are simply better than the rest. U.S. News 100 Best Jobs of 2014 offer a mosaic of employment opportunity, good salary, manageable work-life balance and job security. Some careers offer just the right mix of these components � for instance, nearly 40 percent of our picks are health care jobs � but the list also includes strong showings from occupations in the social services and business sectors. And for the first time, our No. 1 pick is a technology job. Read more on how we rank the best jobs, and check out our complete list. 
Diversity in STEM
Cheryl B. Schrader (Chancellor, Missouri S&T University): An emerging theory on STEM (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that just 18 percent of those who receive a computer science degree are women. Only one-fifth of physics Ph.D.s in this country are awarded to women. And while the majority of U.S. college students today are female, fewer than a quarter of all STEM workers are women. That�s a serious problem for our nation�s economic well-being. No sector of our economy is poised for more growth than the STEM fields. The Missouri Department of Economic Development reports that Missouri�s 2020 projected job growth for STEM occupations is higher than the average expected combined growth of all other occupations in the state, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that Missouri will have an additional 143,000 STEM jobs to fill by 2018.
Government
Policymakers hail STEM education as a strong foundation, pushing innovation (Washington Post)
Although a recent study found that almost 75 percent of those who have [STEM] bachelor�s degrees have jobs in other fields, policymakers, advocates and executives continue to push STEM education as a way to close achievement gaps and produce U.S. innovation. Senior officials with the White House�s Office of Science and Technology Policy say the focus on STEM education is a response to global achievement trends, with an effort to develop students� skills rather than drive them to specific careers. Officials point to 12 countries that have higher test scores in science and 17 with higher scores in math.
White House Reboots Its Tech Staff (TechCrunch)
A number of moves this week: The White House announced its intention for Danny Marti to be its new piracy guru, departing national CTO Todd Park will return to Silicon Valley, but keep working for the government, Google X�s Megan Smith is said to be a top contender for the nation�s CTO role, and former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski will sit on the Intelligence Advisory Board. Marti�s role as the next Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator will see him fill a role that has been vacant for around a year. MPAA chief Chris Dodd praised the choice. Make of that what you will. Park will bounce around Silicon Valley to be what appears to be a recruiter-at-large.
Computer Science
Pushing the Start button on a computer science curriculum for K-12 schools (LA Times)
Aspiring farmers and entertainers ought to be computer whizzes, according to the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. The nonprofit organization invited more than two dozen education and business leaders from across California last week to discuss how to make that happen. Amid growing demand from students and industry leaders, the event is one of the first statewide initiatives to discuss the future for a formal computer science curriculum for California's K-12 schools. "We need to rethink whether we need to be more aggressive in our approach," said Michael Kirst, president of the state Board of Education. Fewer than half of California high schools offer computer science, and only 13% offer an AP course in the subject, according to data from the state Education Department
Unplugging Computer Science to Spark Curiosity For Root Concepts (KQED Mind/Shift)
Arguments for computer science education in public schools focus on the importance of learning computational thinking and its increasing importance in a world dominated by computers. Proponents make the case that even students who don�t end up choosing computer science as a career benefit from learning to break down problems into smaller, more manageable pieces. And as computers become ubiquitous, they argue, all students should have a basic knowledge of why and how they work. In her Hechinger Report article, Annie Murphy Paul writes about a free program developed in New Zealand that teaches the underlying concepts of computer science without any computers at all. Paul writes:
Industry
San Francisco 49ers Go Long on STEM Education at Levi�s Stadium (TIME)
In 2010, when the San Francisco 49ers� brain trust was drawing up the plans for what is now Levi�s Stadium, they went to one of the tallest buildings in the area and looked out over Silicon Valley. According to Joanne Pasternack, director of community relations and the 49ers Foundation, these executives could see Google, Intel, Apple, HP, Facebook and many of the leading tech companies in the world laid out right in front of them. It was at that point that they made the commitment to somehow use the new stadium to help create tech leaders of tomorrow. As one of the 49ers execs told me recently, they wanted to �help develop the people who will someday engineer and create greater features for Levi�s Stadium and develop innovative technologies that can impact the planet in the future.�
Higher Education
Siena president focuses on overhauling career center, new science center (Albany Business Review)
Brother Edward Coughlin, interim president at Siena College, says his role for the upcoming academic year is to enable the faculty and administrators to outline the next set of strategic goals for the college. Several major initiatives for the private, liberal arts college will come to fruition this year, including a $3 million science center and a revamped career center. The career center staff will focus more on reaching students before senior year and helping students learn to present themselves and market their skills to many industries. "The career center is gearing itself up to be more proactive and engaged with students, especially early in their careers [at Siena]," Coughlin says.
Baylor building new mechanical engineering Ph.D. (Waco Tribune)
In order to meet ambitious research goals, Baylor University faculty realize the process is going to take one step � or one person � at a time. Baylor started a new mechanical engineering Ph.D. program this fall as part of the university�s strategic goal to expand its science and engineering studies. But the program has only one student so far � Arlington native Sarah Stair, who just wrapped up her master�s degree in mechanical engineering at Baylor in the spring. Bill Jordan, department chair for mechanical engineering, said Baylor ideally would have 20 doctoral and 40 master�s candidates in mechanical engineering at any given time. But that will require growing faculty, courses and research
Science Centers
Beacons at the museum: Pacific Science Center to roll out location-based Mixby app next month (Geek Wire)
Seattle�s Pacific Science Center has scheduled an Oct. 4 public launch for a new system that uses Bluetooth-enabled beacons and the Mixby smartphone app to offer new experiences to museum guests � presenting them with different features and content depending on where they�re standing at any given moment. The app, developed by Seattle-based Artifact Technologies, has been piloted at the museum since the spring.
Georgia
Ga. science teachers encouraged to apply for grant (AP)
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is encouraging science teachers across the state to apply for a $1,000 grant. Officials say the program is funded through an association with The Environmental Resource Network. One person will be selected from a pool of third-, fourth- and fifth-grade public and private schools teachers who demonstrate exceptional energy and innovation in teaching life sciences. Officials say project proposals must include Georgia's non-game wildlife as the context for learning curriculum standards. The winner will be selected based on project design and how well the grant proposal questions are answered.
Colorado
Colorado tech association launches foundation for STEM education (Denver Business Journal)
The Colorado Technology Association has started a nonprofit organization and funding programs to get more students technical education and ready for careers in technology. The Colorado Technology Foundation was formed in partnership with the Rose Community Foundation. The foundation has been seeded with $250,000 in funding commitments. Its mission is to connect technology companies in the state with educators and programs trying to improve STEM education. Initially, the Colorado Technology Foundation will start organizing internships at technology companies across the metro area for students at Denver Public Schools and other school districts. �The Colorado Technology Foundation is helping to build the pipeline of tech workers for the future of Colorado and thereby addressing one of the most important issues in our economy,� said Annette Quintana, CEO of Istonish and CTA board member. |
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Registration Opens for 2014-2015 Future City Competition
 Carnegie Science Center is now accepting registrations for middle-school teams to compete in the 2014-2015 Future City� Competition, a program of DiscoverE. Future City is a national, project-based learning experience in which students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade imagine, design, and build cities of the future. For the region comprising western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Carnegie Science Center manages the competition as a program of its Chevron Center for STEM Education and Career Development. Each year, the competition asks the students to focus on a theme. This year�s theme, Feeding Future Cities, encourages students to explore today�s urban agriculture � from aeroponic systems for rooftop farms to recycled gray water to the sustainability-driven farm-to-table movement � and to develop a futuristic solution to growing crops within the confines of their city. Many experts now predict that, in the coming decades, the Earth�s arable land will no longer be sufficient to produce enough food for the planet�s growing population. At the same time, nearly all of the world�s population growth between now and 2030 will be concentrated in urban areas. With these two critical concerns converging, farming in and around cities will be essential to feeding the world�s population.
AZ 'Get Into Energy' Consortium Launches Cybersecurity Degree Information Technology and Power Systems Security Program Offered at Estrella Mountain Community College
 The demand is increasing for highly trained technicians to protect against and minimize threats to cybersecurity. To help reduce this critical workforce shortage, the Arizona Sun Corridor-Get Into Energy Consortium (ASC-GIEC), which received a $13.5 million Department of Labor (DOL) grant to advance the training and development of a workforce pipeline for the energy industry, is creating an energy-related cybersecurity program through Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), the consortium�s lead institution. This fall 2014 semester, the consortium launched its new Information Technology and Power Systems Security (IT-PSS) program, with courses offered at EMCC in Avondale. The program will uniquely focus on the power and energy industry, offering nationally recognized curriculum and credentials leading to an associate of applied science (A.A.S.) degree and career readiness pathway. The curriculum is founded on the principles of the DOL, Employment and Training Administration�s (ETA) Cybersecurity Competency Model, which was modified by the consortium with input from an industry advisory council. As students progress through the pathway, their coursework will prepare them to challenge a variety of IT security industry certification exams.
Chevron Expands Fuel Your School Program to Help Fund Classroom Projects
 Chevron today announced the launch and expansion of the 2014 Fuel Your School program, an innovative collaboration with DonorsChoose.org, an online organization that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. In 2014, the Fuel Your School Program will generate up to $8.6 million in classroom supply funding for educators in 22 U.S. communities in 14 states where Chevron operates, with the help of local Chevron and Texaco marketers in 6 markets. Beginning Sept. 1, 2014, public school teachers from participating communities are invited to post eligible classroom projects at DonorsChoose. From Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2014, the Fuel Your School program will donate $1 to help fund eligible classroom projects when consumers purchase eight or more gallons of fuel at participating Chevron or Texaco stations, up to a total of $8.6 million. |
