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STEM Jobs
Data mining tops LinkedIn's list of the 'hottest skills of 2014' (Mashable)
Big Data is netting big salaries. Whether its Moneyball, President Obama's election campaigns or just the social media-led explosion of information, "statistical analysis and data mining" topped LinkedIn's list of the 25 Hottest Skills That Got People Hired in 2014. Last year, the top skill was "social media marketing." Data mining was No. 5. For those who have those skills, these are good times. Glassdoor reports that the average salary for a data scientist is $118,709 versus $64,537 for a programmer. A McKinsey study predicts that by 2018, the U.S. could face a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 "people with deep analytic skills" as well as 1.5 million "managers and analysts with the know-how to use the analysis of big data to make effective decisions." Otherwise, the rest of the list was heavily populated by tech-related skills..
Federal workforce 2014: Hiring millennials and closing the STEM skills gap (FedScoop)
The big question facing the federal workforce in 2014 was one that persists year after year: How does government compete with the perk-filled, high-salary private sector for the innovative minds starting their careers in [STEM]. The Office of Personnel Management, led by new Director Katherine Archuleta, introduced several initiatives targeting millennials, who are largely grouped into the STEM-educated, innovative class and will be tasked with replenishing the federal workforce as the baby boomers set to retire. OPM took an inherently digital push, attempting to pose the federal government as a digital equal to the workplaces in the private sector that offer flexible work arrangements, mobility and the ability to work remotely.
Josh Bear (COO, Jivaro Professional Headhunters): Waging A War For Talent (TechCrunch)
We live and work in an age of mass competition and where the ability to land top talent can have as much of an impact on the success of the company as the product line itself. As companies of various shapes and sizes jockey for position in a constantly shifting tech market, there is a subtle, yet intense battle waging for talent. However, what was once hidden in the shadows has now come screaming to the front lines and today, more than ever, the war for talent has taken center stage. The ability to innovate has given way to the ability to execute, and now the core strength of a company is found in the depth and talent of its team. 
Computer Science
How A 6-Year-Old Learned Coding Skills With These Adorable Robot Toys (Fast Co.Exist)
The learn-to-code movement is aiming younger. MIT, for example, recently released a free iPad app with its visual programming language ScratchJr., so kindergartners could use it to code stories and games even before knowing how to read. Vikas Gupta, a former Google executive who founded the startup Wonder Workshop (formerly called Play-i), has taken a slightly different path. "We learned that in order to make programming of interest to young children, it has to be a tangible product. It can�t be just software," he told Co.Exist last year. Enter Dot and Dash�Wonder Workshop�s two new robots that teach coding skills to children as young as five that are now being field tested in a few dozen elementary school classrooms nationally.
Disney to 'Frozen' Fans: 'Let it Code' (ImpactX)
The animated hit brought in over $1 billion worldwide at the box office and is still a driving force behind toy sales this Christmas.. the people over at Disney Interactive have employed Anna and Elsa for another important adventure -- to teach kids to code. It's a fantastic idea. I've never seen so many young girls want to be like these characters, and if Anna and Elsa can code then I'll bet their young fans (and maybe their parents) will want to as well. Disney partnered with Code.org for an "Hour of Code," where kids learn how to write code that enables Disney Infinity versions of Anna and Elsa to draw snowflakes and snowmen and perform magical "ice craft."
Discoveries
Curiosity rover finds ancient water inside Martian rock (Mashable)
NASA's Curiosity rover is continuing to help scientists piece together the mystery of how Mars lost its surface water over the course of billions of years. The rover drilled into a piece of Martian rock called Cumberland and found some ancient water hidden within it. Researchers were then able to test a key ratio in the water with Curiosity's onboard instruments to gather more data about when Mars started to lose its water, NASA officials said. In the same sample, Curiosity also detected the first organic molecules it has found. Mission scientists announced the discovery in a news conference Dec. 15 at the American Geophysical Union's convention in San Francisco, where they also unveiled Curiosity's first detection of methane on Mars.
Higher Education
Rowans donate $15 million to university's Engineering School (Press of Atlantic City)
Rowan University is building a new engineering building using $46 million in funds from the state�s Building Our Future Bond Act. On Wednesday, the family whose $100 million donation built the first engineering building, donated another $15 million to help support the program�s expansion. That donation, said Rowan and other state college officials, demonstrates the growing importance of private philanthropy to public colleges in New Jersey, where state funding has steadily dwindled.
Industry
Tulsa Public Schools Awarded $20K STEM Grant (News on 6)
Tulsa Public Schools got a new grant to help get students interested in [STEM]. Verizon awarded a $20,000 STEM grant to the district Wednesday afternoon. The wireless company established its Innovate Learning program to help boost the number of workers with tech-based skills. "They are high-paying jobs. They are really concerned about getting kids interested in science, technology, engineering, and math at an early age. Studies show that if they're not engaged by third grade, then this will pass them by," said Lucky Lamons with the Foundation for Tulsa Schools.
Michigan manufacturer offers $500 'reward' for engineers (MLive)
If you know engineers looking for jobs, you might be able to help them out while earning a small windfall for yourself. Innotec Corp. is offering a $500 reward to anyone who helps the custom automation company bring on a qualified engineer. �We�re on a national search for up to 50 engineers over the next two years in mechanical, electrical, manufacturing and plastics to fill openings at Innotec created by expansive growth,� said Steve Deters, Innotec's human relations director.
STEM Out-Of-School Time Programs
Johnson County 4-H to host Fizz, Bubble Goo STEM camp (Iowa City Press-Citizen)
STEM has been in the news, but the new attention has nothing on 4-H. "We have been doing STEM for over 100 years in 4-H," said Tricia Stouder, Region 15 youth program specialist at Iowa State Extension and Outreach. "It looked a little different when 4-H was founded; however, 4-H has always wanted to help empower young people to solve problems, be creative and find their passion. STEM is one avenue to do that. Johnson County 4-H will host a hands-on STEM camp open to all kindergarten through third-grade youth from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 at the county fairgrounds.
Kopernik to give kids a STEM boost (Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin)
This winter, grade-school students can explore the moon, the stars, and more lights in the sky and here on Earth. The Kopernik Observatory & Science Center will soon offer several programs for students related to STEM education. Kopernik's Winter Pegasus programs cover a variety of science options for students in first through 12 grades, such as creating artificial lightning, extreme magnification of tiny objects including insects and snowflakes, and the use of telescopes. "It's an opportunity for students to come up and get deeper into a range of science and technology topics," said Drew Deskur, the director of the Kopernik Observatory.
Alaska
ANSEP named top STEM program for minority students (News Miner)
The Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program was named the most exceptional program in STEM education and workforce development by the United States Department of Energy's Minorities in Energy Initiative. The Minorities in Energy Initiative is a relatively new program celebrating its first year anniversary this week. At the anniversary event, the department honored ANSEP for its outstanding outreach efforts to underserved K-12 students in Alaska. According to ANSEP, more than 70 percent of its students who go to college and begin studying in a STEM field graduate with a degree.
New York
New York governor to ban 'fracking,' a controversial gas-drilling technique (Mashable)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration will move to prevent fracking in New York, citing unresolved health issues and dubious economic benefits of the widely used gas-drilling technique. Environmental Commissioner Joe Martens said Wednesday that he was recommending a ban, and Cuomo said he would defer to Martens and Acting Health Commissioner Howard Zucker in making the decision. The move is likely to buoy opponents of fracking nationally who have previously only managed to win local bans. Industry representatives expressed disappointment but also have downplayed New York's potential as a major source of natural gas. |
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Fluor Foundation Grant Brings Proven Blended Learning Program to California and Texas Schools
 The MIND Research Institute today announced a $150,000 grant from Fluor Corporation�s giving arm, the Fluor Foundation, to bring an innovative blended learning math program to 2,286 students at four schools in Irvine, Calif., and 1,518 students at three schools in Dallas and Houston, Texas. Fluor, an engineering and construction company, which has a 102�year legacy operating in Orange County, has made gifts to support MIND�s ST Math(R) program in local schools since 2007. This grant marks a ten-fold increase in giving from Fluor�s previous gift, expanding Fluor�s support of ST Math to include Texas, where Fluor is now headquartered, and elevates Fluor�s partnership with MIND to the national level.
Cisco Continues Partnering with CyberPatriot for the Advancement of STEM
 The Air Force Association today announced that Cisco renewed their support for CyberPatriot, the National Youth Cyber Education Program, as a Cyber Diamond Sponsor. Cisco is a longtime contributor to CyberPatriot, providing equipment, employee mentors for participants, and hosts the Cisco Networking Challenge during the CyberPatriot National Finals Competition. Building on its commitment to CyberPatriot in 2014, Cisco has established a unique Virtual Networking Academy specifically tailored to support the Cisco Networking Challenge curriculum. Cisco's NetSpace portal, a robust learning management system that supports its well-established Networking Academy program, was easily customized for CyberPatriot student competitors, and allows Cisco to administer the event remotely and onsite.
100 Diverse Corporate Leaders in STEM: Nikki Katz- VP or Product Management and the Mobile Network of Disney Interactive
 "I fell in love with programming as an 11 year old toying with DOS and QBasic. I wrote command line games, signed up for every Computer Science class I could find, and begged my parents for a Borland Pascal compiler for my Bat Mitzvah. I declared as a Computer Science major within weeks of starting my freshman year of college but by the end of that first year I changed majors. I had learned that software engineers didn�t look like me, that I didn�t fit the stereotype � I mean, I didn�t even play video games. The stereotype has evolved and changed over time, but stereotypes of who STEM professionals are remain a big deterrent for women and minorities as they progress in their career. To encourage diversity in STEM fields, we have to highlight the diversity that already exists in those fields. We have to help women and minorities see themselves in STEM role models and find challenges to tackle with their STEM education that matter to them." |
