STEM Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Business RadioX ®

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with ACCEL and AZTEA

September 30, 2019 by Karen

SciTech-Institute-STEM-and-Innovation-Summit-with-Stacey-Pasquel-and-Matthew-Levac1

Phoenix Business Radio

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with ACCEL and AZTEA

00:00 /

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with ACCEL and AZTEA

Take part in the future and interact with some of Arizona’s most influential thinkers at the 2019 STEM and Innovation Summit held in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This year’s statewide conference brought together Arizona’s key stakeholders in business, industry, education, government, NGO, the community to:

Share best practices, lessons and stories from the field
Experience the latest in Arizona technology and innovation
Build unique and diverse STEM networks
Discuss how we can work as connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness and improve workforce readiness

ACCEL is a private Non-Profit Organization that serves individuals with developmental disabilities across the life span. Our mission is to provide exceptional educational, behavioral, therapeutic and vocational programs to individuals with special needs, to give them the necessary skills to learn to work and live successfully with dignity and independence.

Matthew Levac has been working at ACCEL for 5 years. He came on as an Occupational Therapist for our private day school. Matthew now serves as the Therapy Supervisor. Over the past 3 years he has been developing relationships with high school STEM teams across the Phoenix metro area to help with the creation of assistive technology. This is also called the AT Makers movement nationally.

Currently, two high school interns from Bioscience Highschool that serve their students in the creation of AT. They are also developing a program with Grand Canyon University in their Engineering Department to further their ability to create AT solutions for student needs.

The Arizona STEM Collaborative is comprised of three partner organizations – the Arizona Association of Teachers of Mathematics, the Arizona Science Teachers Association, and the Arizona Technology in Education Association. Our mission is to improve and support STEM education in Arizona through three strategic areas: 1) Curriculum & Instruction; 2) Advocacy & Communication; and 3) Organizational Development.

Stacey Pasquel is a professional educator with an extensive background in the education technology field, especially as it relates to professional development, curriculum & instruction, and models for leading complex change. She is a Technology Integration Educator for Gilbert Public Schools, she serves as the President of the Arizona Technology in Education Association (AzTEA), and she is an adjunct professor for the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Stacey understands the urgency for today’s students to be creators of content, critical thinkers, effective communicators and adept problem-solvers in order to thrive in today’s job market, therefore, she strives to foster transformative learning experiences for students that develop 21st century skills and infuse technology in meaningful contexts.

Learn more about SciTech on their website and follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

In your professional opinion, how can we better work as a connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness and improve workforce readiness?

Matthew: For me the need is professionals that can be apart of the exceptional student environment within schools. Every exceptional student has unique needs that can be met with the right combination of therapeutic input and Maker skills. This combination is what drives the AT Maker movement.

In what ways are you and your organization involved in STEM education and/or the SciTech Institute?

Matthew: The AT Maker movement has allowed me to reach out to high school age students in STEM program for the creation of assistive technology (AT). The SciTech Institute is a great resource to network and develop relationships with the teachers that over see these programs. I have also been asked to be on a panel discussion on Disability Inclusion by the SciTech institute. I am also part of an AT Maker challenge put on by Southwest Human Development. The challenge is 6 weeks long and gives highschool STEM a real world problem that allows them to create an AT device as the solution. There is also an IoT aspect to the challenge that allows students to get exposure to that field as well.

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with Laveen School District and STEM Sports

September 28, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with Laveen School District and STEM Sports

00:00 /

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with Laveen School District and STEM Sports

Take part in the future and interact with some of Arizona’s most influential thinkers at the 2019 STEM and Innovation Summit held in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This year’s statewide conference brought together Arizona’s key stakeholders in business, industry, education, government, NGO, the community to:

Share best practices, lessons and stories from the field
Experience the latest in Arizona technology and innovation
Build unique and diverse STEM networks
Discuss how we can work as connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness and improve workforce readiness

The mission of the Laveen Elementary School District, with the support of parents and community, is to develop in our children the knowledge, skills, and character to achieve academic excellence, personal growth, and success in a safe, positive environment.

Dr. Joe Roselle has been a public educator for over twenty years in Title I schools. He has been a middle school teacher, building level administrator and is currently a community engagement coordinator for the Laveen School District. In his current capacity, Dr. Roselle works closely with the community to find win-win partnership for the Laveen School District.

STEM Sports® provides turnkey K-8 supplemental curriculum. They deliver standards-aligned lessons using Basketball, Football, Soccer, Volleyball and BMX as the strategic vehicles to drive STEM-based learning in classrooms, after-school programs, and camps.

Jeff Golner is the Principle Principal of Agency G, a full service creative, marketing and event production firm. Successfully operating since November 2005, Agency G works with a wide range of businesses in sports, entertainment, service industries and not-for profit organizations. Golner is also the President & CEO of STEM Sports®. STEM Sports develops and provides turnkey curricula for 3rd through 8th grade-aged students using a sport as the strategic vehicle to drive STEM-based learning in classrooms, after-school programs, and camp settings. Prior to venturing on his own, Golner enjoyed a long marketing, game operations and entertainment career with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1997 to 2005, leaving as Senior Director of Game Operations.

Learn more about SciTech on their website and follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

In your professional opinion, how can we better work as a connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness and improve workforce readiness?

Dr. Roselle: In Laveen, we truly believe we can advance STEM by engaging our community. Our STEM initiative is not just a club our a class. Our Chief Science Officers are interested in integrating STEM into everything we do. We know we can solve the STEM shortage with the help of our community.

Jeff: The best way to work, is together, as a collaborative force. Further, never steer far from why STEM education exists in the first place; improving workforce readiness and exposing career paths now at a young age should bear fruit down the road. And the more the ecosystem can work together to propel STEM awareness and workforce readiness, the better. While quantity of effort is helpful, the quality can be improved by collaboration.

In what ways are you and your organization involved in STEM education and/or the SciTech Institute?

Dr. Roselle: In order to increase the STEM footprint in Laveen, Dr. Roselle coordinates the Chief Science Officers program in Laveen. Chief Science Officers currently host a signature event annually that identifies STEM resources for families in Laveen.

Jeff: STEM Sports® is very intentional in both the STEM education industry as well as here locally with the SciTech Institute. First, we offer a unique method of delivering hands-on 21st century STEM education using sports as the catalyst. We work with schools across the United States and are beginning collaboration internationally as well. As an Arizona based company, it’s important to support local STEM education efforts. Working closely with the SciTech Institute has been a no brainer and very successful thus far. In particular, our work and connections within the CSO program has been fruitful and effective. To get the CSO’s involved with STEM Sports® has been rewarding as they’ve been helpful as a collaborative partners.

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with Grand Canyon University and Basha High School

September 27, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with Grand Canyon University and Basha High School

00:00 /

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with Grand Canyon University and Basha High School

Take part in the future and interact with some of Arizona’s most influential thinkers at the 2019 STEM and Innovation Summit held in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This year’s statewide conference brought together Arizona’s key stakeholders in business, industry, education, government, NGO, the community to:

Share best practices, lessons and stories from the field
Experience the latest in Arizona technology and innovation
Build unique and diverse STEM networks
Discuss how we can work as connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness and improve workforce readiness

Grand Canyon University prepares learners to become global citizens, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and responsible leaders by providing an academically challenging, values-based curriculum from the context of our Christian heritage.

Cori Araza has over 17 years in the high school classroom, focusing on technology and STEM integration, and the implementation of engaging teaching strategies. She serves as the STEM Outreach Director at GCU where her mission is to serve, support, and inspire K12 educators, students, and community as they encourage students to pursue STEM education.

Chandler Unified School District is a premier district of choice. Academic achievement is a high priority in the district as evidenced by test scores which exceed state and national averages. We pride ourselves on providing outstanding educational programs at all grade levels. From an accelerated middle school to a cutting edge cybersecurity program, Basha High School is a great example of diverse learning options available to students within our district.

Janet Hartkopf has been an educator with CUSD for over 12 years. She has taught 7 – 12 computer science for the district. As a result of her background and involvement in the cybersecurity community, Janet has recently accepted the position of Cyber Program Director for Basha High School. She is responsible for reaching out to the community, companies and public to promote cybersecurity and the program offered at Basha High School.

Learn more about SciTech on their website and follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

In your professional opinion, how can we better work as a connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness and improve workforce readiness?

Cori: We need to communicate often, emphasizing a consistent message of the importance of STEM education, where students are encouraged and supported so that they maintain their courses of study and become a part of the STEM workforce solution. All too often, our conversations stall because the problems we face are challenging. I think this is where we must act with conviction, across institutional boundaries for the sake of the students, the future employees in STEM.

Janet: We can work better as a connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness by participating in forums and having dialogs so that we understand what is needed in the community and industry realizes what is needed in education from the community. You cannot have one without the other. We can improve workforce readiness by training students in the skills necessary for work through project-based learning and other classroom strategies, embedding the soft skills that employers are looking for, but also by employers opening their doors and allowing students to see their environment and coming into classrooms; talking about opportunities in those fields. When we are working together to understand and meet the STEM needs in our community the public will respond in kind.

In what ways are you and your organization involved in STEM education and/or the SciTech Institute?

Cori: Grand Canyon University offers a unique STEM curriculum in the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology. The small class sizes and business-focused intent of the programs prepare students to become a part of today’s STEM solution by providing hands-on, industry-focused activities and opportunities for students to enter and thrive in this workforce.

Janet: CUSD’s Journey 2025 mission is to empower all students with the knowledge, skills and attitude necessary to excel in college, career and life. They are not just visionary in their STEM perspective but also action takers, doing what is best not only for students but reaching out to the surrounding community and state to proactively meet the employment needs. BHS is a great example of how CUSD has emphasized STEM education on a campus. Students have the opportunity to experience a comprehensive curriculum including Engineering, Bio Technology, Nursing, Mathematics and Multimedia and enriches the curriculum through clubs such as, Science is Fun where we train HS “ambassadors” to energize elementary students with the love of science. Our Science if Fun club has presented at AZ SciTech Festivals and has hosted AZ SciTech events in the past. Recently Basha has developed the Institute of Cyber Operations and Networking (ICON) a partnership with Chandler-Gilbert Community College and the University of Arizona – Chandler that is developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with LocoRobo and Project Lead The Way

September 27, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with LocoRobo and Project Lead The Way

00:00 /

SciTech Institute STEM and Innovation Summit with LocoRobo and Project Lead The Way

Take part in the future and interact with some of Arizona’s most influential thinkers at the 2019 STEM and Innovation Summit held in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This year’s statewide conference brought together Arizona’s key stakeholders in business, industry, education, government, NGO, the community to:

Share best practices, lessons and stories from the field
Experience the latest in Arizona technology and innovation
Build unique and diverse STEM networks
Discuss how we can work as connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness and improve workforce readiness

LocoRobo’s mission is to empower students to solve problems, navigate opportunities, and pursue their dreams in the 21st century.

Dr. Pramod Abichandani serves as professor in the areas of Robotics and Data Science and has taught at Drexel University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the Wharton School of Business.

In addition, he is 1 of 4 directors of the 2nd largest makerspace in the world at NJIT and recently selected to help redesign the Next Generation Science Standards.

Project Lead The Way is a non profit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for PreK-12 students and teachers across the United States. We create an engaging environment necessary to thrive in an evolving world.

Sylvia Grace teaches at Camille Casteel High and is part of the founding faculty teaching Engineering,Math, and Honors and AP Chemistry. She earned her National Board Certification in Chemistry in 2006 and recertified in 2017. Sylvia is also an Adjunct Chemistry professor at Chandler Gilbert Community College. Sylvia was not always a teacher as she worked in industry as a process engineer for Analytical Technologies, IBM and Dell.

Her education is in the field of Chemical Engineering in which she earned both her Master’s (1995) and Bachelors, (1982) from New Mexico State University. She acquired her teaching credentials from Arizona State University in 1986.Professionally, Sylvia is a member of the Chemical Engineering Academic Academy and the Engineering Deans Council at NMSU. She was the 2005 Arizona recipient of the Milken Family Foundation National Teacher Award and the SME National Engineering Teacher award in 2006.

Learn more about SciTech on their website and follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

In your professional opinion, how can we better work as a connected ecosystem to improve public STEM awareness and improve workforce readiness?

Dr. Abichandani: Computer Science for all was proposed by Obama back in 2016. The majority of people, today, still view Computer Science as kids will be coders and work on robots after high school or college. Computer Science is the new basic skill that must be integrated in the daily curriculum for all grades, K-12. How do we communicate that? I think it’s getting away from “STEM based careers” and focus on students finding what problems they want to solve in the world. Every industry, Law, Medical, Design, Agriculture, and many more…to even Plumbing!..they’re all being impacted by computer science, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Our students need to be directed in an industry of their choosing coupled with the computer science and computational thinking skills to improve, excite, and increase creativity so our kids are prepared to pursue the path that speaks to them.

Silvia: The SciTech Institute has been impacting this ecosystem in the past few years by holding this event, now I believe it is time to bring these groups together in a more formal meeting environment to start impacting policy and education in our state.

In what ways are you and your organization involved in STEM education and/or the SciTech Institute?

Dr. Abichandani: Backbone Communications is the exclusive distributor for LocoRobo for the state of Arizona. With trained staff residing locally in Arizona, Backbone is able to offer onsite and regular support to ensure Arizona schools realize success with each implementation.

Silvia: Project Lead The Way brings together an ecosystem of teachers, administrators, colleges and universities, and education and business leaders to engage students in learning, as we prepare them to seek rewarding careers, solve important challenges, and contribute to global progress.

SUITS BOOTS and BACKROADS Rogue Tech Evangelist Chris Huie

August 26, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

SUITS BOOTS and BACKROADS Rogue Tech Evangelist Chris Huie

00:00 /

SUITS BOOTS and BACKROADS Rogue Tech Evangelist Chris Huie

Chris Huie is a machine learning and software engineering enthusiast that loves the local tech community. He champions STEM to various local communities and schools around the valley.

Chris also works with different organizations and companies to improve diversity and accessibility to technical education in Arizona.

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Your Host

Angela Felix has been in technology for over 15 years, but her passion is and always will be helping people. She believes that there are people you must meet….and people you must experience. She recognizes the fact that technology pays the bills…or in her words “buys food and toilet paper”, but the real reward is the fulfillment she finds in helping others accomplish their goals. She’s a mother, a veteran, an advocate, and a firm believer in the American Dream.

About the Suits, Boots, and Backroads Podcast

With the help of technology, Phoenix Business RadioX, and some dear friends, Angela introduces you to people who are making a positive impact in the world. Suits, Boots, and Backroads guests are passionate about helping others. They are individuals who’ve run with an idea because they saw a need and want to be a part of the solution, not the problem. Angela believes these folks are out there making a real difference for our youth, homeless, education, veterans, and entrepreneurs; and with that in mind, Angela knows you need to get to know them too. So hang up the suit, throw on your boots, and let’s take a backroad!

Follow Angela on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and of course, here on Phoenix Business RadioX.

Melissa Drake with Girls in Tech E21

June 28, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Melissa Drake with Girls in Tech E21

00:00 /

Melissa Drake with Girls in Tech E21

The Phoenix chapter of Girls in Tech (GIT), a global non-profit focused on the engagement, education, and empowerment of women in technology and entrepreneurship. Our goal is to promote the growth and success of entrepreneurial and innovative women in the technology space.

Girls in Tech was born out of a need to provide a place for women to cultivate ideas around their careers and business concepts involving technology and entrepreneurship.

Girls in Tech offers a variety of initiatives for women and girls to enhance their professional aspirations. Our programs include Catalyst Conference, Lady Pitch Night Competitions, GIT M (Mentorship Program), GIT Hackathons, Bootcamps, XChange, GIT Work, and Global Classroom.

Melissa Villegas Drake is a STEM teacher at Shadow Ridge High School in the Dysart Unified School District and is also a Co-Managing director for the Phoenix Chapter of Girls in Tech. Working as an engineer for fourteen years with the aerospace industry and semiconductor industry, she has enjoyed those experiences but she gets more satisfaction out of mentoring and teaching.

Melissa has served as National President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Being a member of this organization has made her a bigger advocate for students to obtain technical degrees and career opportunities with industries that believe in opportunities in tech.

Follow GIT on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About 3C Amplified

3C Amplified is a space to highlight businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals collaborating to amplify their impact in the community. We share real world examples for how partnerships allow for growth both within our businesses and our communities. Listen in as we share how others are connecting, creating and collaborating and how you can be part of something greater.

About Jacqueline Destremps

Jacqueline Destremps is a creative marketing strategist and founded Another Hand Advantage, LLC in 2014 to help community minded small business owners and nonprofit professionals move forward more confidently with their marketing strategy. After graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in Psychology, she has spent her professional career working in both the nonprofit and for-profit sector.

She now enjoys being self-employed and the flexibility it provides to allow more time to volunteer, serve on nonprofit boards, choose pro-bono projects, run 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun (which she co-founded in 2014) and travel the world. Jacqueline believes in creating connections between businesses and nonprofits in the community to stimulate growth and collaboration.

Follow AHA on Twitter and Facebook.

Arizona Technology Council with Steve Zylstra Bob Witwer David Lee and Eric Miller

June 12, 2019 by Karen

Arizona-Technology-Council-with-David-Lee-Eric-Miller-Steve-Zylstra-and-Bob-Witwer2

Phoenix Business Radio

Arizona Technology Council with Steve Zylstra Bob Witwer David Lee and Eric Miller

00:00 /

Arizona Technology Council with Steve Zylstra Bob Witwer David Lee and Eric Miller

The Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making Arizona the fastest-growing technology hub in the nation by connecting and empowering the state’s technology community.

As Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as representing a diverse and professional business community. That has contributed to its growing into the largest technology council in North America. Its mission is to promote, advocate, educate, inform and connect members and their enterprises.

Listen in with Host Karen Nowicki and members of the Arizona Technology Council Steve Zylstra Bob Witwer David Lee and Eric Miller as they discuss the surge in innovation, growth and attraction of technology-based industries to Arizona and what that means for our economy.

Steven G. Zylstra, age 65, serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, a role he assumed in December of 2007. He is responsible for strategy, development, and accomplishment of policy development business goals and objectives and all financial matters related to the Council.

Zylstra is a leading advocate for improving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. As a spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona, he was named “Leader of the Year, Technology,” by the Arizona Capitol Times, a “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal, and “Executive of the Year” by the Arizona Society of Association Executives (AzSAE).

Prior to serving as President of the Arizona Technology Council, Zylstra served as president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Catalyst Connection and the Pittsburgh Biomedical Development Corporation, an affiliated organization of the Pittsburgh Technology Council that invested in start-up biomedical and biotechnology companies.

Connect with Steven on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Bob Witwer retired in 2017 after 40 years with Honeywell. He was the Vice President of Advanced Technology for Honeywell Aerospace for the last 8 years of his career, responsible for defining and implementing the technology strategy for Honeywell Aerospace’s entire product portfolio.

Bob has a passion for STEM and has engaged with hundreds of Arizona students over the last two decades to share that passion. He has also taught adult classes on leadership, innovation, human-centered design, and aircraft avionics.

Bob was Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Technology Council for 3 years, is the current Board Chairman of the Az Tech Council Foundation (aka SciTech Institute), and is on the Advisory Board for the Northern Arizona University School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems.

A pillar in the Arizona business community since 1986, MSS Business Transformation has guided organizations through foundational business and digital transformation in a quickly changing technology landscape, while helping them evolve their cultural identity. MSS leverages a holistic approach adapted to each unique organization to meet their strategic goals and objectives as we extend your business knowledge with our depth of expertise.

David Lee is a truly global executive who has helped build agile, responsive organizations at Fortune 500 and global enterprises, state & city government, and a Big 10 University among others. He has led transformation, facilitated innovation, and taught change management techniques across five continents and 60 countries.

David speaks and facilitates advanced programs on topics related to transformation and innovation including Responsive Change, Mature Innovation, Customer-Centric Strategy, and High Performance Team Development. He is a founding member of Responsive Org (Phoenix), and on advisory councils at Thunderbird, the School for Global Management at Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, and Norther Arizona University.

Connect with David on LinkedIn.

PADT is an engineering product and services company that helps customers who develop physical products by providing Numerical Simulation, Product Development, and 3D Printing solutions. PADT’s worldwide reputation for technical excellence and experienced staff is based on its proven record of building long-term win-win partnerships.

The company was founded in 1994 in Tempe, Arizona by PADT Co-founders and Principals Eric Miller, Ward Rand and Rey Chu. The group started the company because they saw the promise of driving product development through the proper application of simulation and 3D printing tools early in the design process. Today, PADT is dedicated to providing a full spectrum of simulation services to its customers and is the only ANSYS engineering simulation software Elite Channel Partner covering the entire Southwest.

PADT inserts innovation into all that it does, whether that is helping NASA get to deep space, introducing the first 3D Printing factory in the Southwest, or helping the local technology community grow. The company was founded on the idea of being the premier provider of “making innovation work,” and it takes a true innovator to hold to that promise for 25 years.

With over 90 employees, 80 of whom are in Tempe, PADT services customers from its headquarters at the Arizona State University Research Park and from offices in California, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah.

As an industry veteran of 33 years, Eric Miller has perfected a diverse set of skills that he implements as co-founder and principal of Tempe-based PADT. His role encompasses oversight of simulation and product development consulting, IT, marketing, operations, human resources and administration.

Miller graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career as a summer intern at Lockheed doing design work on satellite subsystems. After college, Miller provided simulation and process improvement services to Garrett Turbine Engines in Phoenix (now Honeywell) for a total of eight years.

Miller is not only a successful businessman and engineer but also a mentor to start-ups and small businesses. He often speaks on the use of simulation to drive product development, as well as the effective application of 3D printing. Eric also serves on the board of directors at the Arizona Technology Council, the BioAccel Advisory Council, the screening committee of Arizona Technology Investors and is a mentor for the Arizona Commerce Authority’s Venture Ready program.

Miller writes a weekly column for the Phoenix Business Journal’s TechFlash section, and recently published his first book, “Better Blogging for your Business.”

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Chief Science Officers Program – Regional Conversations Part 2

May 9, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Chief Science Officers Program - Regional Conversations Part 2

00:00 /

Chief Science Officers Program – Regional Conversations Part 2

Chief Science Officers elevate the student voice by bringing their peers and community leaders together to ignite new opportunities in STEM and innovation. The CSO program gives students a seat at the table as it empowers student voice to make a difference in STEM education.

Teacher, Army Cavalry Scout, Writer, Marketing Director, fire fighter, and medical first responder have all led up to Jake Lounsbury becoming the Director of Global Partnerships for Chief Science Officers International.

Traveling around the globe to make connections, build partnerships and support active programs, Jake works to ensure the success of the program as it Global foot print expands. But even with all the adventure of travel, Jake stays focused on the mission of amplifying student voice and increasing excitement amoungst the future leaders of the world in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Caillou Pena is a senior at Skyline high school and second year CSO. He has been named as an 18 under 18 recipient by Junior Achievement and the Arizona Republic. Through the CSO program he traveled to Washington DC for the international summit and Hermosillo, Sonora, MX to attend Arizona-Mexico Commission’s governor’s signing.

He is passionate about the program because it teaches that any one can do anything, all one has to do is take the initiative. Before Caillou attends Carnegie Mellon University in the fall he will intern at the SciTech Institute working on the Chief Science Officer Organization.

Follow CSO on Facebook and Twitter.

The Intercultural Development Research Association is an independent, non-profit organization. Our mission is to achieve equal educational opportunity for every child through strong public schools that prepare all students to access and succeed in college.

IDRA strengthens and transforms public education by providing dynamic training; useful research, evaluation, and frameworks for action; timely policy analyses; and innovative materials and programs. We are committed to the IDRA valuing philosophy, respecting the knowledge and skills of the individuals we work with and build on the strengths of the students and parents in their schools.

Michelle Martínez Vega is IDRA’s technology coordinator with more than 18 years of experience in designing, developing and administering professional development for educators at the state, regional and district levels. Her focus is driven by the desire to improve academic achievement through the use of technology. She strives to develop technology solutions that create equitable and sustainable learning environments for all students and educators.

Ms. Vega will continue to create and deliver professional technology support with the hope of helping others build their technology confidence and capacity. Key areas of Ms. Vega’s work includes designing, developing and training in technology integration, technical writing, and technology coaching and mentoring. She has served at the fourth-largest public school district in Texas, Northside ISD as a training and development technologist.

She led development, implementation and support of a wide variety of district technology initiatives for the district which comprises more than 100,000 students and 8,000 professional staff. Ms. Vega also served as digital resources specialist for the Texas Education Service Center, Region 20, where she was the official representative for multiple statewide programs, including Texas SUCCESS, TexQuest, Learn421 and Digital Knowledge Central (DKC).

She was responsible for all aspects of program implementation, including working with governing bodies to secure program funding and presenting at conventions, regional conferences and training events. Ms. Vega has a bachelor of science in applied science degree and performance improvement from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, with a concentration in human performance and development improvement in the workplace, project management, web design, and digital and business communications. She also has an associate’s degree in digital media, including web and graphic design, interactive media design and instructional design, from the Alamo Colleges, Northwest Vista.

She was a showcased designer at Northwest Vista for excellence in multimedia design for iPad general user interface (GUI). Ms. Vega has led training and presentations on such topics as: augmented reality, flipped classrooms, Google apps, digital storytelling, Google labs add-ons and extensions, and iPad configuration for shared environments. She was recognized by the Teachers Retirement System of Texas and San Antonio Water Systems in their monthly publications for data conversion project successes and acknowledged by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for excellence in program planning. She also was acknowledged by Texas Education Agency for excellence in website design.

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Atlanta Science Festival Inc. is dedicated to bringing people together through the wonder of science. ASF produces an annual two-week science festival, and year-round programming, including the Georgia Chief Science Officers leadership development program for middle/high school students.

After vowing to never work with youth, Eric Knapp became a camp counselor in 2006. He became a full time program director in charge of facilitating team building experiences for youth before receiving a wilderness leadership certificate through Outward Bound.

He then moved to Atlanta to serve as a program director for C5 Georgia, a five-year youth leadership development program for high-potential youth coming from risk-filled environments.

His work with partner schools helped him understand the influence and impact of classroom teachers and he begin a new professional chapter as an 8th grade science teacher at Tucker Middle School. With DeKalb County Schools, he served as the STEM program coordinator for the first state-certified middle school STEM program in Georgia.

He is passionate about bringing classrooms, communities, and corporations together to create innovative and impactful learning experiences for students. As one of 25 teachers in the country selected as a Northrop Grumman Teachers Academy Fellow in 2015, he collaborated with representatives from NGC to develop lessons and teaching strategies to better prepare students for STEM careers. Furthermore, he has written STEM curriculum for schools in India and is on the design team for two STEM academies in China.

He has presented at several conferences including NSTA, ITEEA, GEETA, Georgia STEM Forum, Georgia Leadership Institute and The Georgia STEM Teacher Academy. Eric is now works with the Atlanta Science Festival and as the Regional Lead for the Georgia Chief Science Officer Program by establishing an environment in which students are continually coached to become effective leaders in their schools and communities.

He hopes to see each CSO that place where their giftings, talents, and passions come together to meet the needs of their community. His career has taught him to never underestimate the impact of a young person can make on the next generation.

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn, follow Atlanta Science Festival on Facebook and Georgia CSO on Twitter and Instagram.

Greater Oregon CSO supports 21 CSOs with nine advisers across the eastern region of Oregon. Our CSOs represent rural and remote communities along with small towns.

Abigail Southgate has a degree in education followed by a career of diverse teaching opportunities. She has substituted, taught with the Headstart program and elementary schools.

She has been a naturalist in our National Park Service, homeschooled her three children, and was a Math teacher for her local Community College.

She loves to facilitate others passions, which makes the position a perfect fit for her!

Chief Science Officers Program – Regional Conversations Part 1

May 9, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Chief Science Officers Program - Regional Conversations Part 1

00:00 /

Chief Science Officers Program – Regional Conversations Part 1

The mission of the SciTech Institute is focused on cultivating an ecosystem of conscious STEM communities through awareness, connections and empowerment. The SciTech Institute is dedicated to promoting and enhancing STEM engagements for everyone in the community by developing and implementing programs, fairs, bowls, projects and festivals that highlight a variety of STEM careers and awareness.

Strong connections with non-profits, industry and academia allows SciTech Institute to serve as the catalyst to align assets, grants, resources and support for building a world-class community with an understanding of STEM. Imagine building tomorrow’s global leaders by empowering individuals today.

Imagine working directly with industry and community leaders to envision the future workforce and address the lack of qualified workers. Then imagine the impact we can leverage in a two-way communication pipeline for sharing knowledge and engaging others. Finally, imagine the results of millions of people around the world collaboratively addressing some of society’s toughest challenges. Together, we can make it happen!

Dr. Jeremy Babendure is the Executive Director of the SciTech Institute, the Annual Arizona SciTech Festival, Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University and a research fellow at the Institute for Learning Innovation. The annual AZ SciTech festival includes over 800 collaborators, 2000 events and draws over 500,000 participants.

Most recently Jeremy launched the Chief Science Officers Initiative, transforming student voice in the conversation about STEM and education in Arizona, Oregon, Michigan, Georgia, Mexico, Kuwait and soon to be Florida and New York. In addition, through his work with the national STEM Ecosystems project he helped launch a local Arizona STEM School Community of Practice bringing together 40+ diverse schools teams focused on STEM.

Prior to his work in Arizona, Jeremy received his doctorate in in the lab of the late Nobel Laureate, Dr. Roger Tsien at the University of California, San Diego developing molecular sensors for the detection of RNA. Following this work, he and Roger launched the ScienceBridge program as mechanism to bring current science to the San Diego schools annually impacting ~200 teachers, ~20,000 students, and ~60,000 community members and attaining 12M+ in national grants.

Follow SciTech Institute on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Montgomery County Intermediate Unit is one of 29 Intermediate Units in Pennsylvania. Intermediate units provide special services as needed by the educational community in their service area. Through cooperation and collaboration among schools and community agencies, intermediate units work to provide innovative, responsive and cost-effective programs that save taxpayers millions of dollars annually.

The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit provides a vast array of effective and efficient services that meet the educational and social service needs of Montgomery County’s 200-plus schools, including the 22 public school districts, more than 150 nonpublic schools, four career-technical schools, three charter schools and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Stephanie Schwab is the STEM Program Administrator for Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and a member of the PA STEM Experience for Equity and Diversity (SEED) Ecosystem Executive Team. In both of these roles, she works to support school districts in developing and implementing STEM curriculum, assessments and effective instructional practices and to connect and cultivate relationships among school districts and various stakeholder groups working to improve STEM education for all students.

Stephanie’s passion for STEM began at a young age when she realized she wanted to be a mathematics teacher. Over the years that passion has grown as she has advanced throughout her career as a middle and high school mathematics teacher, instructional coach and curriculum supervisor. Her two young children have added to her inspiration to continually improve STEM experiences for all students.

Stephanie is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. The Pennsylvania STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] Experiences for Equity and Diversity (PA SEED) Ecosystem is a collaboration of stakeholders committed to engaging its local and global community in connected science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning, thus cultivating a talent-rich workforce prepared to creatively address challenges, leverage opportunities, and fulfill tomorrow’s jobs.

The PA SEED region is home to 2.5 million people, 100 colleges and universities, 200 private schools, 9 career and technical high schools, and 62 school districts comprised of 485 schools and over 300,000 students.

Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn and Twitter and follow PA SEED on Twitter.

The program is part of the International CSO consortium, launched in 2015 in Arizona. Georgia CSOs are joining more than 800 other CSOs in Arizona, Oregon, Michigan, New York, Delaware, Florida, Mexico, Kuwait, Kenya, and Colombia.

Jordan Rose is a creative, lifelong learner with a passion for promoting science literacy and building community partnerships.

As co-founder and co-director of Atlanta Science Festival, Jordan is helping to bring together schools, universities, companies, and museums to celebrate Atlanta’s STEAM ecosystem and highlight opportunities for the public to learn and love science.

Previously, Jordan led science education initiatives at the Georgia BioEd Institute and the Emory College Center for Science Education, supporting K-12 teachers and students and facilitating university-community partnerships.

Jordan has a B.S. in neuroscience and a Master’s in Public Health from Emory University. He serves on advisory boards for the Atlanta STEAM Learning Ecosystems, Technology Association of Georgia Education Collaborative, Georgia Tech’s GIFT program, and the Georgia BioEd Institute.

Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn, follow Atlanta Science Festival on Facebook and Georgia CSO on Twitter and Instagram.

Paula Johnson, Ph.D., is the director of the IDRA EAC-South, leading the center’s technical assistance and professional development pertaining to equitable access to quality instruction, diversity and inclusion, cultural competency, and disproportional disciplinary actions against students of color.

She holds a bachelor of science in math and a minor in computer science from Prairie View A&M University, a master of arts in education with a concentration in instructional technology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a master of science in progress with a concentration in mathematics from Prairie View A&M University. She earned her doctorate in the Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching program at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Her research foci include (1) increasing engagement of females and underserved minorities in STEM studies and careers, (2) equity in education, and (3) STEM learner identity. She also is certified in secondary mathematics and has successfully completed the LEAD (Leadership Experiences for Aspiring Deans) program of the Northside Independent School District.

Follow IDRA on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Talent Maker City is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Talent, Oregon. Our mission is driving sustained economic development by establishing Talent as a regional hub for cultural and economic innovation.

TMC serves as a community education partner in the Southern Oregon region – providing STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) based education programming and workshops to curious minds of all ages. Chief Science Officers work side by side with TMC staff with out of school STEAM education programming.

Alli French is a long-time educator and maker. She is the Programs Director for Talent Maker City as well as the Youth Voice Regional Lead for the Chief Science Officers with the Southern Oregon STEM Hub.

She has been teaching, mentoring and collaborating with the Ashland, Medford and Phoenix-Talent School Districts for over twenty years. As a maker, she is the proud owner of RefunktionedArt, where she makes new things out of old materials.

Connect with Alli on LinkedIn and follow Talent Maker City on Facebook and Instagram.