STEM Ideas & Information Exchanged
Posted for The Patuxent PartnershipAs regional efforts to promote and grow STEM programming and opportunities in the Patuxent River region expand, The Patuxent Partnership and NAVAIR’s Women’s Advisory Group launched an inaugural exchange of ideas this month at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center to showcase the array of programs and supports available in the community.
Exhibits and speakers shared STEM ideas and networked with other like-minded agencies and organizations representing academia, government, and industry. The goal is to advance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programming. The exchange sought to foster sharing across agencies ways to expand opportunities for women and minorities to enter STEM fields and to encourage all students to consider STEM classes.
The Patuxent Partnership works with government, industry and academia on initiatives in science and technology, hosts programs of interest to NAVAIR and the broader DoD community, and supports workforce development including education initiatives and professional development.
The WAG provides an open forum for members and non-members alike to discuss topics related to women in the workplace. The WAG hosts events at all NAVAIR sites on topics related to women throughout the year that include brown bag lunches, guest speakers, panel discussions, power hours, mentoring and other professional development events.
The inaugural effort of TPP and WAG included these presentations:
- Brad Gottfried, president of the College of Southern Maryland, presented CSM’s vision of women and STEM programming at his college.
- David Barrett of NAWCAD presented the University of Maryland Mechanical Engineering degree program, offered at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center and coordinated with NAWCAD to provide real support to sailors and marines.
- Scott Stewart of Northrup Grumman, presented Northrup Grumman’s STEM programming supports in the Pax Region.
- RADM Steve Tomasczeski presented Lockheed Martin’s targeted STEM initiatives beginning in earliest childhood education and continuing into developing the needed scientists and engineers for the future.
- Jason Hayes presented the efforts being made with the STEM Academy developed by The Patuxent Partnership and other academic and industry partners, which is housed in the James Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown, MD.
- Yovonda Kolo gave the outline of the Calvert County Public School’s STEM programming from K through high school.
- Susan Goldstine, Department Chair of Mathematics and Computer Science at St. Mary’s College of Maryland presented the STEM opportunities at SMCM, a Public Honors College.
Senior Navy leadership also spoke to the participants in the afternoon program, including NAVAIR’s Comptroller Jerry Short who concurred with the organizations’ three-pronged approach to STEM success, saying it will require academia, government, and industry working together to make STEM efforts successful and to motivate young people to enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Vice Commander CAPT Chris Junge said the important next steps were for the three areas to bring forth solutions from “many angles.”
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