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Diversity in STEM
STEM Jobs are More Trans Friendly than They Once Were, But Theres Still Work to Be Done (The Mary Sue)
Earlier this month in Florida, Cindy Sullivan, a trans woman who works in IT, testified against a bill that would, among other things, affect her job security. According to the Human Rights Campaign, five out of every six trans men and trans women has experienced employment discrimination. It is no secret that there is not much diversity in STEM jobs, but the conversation about diversity and STEM jobs usually centers around the lack of women and people of color, and rarely, if ever, acknowledge the needs of others, including tran smen and trans women. Nor is transphobia in the STEM fields a new thing; the most famous example happened to Dr. Lynn Conway, who, despite her significant contributions to computer architecture, was fired from IBM after transitioning.
Ebony O McGee (Asst. Professor, Vanderbilt): Why do so few black males go into STEM areas? Heres what made DeAndre give up (The Conversation)
Dressed in a black hoodie and sagging jeans, DeAndre (name changed) swaggers down the street, singing loudly the gritty lyrics of a gangsta rap.. Dressed in a black hoodie and sagging jeans, DeAndre (name changed) swaggers down the street, singing loudly the gritty lyrics of a gangsta rap. For more than ten years, I have been researching the lives and experiences of black STEM high school students all the way up the pipeline to black STEM faculty. I have found that black males who consistently outperform their peers in mathematics, are also victims of covert racial stereotypes and racial microaggressions. The truth is DeAndre is a high school junior and a high-achiever in mathematics and science from an urban area. DeAndre is not hardened, but he is fragile. 
STEM Jobs
The Best Places for Tech Jobs (Forbes)
NerdWallet, the 6-year-old financial literacy site based in San Francisco that publishes easy-to-use personal finance info on everything from credit card rates to airport parking costs, has just released a list of the best places for technology jobs. First NerdWallet looks at the number of tech jobs as a share of total jobs by calculating tech employees per 1,000 total jobs in a metro area, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. NerdWallet starts with the nations 370 metro areas. The national average of tech jobs for every 1,000 is 18, way below the numbers in the top 10 tech cities (the lowest number in the group, in Boston, is 50). Nationwide, tech workers make out very well, most earning well more than the national mean of $70,500.
These are the Highest Paying Jobs for Engineering Majors (Lifehacker)
When it comes to making great money, engineers are right up there with computer science majors in terms of earning potential. Here are the highest paid engineering gigs in the industry, as well as the most popular major found in those job roles. The data presented, from PayScales 2013-2014 College Salary Report, features the job title, the experienced median pay, and the common major. Experienced median pay refers to the average salary workers earned with a typical amount of experience at their job, not starting salaries, and the common major is based on the most popular bachelors degree found within each job title in the U.S.
Maker Movement
Microsoft embraces Makers with Arduino, Raspberry Pi partnerships (Mashable)
Makers, Microsoft wants you to know it has your back. At Build 2015, the company showed off its commitments to independent developers called "Makers" including those that use development- and DIY-centric systems, such as Arduino, Rasperry Pi 2, Intel's Minnowboard Max and Hackster.IO. Microsoft announced on Thursday that users can download the Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview, which has support for Raspberry Pi 2 and Minnowboard Max. Windows 10 IoT Core is for low-cost, small-footprint devices, and it's free for Makers and commercial device builders. Microsoft also said it has entered into an official partnership with Arduino, and that Windows 10 will be "the world's first Arduino-certified operating system."
Sierra College Welcomes Hacker Lab to Rocklin (Comstock's)
Entrepreneurs, small business workers and students will have the chance to learn about startups and contribute to Placer Countys economy this spring when Sierra College and Hacker Lab open their new co-working and making space. The 3,500-square-foot space on Granite Drive in Rocklin, set to open early May, features design computer stations, a 3D printer and a fully-equipped textile lab. Sierra College students, faculty and staff can RSVP online to purchase a membership once the space opens. Monthly membership fees range from $12.50 for Sierra College students to $99 for other community members, allowing them to access the centers equipment and special meetups.
K-12 Education
Schools hope for STEM training contributions (ChicoER)
Business and education could be their own best friends, if they look to the future and invest in the students of today. Thats the message that a partnership of representatives from Chico State University, Chico Unified School District, and the Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium is touting. Its a message that many local manufacturers already realize but find hard to make happen. They know that helping students means a difference in the quality of the workforce they will see in the future. Local investment can pay off locally, say the partners, who have developed a way for it to happen.
Diabetes Simulation Pumps Up STEM Interest (U.S. News & World Report)
Even in packed arenas, fans jokes floated from the stands to the sidelines. They were not pleasant. There were so many comments I got about it being a nicotine patch, a birth control patch, says Chelcie Weber, 22, a former NBA Development League cheerleader now studying to become a pediatric nurse. She was referring to her insulin pump, plainly visible as she rooted for the Sioux Falls, S.D., Skyforce. Shed been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12, and her experience every day since using math to calculate her insulin levels, dealing with students jokes and misconceptions about the disease helped inform a new classroom program announced by Texas Instruments this spring.
Higher Education
Thousands spent to get liberal arts grads into STEM (eCampus News)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $632,000 scholarship grant to Stevens Institute of Technology to help fund liberal arts graduates in the software engineering (SwE) masters degree program. Supported by the $632,000 grant, this program will consist of 10 required courses, a summer bridge component, an internship and a part-time option for the final semester that allows students to work full -time while attending classes in the evening. It is set to launch in time for the Fall 2015 semester. The program aims to help broaden access into STEM professions by creating another pathway specifically for talented liberal arts graduates who are adept in technology.
Nonprofit Aims To Prep 11,000 Community College Students for STEM Careers (Campus Technology)
The nonprofit Base 11 has initiated a STEM Revolution program with the goal of placing 11,000 community college students across the country in either four-year universities; full-time [STEM]-related jobs; or STEM-related businesses that they start by 2020. The nonprofit kicked off its initiative at West Los Angeles College. Base 11 will provide funding, equipment, facilities and curriculum for hands-on STEM education and training, particularly in work with unmanned aircraft systems (drones), micro-satellites and STEM-related entrepreneurship programs. "Our focus is to fuel the revolution with the STEM workforce and entrepreneur of the 21st century," said Base 11 CEO Landon Taylor.
Georgia
TAG Education Collaborative announces STEM awards (WRDW)
The Technology Association of Georgia and the TAG Education Collaborative have announced their 4th annual STEM education awards and are looking for nominees from the Augusta area schools, colleges, and companies. Nominations for the state awards are to recognize outstanding effort and achievement with STEM education in the state. All nominations are due by 4 p.m. June 5, 2015. Nomination categories and descriptions are as followed: Elementary School- This category recognizes innovative STEM curriculum and programs in Elementary Schools that promote STEM Education in the classroom and expand STEM skills while helping to point students towards productive technology related careers.
STEM Innovation
Elon Musk unveils Tesla Powerwall batteries to 'change the world' [VIDEO] (Mashable)
 Tesla founder Elon Musk just unveiled Tesla Energy, an ambitious plan to power the world with a new design of home battery called the Powerwall, with the aim of making more consumers less dependent on the grid. The newly designed Powerwall, produced at Tesla's new Nevada Gigafactory, will be available in "three or four months" via various installation partners. It will cost around $3500 and can theoretically be scaled "infinitely," Musk says, all the way up to industrial and utility level. The larger server-sized, industrial-level battery will be called a Powerpack. "Our goal is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy," Musk told a press conference at the Tesla Design Center on Thursday night. "It sounds crazy, but we want to change the entire energy infrastructure of the world to zero carbon." |
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Foster Introduces Amendment To Increase Funding For Scientific R&D
 Yesterday, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) introduced an amendment to increase funding for the Department of Energys Office of Science. The office provides funding for our national labs and supports a wide range of scientific research and development. Fosters amendment would increase funding for the Office of Science by almost $240 million, bringing total funding up to meet the Presidents request. Click the link to check out the YouTubevideo of the Congressman's remarks as well as the transcript!
Call for Entries in the 2015 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology
 Registration has opened for The 2015 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation's premier science research competition for high school students. The deadline for receipt of entries is Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The Siemens Competition, established in 1999, is a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, administered by Discovery Education. Each year, the program invites high school students nationwide to submit original research projects in math, science and technology for the opportunity to win college scholarships ranging from $1,000 up to $100,000. Students can compete as individuals or as members of a team. This year, the regional competition rounds will be held on-line, in a secure virtual environment. Participants will present their projects via a secure cloud-based technology platform to a panel of judges who will be assembled at regional hosting universities in November.
Million Women Mentors Bi-Weekly Update: April 30, 2015
sm.jpg) This week's MWM Newsletter features video from last week's TownHall with AAUW and key findings from their report Solving the Equation, invitations to our trainings on strategic mentoring matching through our new web portal, updated State Toolkit, news from the MWM-NJ campaign, and lots of #WomenInSTEM News!
Patricia Arquette, Multiple Award Winning Actor And Humanitarian, To Lead A Stellar Line Up Of Speakers At 21st Annual Women In Technology Summit
 WITI (Women in Technology International), the leading global business organization for women in technology with more than 150,000 members worldwide, announced today its keynote speakers and session topics for its 21st Annual Summit. The Summit will focus on IoT (Internet of Things), Big Data, Leadership, Cloud, Community Brand Building and how women in technology are enhancing our lives and world by bringing the Internet to Life. WITI is still taking reservations for the Summit that will be held May 31-June 2, 2015 at the Doubletree by Hilton San Jose. |
