STEM Today -- Spring 2022

CHUCK NICE ON BRAIN GAMES, STARTALK AND MORE!

SPRING 2022

the

WOMEN in

STEM 10 TIPS FOR GIRLS’ STEM CAREERS

X-STEM SAN DIEGO HIGHLIGHTS

TOP STEM AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS (PART 2)

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from the editor

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ELCOME TO OUR SPRING 2022 edition of STEM Today. For the first time in over two years, we’re able to come to you with schools open, afterschool and STEM programs in full swing again, and summer programs in robotics, network computing, natural sciences and all other matters of STEM education ready to roll across the country.

It is so very nice to be looking on from the other side of the pandemic, isn’t it?

To celebrate, we bring you our bi-annual Women of STEM issue, featuring some of the most illustrious leaders, innovators and minds in science and business today — and how they are influencing the next generation, girls and young women now taking STEM-based classes in preparation for their careers. Our partners at USA Science & Engineering Festival just completed Women in STEM month, as well as their first large-scale live event in over two years, X-STEM San Diego. Since its inception in 2010, USASEF has always prioritized placing role-model women in front of young students to show the possibilities are more than just dreams. Check out their Women in STEM playlist on YouTube for plenty of examples.

Back to our issue. Our four featured leaders — NOAA scientist Dr. Tracy Fanara, Fritsch North America CEO Melissa Fauth, iSpecimen COO Jill Mullan and Mythbusters 2.0 co-host Tamara Robertson — have logged more than 90 years of combined scientific and professional experience between them.

They all carved their own paths to their careers, often against the heavy headwinds of peer pressure, low societal expectations, social distractions and the limitation of available classes and career options. Each has created a distinct career for herself. In our interviews, we found that a STEM-based education leads to the ability to pick and choose careers, and to move with the technological tides.

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This is vitally important. According to CNN tech expert and L.A.-based influencer Lori Schwartz, as of 2020, 50% of the career or job categories that will be available to a 12-year-old middle school girl taking science-based classes right now do not yet exist. In other words, our students don’t have all the options because they haven’t formed.

That’s how fast tech, science and innovation are creating new opportunities, and why people like Fanara and Robertson use their great humor, storytelling, brilliance and charm to impress upon middle school girls the importance of sticking with the curiosity and ingenuity that makes them love science-based classes now.

Then you have Melissa Fauch and Jill Mullan. Both started in traditional, limited fields open to young women, but each has made at least five career changes or detours that have led to their stations in life. Their messages?

Largely, be flexible, be ready and be open to jumping through the window that presents for your combination of skills and ambitions. Both women did, and now they do some of the most innovative work in the world in their respective industries.

We also present an article emblematic of those who receive the wisdom of these great leaders. In this case, 13-year-old Elsa Shiju, who is on a speed track to become a very young NASA astronaut. She is the beneficiary of the opportunities carved out by the hard work and hard knocks experienced by our four featured women — a wide-open berth to do whatever her curious and scientific mind leads her to do.

This type of mentorship and influence is perfect. It’s exactly what “passing it down” and mentoring is all about.

Now, our company-wide editing crew — Editor-inChief and Publisher Charles Warner, Managing Editor Corey Noles, Associate Managing Editor Erin James and myself — get the rare opportunity to join forces to present Women in STEM. We welcome your comments… and ask parents and leaders alike to find a kid and help them get to their big career and educational break in life.

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contents COVER STORY 28 WOMEN IN STEM

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BY COREY NOLES Insights on 31

Dr. Tracy Fanara

33

Tamara Robertson

35

Jill Mullan

37

Melissa Fauth

38

Elsa Shiju

DEPARTMENTS 02 From the Editor 08 EduBits 56 STEM Product Showcase 58 Coming Next Issue STORIES 14 BEST STEM BOOKS OF 2021 The National Science Teaching Association has put together an amazing list of the Best STEM Books of 2021.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH CHUCK NICE

BY COREY NOLES The comedian, actor, podcaster Chuck Nice sits down with us to discuss everything from Brain

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50

Games: On the Road to StarTalk and all things science.

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X-STEM SAN DIEGO HIGHLIGHTS

BY ARON VAUGHAN Nearly 2,000 students, educators and parents attended X-STEM San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center on April 19.

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10 TIPS FOR GIRLS IN STEM

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TOP STEM AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS (PART 2)

BY STEM TODAY EDITORIAL TEAM

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CREATING TOMORROW’S WORKFORCE

BY ROBERT YEHLING A new STEM initiative by the Department of Defense is taking some big steps toward the future of STEM education.

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STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

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EDITORIAL Managing Editors

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Associate Managing Editor

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Associate Editor

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Contributing Writer

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Alexa Black Tabor SPECIAL THANKS The entire USASEF Team Dr. Tracy Fanara Tamara Robertson Brian Boothe/Zoomwerks

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STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

EduBits COMPILED BY ERIN JAMES AND DESTINY NOLAN

Japanese women in STEM

8.8% 14.6% 15.9% Engineering

Science

Natural Science

PHOTO CREDIT: Four.Stock/Shutterstock

Japanese Researchers Empowering Females in STEM

BY ABBY REITMAN

A

LTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN a massive leap (in terms of female engagement) in STEM fields over the past decade, these fields are still very much male-dominated. Globally, there has been an immense struggle to implement certain educational policies and practices in order to encourage more young women to pursue STEM careers. In an effort to motivate girls to think about career paths in a scientific field (recent addition of “A” — which stands for arts — has been placed in this well-known acronym. The A was added to show that creativity and science are not, in

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fact, polar opposites like many have been led to believe.)

With the addition of the arts in STEM, space has been given for more humanity-driven innovation. This ensures that technological development is responsive to the needs and desires of all users.

As with many countries globally, the diversity within STEM in terms of gender is lackluster in Japan.

According to Japanese researchers in the Cabinet Office, women accounted for 8.8%, 14.6% and 15.9% of all researchers in engineering, science and natural science, respectively. With this understanding, three researchers in Japan set out to create a series of workshops aimed to help young female students cultivate interest in STEM/ STEAM. There were a total of 103 female youths who participated in a series of surveys, interviews and varying activities; these were used in order to gain insight of the perceptions and experiences that these girls had involving STEM. Over the course of the three day workshop, the results of the surveys and interviews showed an increase in confidence and interest in STEM as a career, along with a more positive perception of the STEM fields in general.

EduBits

PHOTO CREDIT: Mikhail Nilov/Pexels

The Benefits of Using CoderZ to Teach Students STEM

BY ABBY REITMAN

F

ORMER TEACHER, now a Career and Technical Education project facilitator, Nikki Meador uses a program called CoderZ, an online coding, robotics, and computing platform, in order to provide her students a hands-on introduction to coding and robotics. She lists five reasons why this program is so beneficial for young kids. Firstly, she states that she knows how difficult it is to introduce kids to the STEM fields; which is why she believes that getting children engaged with the sciences from a young age can help put them on a path of thinking more seriously about future career paths. Meador’s students have really taken to the programming application they’ve introduced. “Once they get a taste of what it’s like to build a virtual robot or create

a computer program from scratch, they’re hooked," Meagor said.

Her second reason for why this program is so helpful is quite simple: her students' enthusiasm for it is infectious. Her robotics program started out small, but once word had spread about how fun it was, the program expanded triple fold. Thirdly, CoderZ supports remote learning, which is now a requirement for the world we live in today. Her fourth reason to support this program is that there’s no download required, as it is web-based. Her fifth reason for why this is so beneficial to teach kids about STEM is that it’s learning disguised as gaming. Students don’t even realize they're learning valuable skills they’d need for further STEM education and their careers. They're learning math skills, spatial and critical thinking, and collaboration.

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

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EduBits

PHOTO CREDIT: Yan Krukov/Pexels

Students Experience the Power of Coding Through Music in New Competition

BY ABBY REITMAN

A

S A WAY TO EDUCATE students on the merits of mixing music, computer science and entrepreneurship, Amazon Future Engineer has partnered with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in a new competition. This competition, running from now until June 19, 2022, challenges K-12 students to use Georgia Tech’s free online coding website EarSketch in order to remix music, while also learning how to code. The requirements of the Your Voice is Power

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competition, though few, are specific. Using this app, students must remix one of the following songs: Entrepreneur by Pharrell, Underdog by Alicia Keys, and New Normal by Khalid. These submissions can range anywhere from 30 seconds to three minutes, but they will ultimately be judged based on quality of sound, the coding used and overall message of the piece by a selected panel of industry professionals.

With the help of Pharrell’s nonprofit YELLOW, which helps provide children with tools and unique experiences for them to thrive in school, the top five students will each win a $5,000 scholarship or even a grant to start a business. Additional prizes through the two judging rounds include a $500 Amazon gift card, one awarded specifically to an elementary student and another to a middle school student; $200 Amazon gift cards to ten finalists; and $25 Amazon gift cards to one hundred semi-finalists. In addition to that, five teachers will win $1,000 cash for "above-and-beyond instruction" involving the Your Voice is Power curriculum.

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

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EduBits

A Young Scientist Spotlight: Kyle Tianshi

BY ABBY REITMAN

A

T AGE ELEVEN, most kids are only interested in things like video games, fantasy books or hanging out with friends. That’s not the case with elevenyear-old Kyle Tianshi. Tianshi was a participant in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2020 and is already working on inventions that will change the world for the better. He created what he calls a portable Total Suspended Solids device that is able to detect invisible particles in water in order to monitor water quality and contamination levels. In his own words, he has stated that his Young Scientist Challenge entry “can be used to detect particles as small as 0.1 microns and concentrations as low as 0.1 PPM in under ten seconds… My device was built for under $60 using items purchased from Amazon.” He hopes that with the help of his device, he can contribute to California’s newest initiative for discovering microplastics in drinking water and assist in other forms of healthbased testing methods.

Tianshi is one of many bright, young scientists who are paving the way for new ideas of thought and creativity. He wishes that

PHOTO CREDIT: Alexmalexra/Shutterstock

more kids his age would be open to the vast possibilities that science and mathematics can provide. He writes that while he knows these fields of study can be intimidating for many, people should never be afraid to ask for help or assistance. “As long as you are passionate about your work, others are more than willing to offer advice,” Tianshi said.

Tools to Teach Kids About STEM

BY ABBY REITMAN AMANDA SULLIVAN, author of Breaking the STEM Stereotype: Reaching Girls in Early Childhood, endeavors to break down gender stereotypes and barriers in regards to STEM. Sullivan has seen that even with a multitude of new

PHOTO CREDIT: Vanessa Loring/Pexels

initiatives that have been set in motion to introduce young girls to STEM fields, the number of men drastically outnumbers the women. She has stated that one of the best

that kids will learn. Boys can have pink tools, girls can use blue

introductions to STEM for young girls is giving them the

ones, and vice versa.

resources to explore science, technology, engineering and

In her article, Sullivan has listed a multitude of different

math creatively. Using items such as building blocks, LEGOs,

programs and applications that children can use to get them

or other types of building kits are great ways to learn about

excited to get into the computer science field, which is yet

the engineering design process. She also encourages girls to

another male-dominated field. She lists the Daisy the Dinosaur

not merely watch content online, but learn how to create

app as an example, which is a free app designed for young

things on their own.

children to practice coding by giving a dinosaur (Daisy)

Another gender divide Sullivan speaks about is how color is

instructions to move and complete simple challenges. Children

used to market between “girl” and “boy” products. She states

can start using these applications as early as preschool, which

that traditional gender-specific colors like pink or blue make no

will help them on their journey of discovering just how fun

difference in the creative process of STEM or in the concepts

STEM can be.

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Best STEM Books of 2021

BY ERIN JAMES

S

TEM LITERACY is a major field in STEM education. It allows students to implement their knowledge and understanding of how the STEM world works, within and across the STEM fields, then apply it to everyday obstacles and challenges. The National Science Teaching Association has put together an amazing list of the Best STEM Books of 2021, bringing light to real-world issues and triumphs within this list. The winners are…

Ada Lovelace (The First Names Series) by: Ben Jeapes, illustrated by: Nick Ward, Publisher: ABRAMS / Abrams Books for Young Readers

PHOTO CREDIT: Mikhail Nilov/Pexels

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by: Christina Soontornvat, Publiser: Candlewick Press

Newton and Curie: The Science Squirrels by: Daniel Kirk,

Beastly Bionics: Rad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible

Publisher: ABRAMS/Abrams Books for Young Readers

Inventions Inspired by Nature by: Jennifer Swanson, Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books

Numbers in Motion: Sophie Kowalevski, Queen of Mathematics by: Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by: Yevgenia Nayberg, Publisher:

Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM by: Tonya

Creston Books

Bolden, Publisher: ABRAMS / Abrams Books for Young Readers The Polio Pioneer by: Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by: Lisa Galileo! Galileo! by: Holly Trechter and Jane Donovan, illustrated

Anchin, Publisher: Random House Children’s Books/Alfred A.

by: Holly Trechter and Jane Donovan, Publisher: Sky Candle

Knopf BFYR

Press “Smelly” Kelly and His Super Senses: How James Kelly’s Nose Gnu and Shrew by: Danny Schnitzlein, illustrated by: Anca

Saved The New York City Subway by: Beth Anderson, illustrated

Sandu, Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company Inc.

by: Jenn Harney, Pulisher: Boyds Mills & Kane/Calkins Creek

Jumbo: The Making of the Boeing 747 by: Chris Gall, illustrated

Spaceman (Adaptation for Young Readers): The True Story of a

by: Chris Gall, Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/

Young Boy’s Journey to Becoming an Astronaut by: Mike

Roaring Brook Press

Massimino, Publisher: Random House Children’s Books/

Machines in Motion: The Amazing History of Transportation by:

Delacorte BFYR

Tom Jackson, illustrated by: Chris Mould, Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Who Gives a Poop?: Surprising Science From One End to the Other by: Heather L. Montgomery, illustrated by: Iris Gottieb,

Machines That Think!: Big Ideas That Changed the World #2 by:

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Don Brown, Pulisher: ABRAMS/Amulet Books Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by: Marie’s Ocean: Marie Tharp Maps the Mountains Under the Sea

Kirsten Larson, illustrated by: Tracy Subisak, Publisher: Boyds

by: Josie James, Illustrated by: Josie James, Publisher:

Mills & Kane/Calkins Creek

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Henry Holt BYR Work It, Blast Off Into Space Like Mae Jemison by: Caroline Mission to the Bottom of the Sea by: Jan Leyssens, illustrated

Moss, Illustrated by: Sinem Erkas, Publsiher: Quarto Group/

by: Joachim Sneyers, Publisher: Clavis Publishing

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

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

 

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

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EduBits Young Scientists Nationwide Face-Off in Annual Competition

BY ABBY REITMAN

THIS YEAR’S 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a middle school science competition sponsored by 3M and Discovery Education, centered around AI and machine learning. This challenge began by asking students in grades 5-8 nationwide to submit a 1–2-minute video describing their “unique solution to an everyday problem.” This new invention or solution would solve/influence an everyday problem affecting their families, communities or the world.

Out of countless submissions, ten finalists were partnered with a mentor from 3M who guided them one-on-one in transforming their inventions from idea to prototype and were selected to take part in a two-day virtual presentation with their inventions to a board of judges. This involved a PHOTO CREDIT: Noah Sauve/Shutterstock

Explore Science City at the 2022 Festival

BY ABBY REITMAN

L

OOKING FOR A FUN-FILLED FAMILY WEEKEND activity in Arizona? Local residents had to look no further than “Science City” at Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium and the Arizona State Museum the weekend of March 12-13, 2022!

Admission was free all weekend long, and they offered a multitude of hands-on activities. NSF's NOIRLab offered solar telescopes in their parking lot on Cherry Avenue, where attendees had the chance to learn more about their world-class telescopes and various programs. The Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine featured simulated animal models for people to experience their veterinary students’ learning process. Those are just two highlights of Science City. Both adults and children explored the vast number of exhibits together. From a deep dive into the field of neuroscience, to a VR simulation of space, to taking a closer look at Arizona’s wildlife, there’s no end to the discoveries offered at the annual festival.”

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series of scored challenges and one final presentation. According to competition organizers, they were assessed based on their "innovative thinking, scientific acumen and exceptional communication skills." The young scientist taking first place was Sarah Park from Jacksonville, Florida. She received $25,000, a two-day trip, and the title "America’s Top Young Scientist" for her AI music therapy treatment nicknamed “SparkCare+." The second place title and the "Improving Lives Award," was given to fourteenyear-old Samarth Mahapatra from Marietta, Georgia for her project, "Accessibility Friendly Guidance System for Optimal Cooking Operations based on Machine Learning" (inspired by her family member who had to give up cooking due to glaucoma-induced blindness).

3M Chief Corporate Affairs officer has stated that, “they are committed to fostering the next generation of science leaders” and that “a quality STEM education can get young people excited about science as a way to improve lives all around the world.”

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F E AT U R E

Brain Games, StarTalk and All Things Science: An Interview with

Chuck Nice

BY COREY NOLES PHOTOS BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC/MIKE TAING

C

OMEDIAN, PODCASTER, ACTOR, and self-professed “science geek” Chuck Nice is a busy guy.

His most recent ventures have seen him operate at the intersection of pop culture and science.

Nice co-hosts StarTalk with Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, where he provides humorous commentary to aid the insights of the popular astrophysicist, and Playing with Science alongside Gary O’Reilly. But Nice isn’t just there to provide comic relief to a discussion on topics that can be confusing for the 99% of us who are nonscientists; he has a genuine love for the field.

We sat down with Nice to talk about Brain Games, his career, and his innate love of all things science.

STEM Today: You’re a man of a variety of talents and projects, I mean, comedian, actor, podcast host, Brain Games host, seems like you’ve got a lot to juggle these days? Is that difficult?

Chuck Nice: It is. But two things help, one, I meditate, and two, I end every day with a big tumbler of scotch.

ST: You seem to be a really natural fit for the Brain Games audience. Watching those first few episodes.

I’m seeing you look comfortable, you look at home.

How did you land in Brain Games?

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CN: Interesting. I think it has to do with the fact that, increasingly, I have been moving into the science space, and as a fan, but also as a science communicator, I never really call myself a science communicator, because I think it’s a disservice to people who are science communicators, for me to include myself in that brood.

However, it’s just something that has kind of naturally happened to me.

So, Terry Danuser of Nat Geo, who is familiar with me and my comedy through StarTalk on Nat Geo, may have had something to do with it. No one’s ever told me the actual story, but all I know is that he, Jo [Sharon], and Casey at Magical Elves said, “All right, let’s just look at this guy.” And then it was like, “Okay, this makes a lot of sense.” And when I did the audition, and I very rarely do this — after the audition, I say to myself, “Man, I hope I get that.” Of course, you hope you get every job for which you audition. But what you don’t want to do is be hopeful about getting the job, because 90% of the time you’re going to be disappointed.

So the answer is always no, and then every once in a while somebody goes, “Well, wait a minute, maybe.”

And so that’s how you get jobs in entertainment. But after I did the audition, I was like, “God, I hope I get this job, man. This is just so much fun, and it’s everything that I love, it’s science, it’s games, it’s talking

F E AT U R E

Host Chuck Nice of Brain Games: On the Road

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F E AT U R E

to people, it’s joking around, and you learn something, you can’t get better than that.”

ST: Yeah, for sure. I know when I watch, I’ve watched

Brain Games for years, and I know when I watch every episode, there’s a moment where my mind is just blown. Does that still happen to you as a host?

CN: Yeah, but it happens before the show, because they give me a packet, so I get the brain science that’s attached to the game, I get the game, what game we’re going to play. So I know the science behind the game before we do it, but even reading it, I tend to say, “Oh my goodness, that’s pretty amazing.”

ST: How did your interest in science come to be?

CN: Interesting that you ask, because people think that I

started working with Neil, and then I started liking science. It’s just the opposite. I have liked science and loved science since I was in elementary school, and I’ve been kind of closeted about it. Listen, let’s be honest, a kid that goes to school, knows all about culture, and maybe curses so that he seems a little bit more like an adult, and wears all the great fashion – that’s the cool kid. The kid coming to school talking about dark matter, 20

STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

the expansion of the universe, gravity waves — let’s invite him to every party.

“Hey man, get over here. You hear this guy talking about gravity waves from the collision of two black holes? You’ve got to hear this. Get over here.” No, no, that’s not happening. So what ends up happening is, you keep all that stuff inside, and on the outside you present all that other stuff.

And that’s kind of what my whole life was until I had to come out of the closet, because I’m working with this astrophysicist, and I’m talking to all the top scientists in the world, and quite frankly, whenever you do that… So people think that I’m just there, and a lot of people say, “Oh man, you’re so smart.” Like, “I hear you talking to these scientists, the chief scientists of NASA, and you know one of the authors of the Intergovernmental Panel and Climate Change.” And they’re like, “Damn.” And I’m cheating, I know who’s going to be on the show, I go read their stuff before I sit down with Neil. Because all I want to do is be a part of the conversation, and be able to ask questions of stuff that I want to know, just like the people who are listening, and I can’t do that if I don’t know what I don’t know.

F E AT U R E

2 1

5 3

4

1 Host Chuck Nice and Beau of Team Panacea during the "Bowling the Distance" brain teaser, 2 Kristie and Host Chuck Nice watch as Melanie from the Awesome Saucers (center) celebrates, 3 Brain Games: On the Road Host Chuck Nice, 4 Brain Games: On the Road episode 3, 5 Fabian and Jordan of Team Wimberly listen as host Chuck Nice describes the next game

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F E AT U R E

ST: You and Neil have such a fun dynamic together, and I’ve always felt like your opposite senses of humor play a role in that.

CN: Yeah, because Neil is funny … He’s a funny guy, and he gets the joke when I make a joke. So when we first started, people were a little upset, they were like, “Why is Neil sitting with this dude? And this guy is interrupting the science.” And Neil would say, “Just relax, we’re going to get to the science. Let us just have some fun while we do it.” And once again, that’s what I love about “Brain Games,” is the fact that we’re going to get to the science, and you’re not even going to know that we got to the science, because by the time we get to the science, you will have experienced the science, you will have seen it. It will become experiential, and then when you learn about what you just experienced, it now resonates in a way that it would not have, and the same thing happens [with] StarTalk.

I don’t want to sound self-important, and I don’t want to make people think that I’m bigger than I am, but I really feel like when you watch this show, it’s doing a service. Watch it with your kids, they may say, “Oh man, I never knew that.” And then they may be sparked, their curiosity might be sparked, and they might want to learn more, or they might say, “Chuck is so annoying, we can’t watch this ever again.” But then make them watch it anyway, because they’re going to learn something, damn it.

ST: Well, nice thing about Brain Games too is that, I have four kids, they’re all 16 and up, they’re not into documentaries and stuff like that, but they love Brain Games.

CN: Yeah. Isn’t it funny? So people say, “Oh my God, you’re the new host of Brain Games, I love that show.” I haven’t heard anybody say, “So you’re the new host of Brain Games, what a piece of crap that is.”

Yeah. “I can’t believe that, man, why would you do that? Why’d you take that job?” No, people love this franchise. They love it. And I’m really just happy to be the guy who’s running point right now for it.

ST: I guess one last question I wanted to ask, do you have any advice for young people considering STEM careers today?

CN: As a dad with two students, in two separate STEM academies, who are both on AP tracks, and who are both honors students, they are also both adopted, so they did not get any of my stupid gene, I’m joking, I am joking, I’m joking. They are my biological children, just

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6 The Gills complete a brain buster while host Chuck Nice watches during Brain Games: On the Road, 7 Host Chuck Nice

in case they hear this interview, kids, you’re not adopted, you’re not. Let me just say this, STEM is where the future is. We live in a society now, and we’re soon to live in a global society, where, I hate to say this, the lion’s share of physical labor is going to be done by machines.

If we don’t all destroy ourselves first, the lion’s share of physical labor will be done by machines. Two things are going to have to happen. One, there’ll be a little bit of universal income, the other thing that’s going to happen is, we’re going to have to transition into a state where critical thinking and scientific discovery, the scientific method, and evidentiary process is what drives our economy, and our society, and that’s science.

Follow Chuck on Twitter, @ChuckNiceComic, and online at ChuckNiceComic.com. Brain Games: On The Road is available on Nat Geo and streams on Disney+.

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

23

F E AT U R E

SPEAKERS

Highlights

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE USA SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FESTIVAL

24

STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

the USA Science & Engineering Festival, X-STEM San Diego 2022provided

children grades six to 12, WORKSHOPS

Nearly 2,000 students, educators and parents attended X-STEM San Diego

BY ARON VAUGHAN

P

RODUCED BY

educators, and parents kids and adultsof all ages the opportunity to learn about the STEM fields through presentations and

X-STEM ALL ACCESS

hands-on workshops.

F E AT U R E

S

SPEAKERS TUDENTS WERE TRANSPORTED into the vast expanse of space with Kevin J DeBruin and shown the importance

of animal conservation from Dr. Mrinalini Watsa. Attendees were shown the wonders of DNA by Illumina's Dr. Janina Jeff and were captivated by a STEM concert performed by David "Mr. D" Landix and LaMar "Mr. Q-U-E" Queen from Music Notes. General Atomics' Debra Roy and Chuck Wright inspired all in the field of aeronautics and the growing industry of unmanned aircraft. Emcee Maynard Okereke "Hip Hop M.D." was also on deck to keep audiences entertained throughout the event.

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: SPEAKER: Kevin J DeBruin — “Felt so amazing to be back for an in-person event! The energy, the smiles, the look in people’s eyes, real-time feedback…AMAZING!”

EDUCATOR: “The X-STEM Conference gave my students a chance to experience different techniques in Science and Engineering that they might not normally have had the chance to do. It was a great experience for my high school freshmen.

They walked away with so many new ideas!”

PARENT: “It was fantastic! The kids were very engaged and really loved the lab! I wish I had a rapping science and math teacher in my middle school when I was a kid!”

ILLUSTRATION BY: Freepik/flaticon.com

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

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F E AT U R E

WORKSHOPS

A

LONG WITH PRESENTATIONS from an inspiring group of STEM professionals, the conference featured hands-on

STEM workshops.

Students got to participate in a STEAMoriented game show hosted by lllumina and Generation STEAM. UCSD’s Bioengineering Graduate Society (BEGS) taught students about the function of lungs with a hands-on balloon activity as well as how to extract DNA from a strawberry in order to get a greater understanding of various genetic applications.

General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation captured their students' attention with magnetism and the light spectrum.

Students even got to take home their very own spectroscope.

ILLUSTRATION BY: Freepik/flaticon.com

26

STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

F E AT U R E

F

OR YOUNG STEM enthusiasts who were not able to attend the in-person conference, a free virtual conference

series is available for middle and high schoolers.

Students will get an inside look into the exciting careers and inspiring personal journeys of diverse STEM role models through a lively Q&A session with a fellow STEM professional. The 30-minute episodes will premiere throughout the school year and will be available on-demand.

The series has benefits for educators, parents and students including the ability to fit episodes into class time or as a fun homework assignment. Parents can use the episodes as an at-home STEM enrichment activity, and students can tune in at any time to be inspired and learn about STEM careers of the future.

Register at USAsciencefestival.org

ILLUSTRATION BY: Freepik/flaticon.com

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

27

WO MEN STEM in

The Biggest Hurdles to Keeping Young Women Passionate about STEM

BY COREY NOLES WITH INSIGHTS FROM

DR. TRACY FANARA

28

STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

TAMARA ROBERTSON

JILL MULLAN

MELISSA FAUTH

ELSA SHIJU

COVER STORY

PHOTO CREDIT: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

T’S NO SECRET that the STEM world is always in need of fresh female faces to join the workforce.

According to the most recent US census data, only 27% of STEM workers are women, despite making up nearly half of the nation’s workforce. The jobs already exist but the lack of female interest in the positions creates the gender disparity we see today.

In 2019, there were nearly 10.8 million workers in STEM occupations, according to Census Bureau estimates.

There are a variety of factors that have led to this trend, which we’ll go through in this article. However, don’t let the numbers above fool you. While there are fewer women than men in STEM fields, the impact of those who are present is massive.

In this issue, we’re highlighting those workers, influencers, and future stars of the STEM world, but we’re also going to take a deep dive into the issues that created the current situation.

Throughout the world, but particularly in the US, young girls don’t seem to keep an interest in science and math-based subjects far beyond elementary school.

I

WHERE ARE WOMEN MAKING GAINS? According to census data, in 1970 women comprised only 8% of the STEM Workforce, so there have been significant gains over the past 50 years in a variety of fields.

In the social sciences, women have practically taken over. Over that same 50 years, they have risen from 19% of social science workers to a whopping 64% in 2019.

In addition, women make up nearly half of workers today in mathematics (47%) and in physical science (45%).

With that said, there are areas that lack women more than others, such as computer science and engineering.

Those two areas alone make up some 80%+ of all STEM jobs.

So, why is that? Well, there are a variety of reasons.

GIRLS ARE LEAVING THE SCIENCES TOO EARLY A trend that has been pointed out over the years is that girls have a tendency to shy away from the sciences as they reach middle school age. Maybe it’s fun as a younger kid, but with age come other interests, changes in priority, and even changes in the body.

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

29

PHOTO CREDIT: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

on and how good at math and science I was, who knows if I would actually be good at it? That has a lot to do with it.”

It’s around that age when other interests begin creeping into life for all adolescents. These formative years are crucial in terms of finding one’s passions in life. Most people love the music, films, and television shows from that time for the rest of their lives — and the things they are most passionate about learning during that crucial time tend to carry through to adulthood too.

Support both at home and from amazing teachers is where the key lies in fostering a life-long desire to learn more about anything — particularly science. Having a high confidence level in one’s abilities can also play a vital role.

“If someone thinks you're good at something, and you want to be good to meet those expectations, you're going to work harder at those things,” said Fanara.

“If someone thinks you're good at something, and you want to be good to meet those expectations, you're going to work harder at those things.”

So, the question is: How do you keep that interest alive beyond middle school? Well, it’s tricky.

Dr. Tracy Fanara, who we have featured in the past, is a prime example of someone who made it through that age and has built not just a love for science, but a passion for sharing that love with others. For her, though, the real reason started at home.

“Because I taught seventh-grade science as part of my dissertation funding, I realized how important that age group is,” said Fanara. “And if it wasn't for my mom telling me how smart I was from sixth [grade] 30

STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

COVER STORY

IN SIG H TS

Dr. Tracy Fanara, NOAA STEM TODAY: Could you talk a little bit about the Inspector Planet reels and how you're incorporating education with adventure, discovery and having a lot of fun?

Tracy Fanara: To me, discovery is a lot of fun all on its own. Then you add an adventure, and it's like, why wouldn't you pursue this kind of career? When I was little, I was really into Goonies and Indiana Jones.

Being a scientist is basically taking that concept of investigation and finding the unknown, solving mysteries and bringing it to real-life situations where you can actually help

PHOTO CREDIT: Tracy Fanara by University of Florida

people. Right now, on Instagram, I'm taking earth mysteries and looking at

want to be a vet, even though that

making efforts towards STEM and it's

it from different perspectives, biology,

changed, and I did want to be, for many

really important that everybody is

chemistry, and astrophysics. With

years. So, to be a vet you must learn

pitching into these mass efforts.

different perspectives you can see

STEM. As I started to get a little bit older,

Seekers of Science is just one way

something crazy or strange in the

I was influenced by natural and man-

that we're trying to make a

world and make sense of it.

made disasters throughout my area that

contribution, while also making it

I grew up (near Buffalo, New York). I

easier for parents to continue STEM

ST: What do you feel are the crucial

started realizing that water really

education at home.

ages at which girls need to be reached

impacted those animals and we needed

and engaged so they will get

to provide clean water and protect them

ST: Could you talk a little bit about

committed to a STEM track?

from storms and things like that. And

some of the summer programs that

TF: Definitely middle-school age. I

that's when I started getting into the

NOAA (National Oceanographic and

taught seventh grade science as part

hydrologic aspect of how the world

Atmospheric Administration) does to

of my dissertation funding, and I

works and earth system design.

promote STEM to younger people?

TF: NOAA has an entire educational

realized how important that age group is. Although I believe that STEM is

ST: Can you tell us a little bit about how

office that focuses on bringing STEM

important at any age, if it wasn't for

you've used Seekers of Science to

into the classroom. They have build-a-

my mom telling me how smart I was

educate and engage young people in the

buoy programs, different events that

from sixth grade on and how good at

STEM world?

have students from around the

math and science I was, who knows if

TF: Seekers of Science is just such a good

country come into the nation’s capital

I would have actually been good at it?

opportunity after we talk to a group or do

or into the headquarters of NOAA.

an experiment with a group or have the

They have science fairs and bring

ST: When did you first realize you

kid’s camp. It's something that they can

your child to work day or friend to

were interested in the STEM fields?

take home and keep going with STEM.

work day. NOAA does a bunch of stuff.

TF: I loved animals. And animals

It's also a way to reach kids we couldn’t

They also provide internship

were the gateway science into STEM

reach because they weren’t in the

programs. So many great things.

because I started thinking I didn't

classrooms. There are so many people

— E.J. SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

31

PHOTO CREDIT: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

“You're going to have the confidence. You're not going to question yourself or say, ‘I can't do it.’”

As Fanara said, the responsibility of fostering such interests lies not just in the hands of educators, but also with parents. Whether it’s visiting museums, space camps, nature walks, or coding camps, there are countless ways to help one’s child hang on to those budding interests.

Another struggle at that age is that you find yourself competing with everything from friends to media images to hormones — and they’re all pulling in the opposite direction. Managing to keep even a

portion of that interest is a struggle for any parent and any child.

But the long-term rewards are vast.

GIRLS OFTEN THINK THERE ISN’T ENOUGH VARIETY IN SCIENCES Another reason girls sometimes stray from various STEM pathways is the belief that there aren’t a lot of career paths within the STEM fields. While most picture someone in a lab donning a white coat or a computer programmer, the possibilities go far deeper.

Jill Mullan, COO, co-founder and director of iSpecimen, is a prime example of someone who pushed through that age and rose to the top of her profession.

“There is so much opportunity in STEM, it's a great long-term career that you can do a lot of different things,” said Mullan. “I use myself as an example and I use my mother as an example. She was an

“There is so much opportunity in STEM, it's a great long-term career that you can do a lot of different things.”

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STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

COVER STORY

IN SIG H TS

Tamara Robertson, MythBusters 2.0 STEM TODAY: You did not go through

going into STEM

school necessarily thinking you're

programs. But even then,

going be an engineer or scientist.

we're seeing such a large

What made you go into engineering?

exit rate once they're in.

Tamara Robertson: I was born and

It's one of those things

raised by two Marines. We were lucky

that I tell people, like the

in our county if people graduated high

issue of getting STEM

school, let alone going on from there.

women into STEM

I grew up tinkering, building, doing

careers. It isn't a systemic

everything with my dad. I joined all of

issue, it's a pipeline issue.

the groups that as a girl you're

So, we're losing them in

supposed to be in. It was something

elementary school. We're

that led me to the point where, two

losing them in middle

years before I graduated, I thought I

school, we're losing them

might wanna pursue college. I took

in high school. I would

the ASVAB, which is the aptitude test

say, don't be worried

for military enlisted branches to figure

about what everyone else

out where you would fall. And

thinks, because at the end

because I scored high, I had a lot of

of the day, everyone is

recruiters talking to me about ROTC

different, and it's those

and academies.

differences that we have to celebrate.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tamara Robertson by Beyond Productions

ST: So, going back to the decision to get into engineering school, did you

ST: Seekers of Science is a comic book

make the connection that engineering

that you and Tracy Fanara put together.

ST: What advice would give to

has building aspects to it?

Can you tell us a little about it and the

parents who may not necessarily

TR: I think for me that there was that

message it sends to girls?

have a strong STEM background, to

a-ha moment, I can do what I love

TR: Seekers of Science is an amazing

get their children excited and

doing and make money. That was kind

project that has been a lifelong goal of

interested in the core STEM fields?

of neat. I wish that I had realized that

mine as a comic lover. I've always

TR: It's hard, right? My parents had

there had been more exposure to

wanted to be part of a comic. Tracy and I

no idea what to do with me when I

engineering because mechanical

met on MythBusters and we realized that

was taking stuff apart. Aside from

engineering would've been a space

we both really wanted to change the

giving me more things to take apart

that I would've been way happier in. I

world. She's always been more geared

that were more mechanical. Just like

love chemical biomolecular

towards inspiring the older generation

with any skill, getting a coach, getting

engineering, don't get me wrong, but

and letting them know that you can

a mentor is so helpful. If they are

the one thing that I miss more than

always restart, and I'm always trying to

excelling in math or science, I

anything is getting to be mechanically

get young women excited about STEM.

guarantee if they go up to one of

challenged.

It's an interesting thing because comics

their science teachers and are like,

are a more male gendered consumer

“Hey, I wanna learn more,” the

ST: What would your message be to

product. So, for me, the importance of

teachers are going be so excited to

young girls that are considering

having us as female leads, is we’re using

be able to talk to them and mentor

joining the STEM fields?

real world science to solve real world

them. I would say to parents, reach

TR: Right now, there's about a 6%

problems to showcase what women are

out to your resources.

annual increase in the number of girls

capable of.

— E.J. SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

33

PHOTO CREDIT: Goodluz/Shutterstock

electrical engineer back at Penn State before there were any women in engineering. She was the first and only female engineer in her four years of college. I was very fortunate that I had her as a mentor to say, you know, it is okay and good for women to be in science and technology.”

The interesting thing about STEM is that you’re not necessarily locked into one career path. Many, many people bounce around in life, working in multiple career paths — and it’s more common than ever.

According to the Lumina Foundation, it is estimated most people will change jobs 12 times in their adult life.

Nearly one-third of all Americans change their career path entirely at some point in their lives, with 21% entering an entirely new field.

“If you look at industry surveys around specific types of industry, like gene therapy, for example,” said Mullan.

“I was just looking at a report today and I think the projected growth rates are something on the order of double digits per year for the next 5, 6, 7 years. Yeah, that's a relatively new industry, but there's so many new things coming out that each one of these haven't even been developed or thought about yet. And so, each one 34

STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

of those ideas can become a whole new industry underneath the broader industry, but a whole new industry with massive growth rates.”

The same can be said of industries like quantum computing, viral treatments for cancer, and age reversal, among many others. All of those are new fields just scraping the surface of what they will likely become.

Even video game design and recording engineering are STEM career paths — it’s not just lab coats and pocket protectors anymore. So, to say that it seems limiting is actually quite a misnomer. With the continuous proliferation of new technology and developments in existing industries, these opportunities will only continue to broaden.

GIRLS THINK JOB ADVANCEMENT IS LACKING Following that last point, many also believe the opportunity for growth just doesn’t exist. This largely goes back to the idea that all the STEM career paths are simply for “lab rats” who do the same thing forever.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Just like every other industry, these industries are

COVER STORY

IN SIG H TS

Jill Mullan, COO, iSpecimen

i

SPECIMEN presents an ideal marriage between technology and work in the spirit of STEM: using an online platform to connect medical researchers with billions of specimens available in healthcare organizations. It brings together advanced medical technology and the creative ingenuity of its team.

The reward? Advancing medical discovery — always a great thing.

We asked Chief Operating Officer Jill Mullan a few quick questions that connect her personal journey with the opportunities available to STEM students today. The biggest thing in common? Working in multiple careers in a rapidly evolving world as part of her journey.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jill Mullan by iSpecimen

ST: What is the biggest difference

our tech interns, we hire a lot of

between opportunities then and now?

students from the local Boston

JL: Today, young people are probably

universities, in particular getting a lot

more equipped than we were. What we

of students out of Northeastern or

were getting into after college, kids can

co-op programs. Over the last roughly

start getting into as early as late middle

eight years or so, we've hired 20

STEM TODAY: Your background looks

school — of course, we’re talking about

interns and 50% of them have been

like the path of a STEM science or

different opportunities, but the point is,

women. Everything has always been

medical student, though it came a

you can start having these experiences

purposeful. It’s pervasive in our

little bit before STEM became a main

much earlier. And kids today have a huge

culture that we look for diversity and

focus.

advantage over my generation, because

inclusion. too.

Jill Mullan: Yes, I had so many

tech has been their language since they

opportunities. After college, I was an

were born.

ST: Life sciences is a big career target for STEM students. Will it continue to

electrical engineer and I went into the semiconductor industry, so I've been

ST: One of the many impressive things

grow as fast as it has been the last

in technology my whole life. I went

about iSpecimen is that you’re very

ten years?

from semiconductors to video editing

diverse and also directed from the top by

JL: It’s gonna keep expanding and

software when it was a brand new

a balanced team of women and men,

expanding. I was just looking at a

thing, then I went into storage

with you as the CEO. How has that

report and the projected growth rates

networking, and then I went into

philosophy reached down into your work

are on the order of double digits per

regular networking. Eventually I

with STEM students you bring on?

year for the next 5, 6, 7 years. There

made my way to this marketplace

JL: If you look at our company, our

are many new things coming out,

concept. So, I've been able to,

C-level team is half women and half men

which is perfect for the kids today.

basically morph my career in

— literally. Our CFO and COO are female,

They will work on things that haven’t

technology across a lot of different

and our CIO and CEO are male. Three out

even been thought about yet. These

industries. Then I look within just the

of the five VPs are women. We have two

ideas have the potential to become a

life science, uh, space. I mean, there's

women on our board out of seven

whole new industry, underneath the

obviously all the biotech, pharma,

people, which is pretty good. One of the

broader industry, but a whole new

diagnostic companies, and medical

interesting things is I took a look at our

industry with massive growth rates.

devices.

interns and our tech team. If you look at

— R.Y. SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

35

PHOTO CREDIT: Vadim Ratnikov/Shutterstock

“If your passion is STEM, I advise gaining practical experience — do projects, tinker, build, prototype, test new technologies, spend time working both in a group and by yourself,” said Shekhar. “Don’t wait for a degree or a job to describe a path for you; be ready to ‘engineer’ your own career path. And finally, identify your role models. A role model may be someone you know, but it can also be an individual you read about or saw from afar who truly inspires you. Learn from them, but always apply what you learn analytically and critically to your unique situation.”

It is equally important to think of your education as a life-long journey, not a phase that ends in your teens or 20s. More so than in other career paths, these jobs require constant learning due to the evolution of the industries themselves.

For example, having studied computers in the mid1980s will do nothing for a career that begins today.

Whether it’s new lab technology, programming languages, or even discoveries in physics, this knowledge changes and grows as time passes.

“Don’t wait for a degree or a job to describe a path for you; be ready to ‘engineer’ your own career path.” filled with supervisory, managerial, and even executive positions that require such a background.

Going through the Women in STEM section in this magazine, it’s easy to see that none of the women featured are standing at the bottom of the career ladder.

They are leaders — every one of them.

They didn’t get there solely because of their degree. It happened because they are powerful, creative thinking leaders. Regardless of your career, the secret to rising through the ranks is to make yourself the rock star they depend on.

Swati Shekhar, head of engineering at Ground Labs, believes one of the smartest things a STEMhopeful can do is to gain practical experience even as a teenager.

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STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

COVER STORY

IN SIG H TS

Melissa Fauth, CEO, Fritsch North America

M

ELISSA FAUTH is the CEO of North American operations for Fritsch International, the Germany industrial solutions provider that has helped thousands of companies for over a century. Specializing in manufacturing of application-based laboratory instruments and evolving client products and solutions through “micromilling,” Fritsch works from its Pittsboro, North Carolina base with all industries from electronics to automotive materials, hemp to feed crops and meat processing, pharmaceuticals to mining, aerospace, energy and everything in between.

They work with universities, government and private research and quality labs, their own global lab, government agencies and private. They create tomorrow’s industrial solutions, often literally on the spot.

innovation leaders need.

ST: What you describe is very similar to what you’re doing now at Fritsch … it sounds like you’re still playing in the proverbial creative sandbox, between bringing people, processes, systems and technologies together — and inventing new products on the spot?

MF: It’s really fun.

Everyone is excited about the groundbreaking work

PHOTO CREDIT: Melissa Fauth by Fritsch Manufacturing North America

they’re doing. There are aspects of milling

ST: Has your solution for the ISS led

processes and its applications that can

to further applications resulting from

be shared across industries, between

that work, like many other projects

institutions and companies, to help each

you work on at Fritsch?

other in different ways. One project

MF: Yes. In putting different elemental

combines experience from Fritsch,

products and compounds together

research from NASA and Los Alamos

and running them in the mill, NASA is

STEM TODAY: You’ve loved science

Engineers, and a battery company, to

now able to create new materials in a

and bringing things together since

achieve an objective that the battery

much more beneficial way. This has

you were young. Tell us about that.

company wasn’t able to do prior.

led to new applications we’re working

Melissa Fauth: Well, I didn’t have all

together on, like one for Mars with

the opportunities of learning tracks as

ST: Among other things, you’ve

a kid that young students have today

worked on projects for the

through STEM programs. However,

International Space Station (ISS) — the

ST: Finally, one last thing STEM

I’ve always loved science, math and

dream of countless thousands of

students and all of us dream of,

engineering, and of course the

young science students for decades.

what’s it like going to work every day

technologies. I also love to learn, I’m a

What is it like to wake up every day

thinking, ‘I love what I do?’

bookworm, and I love seeing how

knowing that you and your team

MF: We get to help people with real-

things come together. I am very

created a solution from scratch that

world problems, real-world

passionate about discovering new

NASA couldn’t find anywhere else?

developments, and reaching the next

solutions and solving difficult

MF: For me, for us all, it’s been an

level in our communities, our

problems or challenges, and I believe

honor to work with NASA and our

societies, and our technology in both

that comes from things I learned as a

National Labs; I never could have

earth and space. It’s super fulfilling for

kid. These are skills, and disciplines,

imagined that. Nor could I have

all of us, super meaningful. None of

that begin with our early learning.

imagined them coming to me and

us have had this experience at any

And STEM programs are wonderful at

saying, ‘This solution exceeds anything

other place we’ve worked.

providing what our future tech and

we’ve tried before.’ That means a lot.

materials for 3D printing.

— R.Y. SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

37

COVER STORY

IN SIG H TS

Stars in Her Eyes

Astronaut-in-Training Elsa Shiju Pursues a Gravity-Defying Goal

BY CALEB SCARLET PHOTO COURTESY OF ELSA SHIJU

A

S CHILDREN are often confronted with the question: “What do you want to do when you grow up?” and most often, we have the wildest ideas of what we want to do. We want to become sports professionals, princesses, adventurers, or astronauts.

In our innocence, we believe that anything is possible, but regrettably, most of us lose our innocent belief and give up on our dreams.

Not Elsa Shiju, though. Already at the age of 3, she dreamed of being involved in space exploration. “My father told me about the moon landings and that we could one day travel to Mars,” and that got her curious about the topic and made her watch videos, read books and go to all the Space Camps she could find. By age 7 she knew space was her dream and Mars her destination, so she went for it with all she’s got. For almost her entire life, she's been planning to become an astronaut and be one of the first humans to step foot on Mars.

And judging by how committed she seems to the cause, she just might stand a chance.

She's already attending NASA's Space Camps, and is now studying collegelevel classes from 8th grade.

At just 13 years old, Elsa’s list of accomplishments include witnessing 3 Space Shuttle launches, attending Space Camp 4 times, Space Academy, 38

STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

Robotics Academy, Cosmosphere Camp, National Flight Academy and VA Space Flight Academy including obtaining her Open Water Scuba Certification.

That's an impressive list of achievements already - you have to tick a lot of boxes if you want to make it as an astronaut, but Elsa is checking them off one by one.

But it hasn’t always been easy to be taken seriously at such a young age in that industry, she explains, and it’s still sometimes a struggle. Her older peers “have always been welcoming and nurtured my interest in space, but at the same time, I’ve always had the feeling I had to prove myself, and I had to show that I was just as skilled or could contribute just as well.”

Elsa’s advice to any young person following their dreams include: Passion: She loves space, so no matter if she experiences challenges or setbacks, she has a fire burning in her which keeps her going. So do something you’re really passionate about and let that fuel your motivation when you’re meeting resistance from your environment.

Balance: Although she is full of space passion, she thinks it’s important to balance out her life and not only to focus on her dream. Otherwise, her passion might burn out. So, if you’re working hard to achieve a

goal, remember to take time for fun and other activities too, so you don’t lose your motivation.

Openness: Goals are important, but life is full of surprises and the future unpredictable. She always tries to stay open and look out for unexpected opportunities and advises you to do the same. Keep exploring and trying new things out.

Once you figure out what you’re deeply interested in and you learn to trust yourself and your abilities, any obstacle becomes manageable.

Astronaut isn’t a job; it’s a destination. – Elsa Shiju Training to become an astronaut is no easy feat. It’s not only physically intense, but also psychologically. During her training, she has practiced navigating in zero gravity deep under water.

Elsa definitely believes in pushing oneself out of one’s comfort zone in order to learn and grow oneself. It’s scary sometimes, but always incredibly rewarding afterwards.

“Right now the plans for going to Mars are set for the early 2030s, which is great because I still have to finish school and get some work experience before applying,” Elsa’s practical nature keeps her relaxed about the upcoming mission and the role she will be playing.

"I’ve always had the feeling I had to prove myself, and I had to show that I was just as skilled or could contribute just as well."

“It takes 10,000 people to send one astronaut into space, and there are so many jobs involved you wouldn’t initially think of.” Even if being an astronaut isn’t the job for you, there are a lot more ways to get involved with space than becoming an astronaut for NASA, she stresses. One’s dream can take many shapes and forms, so even if you’re more interested in robotics, in AI, in design, in journalism, in psychology, you can find a place in the space industry.

“Definitely keep your mind open. And don’t be afraid to explore your different interests. All those small jobs really have a huge impact.” And this isn’t just the case in the space industry: It takes many people doing many different tasks to reach big goals. Whatever role you have and job you do, you can have a big impact as long as you place yourself behind a grand vision. It’s not about your title, it’s about your contribution.

Talk about your dreams and goals.

Someone might know someone who knows someone. – Elsa Shiju

"Even though there's a lot of risk in going to Mars, I believe the rewards are so much greater," she says. "At the end of the day there's so much good that can come from this mission."

As she sees it, the benefits greatly outweigh the potential risks. Being part of what she calls “The Mars Generation”, she considers it “my duty to cross this bridge so that the generations after me can cross theirs”, explaining that a Mars mission could possibly answer questions about sustainability on Earth and the survival of humankind in the wake of the climate crisis.

Pursuing a passion in the public eye, while never her initial goal, has nonetheless provided the opportunity to expand her social role in the sciences. “The reason I started speaking and doing more public events was really just because I saw, when the shuttle program ended, that there was a huge gap between what was really going on in the space industry and what the public had an understanding of,” she says. “People were acting like NASA was closed, or that

there was no more need for astronauts, when that’s not true at all!

So, what started out as a way to document my own aspirations has become an awesome way to connect with and inspire other people who have the same dreams.”

And this is why Elsa Shiju is no ordinary girl. If it’s anyone’s destiny to reach Mars, it’s hers.

CALEB SCARLET Careers Reporter Caleb Scarlet is a careers reporter who has a BA in neuroscience and a master’s degree in science communication. She is also an aspiring poet and a big fan of future technologies.

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From Engineering to Healing How iSpecimen COO Jill Mullan Marries Tech and Life Sciences

BY BETH COVINGTON PHOTOS COURTESY OF JILL MULLAN/iSPECIMEN

T

HERE ARE MANY ROADS to STEM-based careers today, just as there are many sciences involving the healing and care of the human body. For iSpecimen Chief Operating Officer Jill Mullan, the two have come together in the form of one of the most diverse and respected medical technology platforms. She has also combined her three greatest passions as a career woman and a STEM student from long before the term came into vogue: adventures in learning; fun and challenges in her career paths; and contributing to our health.

“So many opportunities exist now that did not when I started out, what, 35 years ago after I graduated college,” Jill said. “And I was the furthest thing from the healthcare field; I was an electrical engineer who went into the semiconductor industry and so I've been in technology my whole life. But that’s the beauty of STEM, right? We have these skills and now an incredibly diverse series of career options to use them.

“After semiconductors, I went to video editing software when it was a brand new thing, and then I went into storage networking, and then I went into regular networking — all when each was first starting out. Then I eventually made my way into this marketplace concept.

So, as a single example, I've been able to basically morph my career in technology across a lot of different industries, from semiconductors to now life sciences and marketplaces. Then I look within just the life science space. I mean, there's obviously all the biotech, pharma, diagnostic companies, medical devices… so vast.”

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The same could be said for the other industries in which Jill has worked: from semiconductors to today’s highly sophisticated device drivers and warp-speed computers that can fit onto the end of your finger; from video editing to phone editing and streaming; from storage networking to thumb drives and the cloud; from networking to VPNs and NextGen Internet and AI. However, when she moved into life sciences, she found a marriage with an even larger purpose as a lifelong technologist: using tech to make people healthier and learn more about the human body.

“In life sciences, we need qualified technologists or scientists to fill these roles. And I know a lot of them are growing really, really rapidly. There’s a huge opportunity here, from the moment you get out of school. You then start drilling down just within the life science space and then even drilling further, and you look at an organization like iSpecimen. We have physicians that essentially help touch healthcare and healthcare related fields, everything from specimen handling to clinical research coordinators.

“Then we also have things that you wouldn’t typically find in a healthcare environment, like software design and product design, typically more technology oriented roles or engineering oriented roles. Also, sales and business development, but roles that require people have a level of knowledge about biology or technology or some other life science. So, within the macro environment of everything STEM and the micro-environment of so many opportunities, I just don't think anybody could go wrong with an education in any of the STEM-related fields.”

Now, she puts this diverse assortment of skills and experiences to work with CEO Chris Elli and the rest of the iSpecimen team in an interactive and wide-ranging platform. Think of iSpecimen as an online library, where you look up a specific title or subject,

COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

and you’re put in touch with not only the desired book but an expert who can take you through it. Then, you take the book back to your room and apply what you learned from it. iSpecimen does this with the life sciences.

“When I first talked with Chris, he told me about this idea to create an online marketplace that would ingest information from healthcare providers, the medical record system, the laboratory information system, the biobank inventory systems, basically all the systems in the hospitals that had information about what patient samples and data were available,” Jill explained. “Then we would take this information, ingest it, and put it into the marketplace. Researchers would come to this marketplace and, using the same concept of a search with check box sliders to refine the search, would find those patient samples and data that they need for their research.

“If you are a medical researcher, it's typically a much more difficult process than making a few phone calls and trying to find healthcare providers. It typically takes six to 12 months to set up a single collaboration with a single healthcare provider to start obtaining specimens from that provider. Our goal was to eliminate that by having a place they could go to find what they needed, now, which of course helps advance medicine and save lives.”

She went on to explain how it works from the moment a researcher logs on to gain needed data, research or bioproducts from one of the 200 healthcare provider organizations under contract with iSpecimen today.

“The researcher can come to us, contract once and gain access to our network of healthcare providers and all of their specimens and data and patients,” Jill said. “And then likewise healthcare providers who have access to these specimens, whether they're sitting in a clinical lab or pathology lab or bio, or they have access to patients who are intersecting their healthcare system every day.

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Many will be more than happy to donate a specimen for research to access this vast material that's really dialed to these researchers. By working with us and providing their data, we can now light up their inventory or their sample availability and make it available to the research community.

“Our idea with this marketplace was to really simplify that process and make it as easy to find a specimen for research as it is to find a flight for your next vacation.”

Like many highly successful women and men today, Jill is paying her experiences and skills forward on behalf of kids and young adults making their way through school and exploring career opportunities. As a woman with a STEM-rich background, she finds it even more important to reach girls at an early age, when their high scientific and intellectual curiosity and focus has not yet been tested by the usual suspects in the early teen years (ages 12-14) — outside activities, boys, increased socializing, peer pressure and feeling like they’re not on par to succeed.

“I mean, a lot of it comes down to keeping your focus on your opportunities ahead and the skills you need to create them. Which is what STEM affords,” she said. “It’s a great long-term career that you can do a lot of different things, have a lot of fun, and really do great work. And supportive parents really matter. Let me use myself as an example and my mother as an example. She was an electrical engineer at Penn State before there were any women in engineering.

She was the first and only female engineer in her four years of college. Wow. I was very fortunate that I had her as a mentor to say it is okay and good for women to be in science and technology. I didn't go through that period of, ‘I'm not going to become an engineer because it's not cool.’

“What I wish I had known when I was the age of teen girls today is that going into engineering doesn't mean you to sit behind a computer, developing and designing products by yourself. And that's what I thought I needed to do as an engineer. And what I found out after being on the job as an engineer was for a few years, was that there were so many more opportunities. Just being an engineer with that degree allowed me to move into a lot of different, you know, functional areas and roles over the course of my career.

“My advice to younger women is that there is so much opportunity, and classes and projects that combine science, technology, engineering and math teaching you how to think and can allow you to go and do just about anything.”

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From Me to You 10 Tips for Girls in STEM

W

HEN WE interviewed the Women in STEM, we asked for tips they would offer to girls, teens and young women currently in school or participating in STEMbased programs. From the multitude of great advice and insight we received, we present these 10 Tips: Don’t Worry About What

01 Others Think: Everyone is different. Successful people celebrate their differences and work together to create great things with their different skills. Our differences help us move forward. Own your voice and be confident in it. Own your path to success, and honor how unique you are.

Stand Out in Your Niche: Do

02 you know the secret of having

large followings on social media?

It is not liking and agreeing with, or doing, what others do. It is standing out in what you do best. Be a trendsetter.

Excel in what you do best. Dance differently than everyone else has. Always try to be the one who creates the new item, that solves the puzzle, that shows others how it’s done. This is a superpower that assures success and a very fulfilling life and career.

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Try a Lot of Things: Think of

03 STEM as your chance to play in the sandbox of experimenting, building, discovering and adventuring. As one of our older featured Women in STEM says, “I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.” Trying new things gives you a bigger toolbox. It makes you want to learn even more. It opens new worlds, new career possibilities, new ways to make your mark and tell your unique story in the world. You also become the person everyone wishes she or he could be!

literally what science and engineering is built from. Thomas Edison failed 10,000 or more times before inventing the modern light bulb. Great people fail often — and then they learn from their mistakes. We cannot evolve or advance anything in science, or life, without failing to some degree, and then adjusting. So, if you get a wrong answer on an exam, or build a robot that doesn’t work, take it apart, figure out the mistake and come back more powerful than ever.

Let Your Dreams Grow — and

Find Your Squad: As young 04 scientists and voracious learners, STEM students spend a lot of time building, experimenting or thinking on their own. Find your squad, the people who are also into STEM, who you can talk to, who support you and add to your brilliance — and who you support and help. Go to libraries, chemistry labs, field trips and summer camps together. Hang out in STEM as if it were lunch break.

Find people who love the same thing you love — and become the rock stars we need most: tomorrow’s innovators and world-builders.

05

Failure Is Good: Failure is not only good, but it’s necessary to achieve great success. It is

06 Change: When you state a dream, know that is the most important thing you want to achieve. For now. If your dream changes, move with it, and grow it.

Every two years or so, evaluate your dreams and ask, “do I still want this? Is this still my goal? Am I still so passionate about it that I’ll do whatever it takes to get there?” Like careers and life experiences, dreams change as we grow. New dreams are always good, for you, for your work and for the world.

Practice 360-Degree Focus:

07 When a scientist invents a process or product, she or he does much more than put together materials in a combination and application no one has seen before. What goes into that are the

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PHOTO CREDIT: Tijana Simic/Shutterstock

preceding failures, research, learning equipment and materials, visualizing the product when complete… and so much more. All of this adds up to 360-degree focus. Train your entire attention on that project while doing it. Bring in everything that led to that moment. Use it to empower you to find the solution and bring it into the world.

Find Classes That Combine 08 Fields: Science is a series of specialized fields — chemistry, biology, physics, etc. However, life and nature are what happens when these fields work together. Make that your approach to STEM education. Find classes (or, upperlevel college students, create classes) that combine these fields. Environmental

science is a perfect example. Understand how the fields interconnect, and how by working together, they create more opportunity in the world, and in your career. Become knowledgeable in as many fields as possible.

Enter Your Gateway, and

09 Then…: What is the science, subject or career field you really want to do now? Use it to get in the door to an internship, college, job or new program — and then be open to seeing what other fields it takes you to. Maybe you want to be a veterinarian, but once you finish vet school, researching is your thing. Or, you are building robots, but once you move into that field, you find automating NextGen factories is all about

you. Gateways are huge. Now is the time to determine yours and where you think it can take you.

Be True to Vision. Heart. Self.:

10 You might be 12, or 14, or 16,

and the world of friends and activities that lies ahead is awesome and full of the fun you want to have. That’s when it’s time to commit even more deeply to STEM and your studies — and to yourself. When you become an adult, you’ll be having even more fun building tomorrow’s world and society, with plenty of friends who think and achieve as well. Be true to your vision.

Be true to your heart. Be true to who you are. Wear your superpowers brilliantly.

— B.C. SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

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TOP STEM AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS 02

PHOTO CREDIT: Yuriy Golub/Shutterstock

PA R T

STEM Today presents the Top 20 afterschool programs offered in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic COMPILED BY STEM TODAY EDITORIAL TEAM

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STEM EDUCATION instills higher education in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics world.

These valued skills will take students’ education to new heights and better prepare them for the future as our world becomes more innovative. These featured afterschool programs will offer everything from art, coding, science, robotics, math, music and literacy, all while keeping things light, playful and educational, while enhancing each child’s range.

Enhancing each child’s range of skills, teamwork abilities, problem solving, organization, creativity, logic, memory, researching ability and fine motor skills. Let’s take a deeper dive into these amazing programs and see what they have to offer our future leaders, inventors and innovators.

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KidzArt

Code Ninjas

PHOTO COURTESY OF Code Ninja

WHAT CHILD DOESN’T WANT TO BUILD THEIR VERY OWN VIDEO GAME? Code Ninjas is one of the world’s largest up and coming kids coding franchise. There are over a 100 locations around the globe in areas such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Visit www.codeninjas.com and click find a center button for one of the 102 locations nearest to you.

Coding is a key aspect of understanding our technologically advanced world. With technology rapidly on the rise Code Ninjas will provide our children with the coding tools needed to meet the demand of a high-tech world and how it works. Kids will be developing their own games that they can play to bring together both education and fun a must have for keeping them engaged and letting their minds thrive, all while setting them up for what the future holds. Every parent will love the enrichment your child will gain from joining this program such as: developing problem solving skills, teamwork, logic and math skills. Let’s unlock our children’s potential and get them coding with Code Ninjas leading the way.

STEM for Kids

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEM for Kids

WITH STEM RELATED JOBS GROWING fast in our nation, STEM for Kids can offer your child the STEM curriculum that will ground them in the STEM field and better prepare them for the ever-growing workforce that lies ahead. STEM for Kids offers courses in computer programming, robotics engineering, advanced manufacturing, automation, biomedical engineering, business and finance and much more. Age groups for this afterschool program range from early

EVERY CHILD ENJOYS ART and the creative expression that it provides. The one hang up that deters children and adults from enjoying this creativity and individualism is the fear that others will judge the art created in a negative way.

KidzArt has developed multimedia programs that include classes, camps, workshops and parties that provide a safe environment for young and adult artists to create and improve their own artistic abilities and reach artistic goals they would have never thought to be possible.

Beginner or seasoned, young or old, all artists are welcome to join this program and start creating!

Every parent will enjoy being able to see their children create their own masterpieces. Parents will also be able to watch them grow and unleash their own self-expression through art. Why would we want to hold our kids back from being able to express themselves? We don’t! For guidance to this program go to www. kidzart.com and click the "find a location" button to reach one of the 40 global locations nearest to you.

elementary students to middle school students.

With our children’s future at stake, STEM for Kids can help mold them into STEM-proficient young minds. So parents, if your child comes home from school and tells you he wants to grow up and be a rocket scientist, set him up for success and go check out this website to take full advantage of what STEM for Kids can offer him. Go to www.stemforkids.net and click on “register” to find one of the 80.

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LearningRx Snapology SNAPOLOGY FOUNDED THEIR FRANCHISE on the notion that kids will stay engaged and learn more through interactive play. Most closely related to building blocks, LEGOs, K’Nex, and other building toys that can be constructed and engineered and are deemed with the STEM concept. They offer all related STEM curriculum including but not limited to robotics, coding, engineering, video game design, science, technology, art, math, literacy and other fun themes. Children from ages one to 14 will enjoy the freedom of creating, interacting and inventing all while motivating their social skills, teamwork abilities and improving their knowledge in the STEM concepts.

When we as parents, look at our children we can see the engineer inside of them as they play. Why not let the awardwinning team at Snapology shine a little light on that and help bring out the future inventor inside of them all? Go visit their website at www.snapology.com and find one of their 100 locations or their online courses available to you. Our children will love it and just might thank us later!

Baby Power/ Forever Kids

LEARNINGRX is just what the doctor ordered to help both children and adults with proactive personal brain training for those who may suffer from learning difficulties.

LearningRx will focus on cognitive thinking, learning and reading for kids who need aid due to academic or attention disabilities like dyslexia, memory issues, autism, traumatic brain injury and other cognitive or attention hurdles. Each child can participate in a Cognitive Skills Assessment followed by a consultation to help guide the one-on-one instructors to improve your child’s learning ability and performance. The mental training your child will receive is fun and enjoyable but also challenging with the focus on each individual’s weaknesses to improve them for the future.

As a parent of a child that struggles with cognitive developmental delay, I find this afterschool program to be exactly what she needs. It is challenging for me to pinpoint her exact needs but LearningRx can do just that and give her the tools and attention to train her brain in the areas that she lacks in. Let LearningRx guide your journey for your children and yourself. You can find everything you are looking for in one of their 167 centers worldwide go to www.learningrx.com, click get started and begin the road to more precise and individualized learning.

Parker-Anderson Enrichment

www.babypower.com

www.parker-anderson.org

CHILDREN LEARN in different developmental phases. Baby Power/Forever Kids have broken down these phases for our youngsters ranging in ages of 6 months to 3.5 years. Baby Power/Forever Kids programs are going to enrich your child’s physical, emotional and intellectual growth while promoting confidence. Baby Power/Forever Kids will have little ones enjoying physical activities in warms up and gymnastics, singing along to music while developing memory and overall literacy skills, also enjoying story time and show and tell. The classes are topped off at 8 children so each child will have a more individualized to small group setting to learn and thrive.

Parents, set your little ones up for success and empower them at an early age. Let Baby Power/Forever Kids franchise help you celebrate the milestones they achieve as they grow.

Visit www.babypower.com for more info and to find one of the 41 locations closest to you.

“FUN COMES FIRST” is Parker-Anderson’s approach and motto to afterschool learning. They provide an extra hour of schoolbased learning for children at the end of the school day, relieving parents of having to find afterschool care or babysitters. With their come to you approach they will visit the child’s school, community center, summer camp, learning camps, academic tournaments or even birthday parties at a location close to you.

They also have online courses to make things easier for the virtual learners. Parker-Anderson provides 50 types of enrichment classes and curricula in Chess-Club, Fashion, Math, Painting, Robotics, Coding and much more with fun at the heart of them all.

Parents, take it from the thousands of elementary school students that Parker-Anderson has helped along their two-decade long journey in afterschool learning and let these enrichment classes come to your child. Visit their website at www.parkeranderson.org and click the sign-up button or visit one of the 19 physical locations to let the afterschool learning begin.

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CREATING TOMORROW’S WORKFORCE

The Government’s Big Investment in STEM

BY ROBERT YEHLING

ILLUSTRATION BY TarikVision/Shutterstock

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

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“You have to get to the kids by middle school — especially the girls. That is where they first put it all together, that biology goes with chemistry goes with physics goes with geology and the environment… this is the age where the magic and their belief they can make a career from this really starts to happen.”

- Dr. Tracy Fanara

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PHOTO CREDIT: Mote Marine Lab

NE OF THE LEAST KNOWN bipartisan initiatives under the Trump Administration is proving to be one of the best government-private sector-public school partnerships to educate, empower and create tomorrow’s sophisticated STEM workforce.

Formally known as the Defense Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Consortium (DSEC), the partnership is broadening STEM literacy and developing a diverse and agile workforce with technical excellence. By addressing and prioritizing critical STEM challenges, the Department of Defense is investing in evidence-based approaches to inspire and develop the Nation’s science and technology workforce.

The consortium is aligned with the Federal STEM Education Strategic Plan.

According to the official website, “DSEC seeks to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

This multi-year effort includes elements focused on

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STEM enrichment programs for students and educators, STEM workforce engagement, program evaluation, and public outreach.” The end game? To improve access and resources for students to pursue STEM careers. While DoD is laying skin in the game in the hopes STEM achievers work in Defense, the skills and opportunities spread across the entire Federal, contractor and corporate spectrum.

Simply put, it is the largest STEM-related net being cast to ensure a workforce that can execute to all the advanced technology, manufacturing, healthcare, IT and other fields that will drive our economy moving forward.

DSEC, or the DoD-STEM Consortium, begins at the beginning — in elementary school. Also, and importantly, it reaches not only to middle- and upperclass school districts and students, but emphasizes efforts in underprivileged and underserved communities and school districts. Twenty-five years of STEM initiatives, programs and research in this country have made it clear: basic STEM concepts are best learned at an early age—in elementary and secondary school.

As NOAA scientist and global STEM influencer Dr. Tracy Fanara told Innovation & Tech Today, “You have to get to the kids by middle school — especially the girls.

That is where they first put it all together, that biology goes with chemistry goes with physics goes with geology and the environment… this is the age where the magic and their belief they can make a career from this really starts to happen.”

Likewise, studies show that by secondary school years, kids have learned or are learning the essential prerequisites to career technical training, advanced college-level and graduate study, and to increasing their technical skills in the workplace. “Increasing the overall digital literacy of Americans and enhancing the STEM workforce will necessarily involve the entire U.S. STEM enterprise,” the DSEC website states.

This is where the power and funding of the Federal Government kicks into high gear. The Government works in partnership with stakeholders at all levels — contractors, employers, school districts, educators, families, students, communities and STEM influencers —to remove barriers to participation in STEM careers, especially for women and other underrepresented groups.

The goal? By the end of 2023, all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment.

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To do so, DSEC spells out three aspirational goals, or “North Stars,” on which they focus this entire program:

1

2

This strategy is built on four approaches that are cross-cut and cross-linked, each holding its own set of objectives and priority actions for achieving them:

1

Build Strong Foundations for STEM Literacy: Ensure that

Develop and Enrich Strategic Partnerships. This pathway

every American has the

focuses on strengthening existing relationships and developing

opportunity to master basic STEM

new connections between educational institutions, employers

concepts, including computational

and their communities. It brings together schools, colleges and

thinking, and to become digitally

universities, libraries, museums, and other community resources

literate. A STEM-literate public will

to build STEM ecosystems that broaden and enrich each learner’s

be better equipped to handle rapid

educational and career journey. On top of that, it engages

technological change and will be

learners in work-based learning experiences with local

better prepared to participate in

employers, internships, apprenticeships, and research

civil society.

experiences.

Increase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEM: Provide all

2

Americans with lifelong access to

Engage Students where Disciplines Converge. Make

high-quality STEM education,

STEM learning more meaningful and inspiring to students by

especially those historically

focusing on complex real-world problems and challenges that

underserved and underrepresented

require initiative and creativity. It promotes innovation and

in STEM fields and employment.

entrepreneurship by engaging learners in transdisciplinary

The full benefits of the Nation’s

activities such as project-based learning, science fairs, robotics

STEM enterprise will not be

clubs, invention challenges, or gaming workshops that require

realized until this goal is achieved.

participants to identify and solve problems using knowledge and methods from across disciplines.

3

Prepare the STEM Workforce for the Future: This applies to both college-educated STEM

3

practitioners and those working in

Build Computational Literacy. Digital devices and the

skilled trades that do not require a

internet have transformed society. The initiative adopts strategies

four-year degree. The mission? To

that empower learners to take maximum advantage of this

create authentic learning

change. This pathway seeks to advance computational thinking

experiences that encourage and

as a critical skill for today’s world. Computational thinking,

prepare learners to pursue STEM

including computer science, means solving complex problems

careers. A diverse talent pool of

with data, a skill that can be learned at an early age. It seeks to

STEM-literate Americans prepared

expand the use of digital platforms for teaching and learning as

for the jobs of the future will be

well (which has proven priceless and lifesaving during the

essential for maintaining the

pandemic.).

national innovation base that supports key sectors of the economy and for making the

4

scientific discoveries and creating

Operate with Transparency and Accountability. This

the technologies of the future.

pathway commits the Federal Government to open, evidencebased practices and decision-making in STEM programs, investments and activities — and for STEM stakeholders to abide by the same.

SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

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Product Showcase COMPILED BY ERIN JAMES

F ISHER PRICE

Think & Learn Code-A-Pillar www.fisherprice.com THIS IS A TOY THAT MIGHT STAY AROUND LONGER than most parents think! Code-A-Pillar offers children ages three to ten hours of endless play coding their own Code-A-Pillar. This toy

LEGO

contains one motorized head and eight easy-to-connect USB

Classic Ocean’s Bottom Building Kit www.lego.com

segments, which allows for many different combinations and sequences to drive their own coded caterpillar to its target goals. The Code-A-Pillar can move forward, left, right and really

KIDS, THE OCEAN AND LEGOS — can you think of a more

any direction in which your child programs it to go. It also lights

perfect combination? Especially since Legoland is just two miles

up and makes its own fun character sounds, which brings it to

from the beach in Carlsbad, California?

life and engages children even more. Children will experience

LEGO’s Classic Ocean’s Bottom Building Kit, offers children

cognitive development, sequencing skills, critical thinking,

from ages six to ten hours of sturdy building fun, while

discovery, memory, and experimentation. I wouldn’t be

promoting engineering design processes. With LEGO’s 579-

surprised if even the parents got on in the fun with this

piece kit and an array of bright, playful colors, children will

amazing STEM focused toy.

experience creative play and building while diving to the ocean’s floor. LEGO has included special pieces such as wheels,

Price: $130

shapes, and eyes. Plus, they’re adding a special edition tile celebrating 60 years of interactive play through the LEGO bricks.

Children will also find in this kit, accessory items like a sword, wizards’ hat, hammer, fish, flippers and much more.

LEGO is a leader among STEM geared toys, and this kit certainly lives up to the hype. Every aquatic, curious and STEM focused mind will thrive and enjoy this set for hours on end.

Price: $50 HONESTLY, WHAT CHILD DOESN’T LOVE ROBOTS? Robotics is a great way to spark interest in coding, problem-solving, technical skills, art, mathematics, and engineering. KIBO 10 Kit is an introductory kit for robotics. The kit contains ten programming blocks, four parameter cards, two motors and two wheels. Your child will experience a hands-on approach, alleviating the need for a screen! KIBO 10 Kit will educate children on all the introductory skills they need for programming and mobile robotics. These precocious four- to seven-year-olds will create, decorate,

KI B O

Robotics 10 Kit www.kinderlabrobotics.com

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and design their own robots, hopefully igniting a spark for the robotics field and developing STEM skills for future success.

Price: $220

GEOSAFARI JR.

Talking Microscope www.educationalinsights.com EVERY FUTURE SCIENTIST, biologist and chemist will adore GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope. It will have children ages four and up talking in the narrative voice of Australian adventurer Bindi Irwin as they look through its particular “senses”. On the other side of the “sense”, children will receive close-up looks at different plants, animals and household items from a selection of 60 amazing full-color image slides. The kit also includes over 100 fun facts and questions that explore animals and plants.

This interactive, STEM-geared toy will provide hours of play, teaching kids biology and botany while keeping them entertained and learning independently. Parents, we might even learn a few fun new facts along the way!

Price: $25

OS M O

Genius Starter Kit for iPad www.playosmo.com BRING FUN AND MAGIC TO YOUR KIDS’ FINGERTIPS — and onto their screens. Osmo – Genius Starter Kit for iPad awakens

4M

Water Rocket Kit www.homesciencetools.com

screens to life with handheld interactive pieces. With this kit,

3… 2… 1… BLAST OFF! 4M Water Rocket Kit will be sure not to

kids interact with real-world pieces and control and manipulate

disappoint. Teens and preteens will love building their own

what happens on their iPad screen. Children will benefit from

water pressurized rocket that can shoot up to 100 feet in the

this toy by learning visual problem-solving skills, mathematics,

air. The 4M Water Rocket Kit includes a plastic bottle, four fins,

geography, and marine biology, as well as improving on their

one fin support, one stopper and connector, one pump

reading, spelling and vocabulary skills. And much more. The

connector, one extension tube, and an easy-to-read instruction

Osmo – Genius Starter Kit includes the Osmo base and iPad

manual. It also requires a bike pump (not included). Young

reflector, tangram pieces, number tiles, word tiles, stackable

scientists, space fight adventurists and innovators will enjoy

storage for each game and five game apps. The iPad not

constructing, engineering, and setting to flight their own

included, and wi-fi is not necessary to play. Parents will watch

rocket. The 4M Water Rocket is sure to be a loved and favored

their children explore, learn, and grow from this amazing

science project. The sky is the limit. Let their minds blast off

interactive toy.

into a new skyward adventure.

Amazon Price: $72

Price: $25 SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

55

Coming Next Issue STEM SUMMER SPECTACULAR!

E

VER WONDER WHAT HAPPENS to all those great STEM classes, curricula, afterschool programs and competitions when students hit the campus doors for the last time and summer vacation arrives?

Well, we’re going to show you in our first ever STEM Summer Spectacular Issue in STEM Today! For the second straight issue, we’re joining our editors from several of our family of magazines as well as our most passionate STEM writers to drop in on the summer fun — and watch tomorrow’s most brilliant minds continue creating, experimenting, discovering and exploring well beyond the classroom.

In this issue, we will be visiting and surveying: • STEM Summer Camps

56

STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022

• STEM-based Sporting Events • Technology and Science Behind Our Major Sports Teams, Competitions (and Stadiums) • The Science of Swimming, Surfing and Your Favorite Ocean and Water Sports • STEM Vacation Hotspots • Summer Workshops You Don’t Want to Miss • U.S. Space Camp And in short, everything a STEM student would want to do for summer fun — and what educators, administrators, parents and grandparents wish they were doing during their summer vacations years ago. Let’s face it: if you like to learn, this is your time!

See you very soon with our STEM Summer Spectacular Issue.

PHOTO PHOTO BY: BY: Robert Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock Kneschke/Shutterstock

ALL ACCESS

FREE VIRTUAL SERIES FOR GRADES 6-12

X-STEM ALL ACCESS FEATURING THE COOLEST MINDS IN STEM Get an inside look at the exciting careers and personal journeys of diverse STEM role models in these inspiring 30-minute episodes. Available FREE and on-demand!

PRESENTED BY:

A

OGRAM O PR F

WATCH ON-DEMAND AT USASCIENCEFESTIVAL.ORG SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY

57

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