SJSU Research and Innovation’s Post

Webinar Opportunity! Student STEM research presentations at the 2024 ERN Conference, supported by AAAS and National Science Foundation (NSF), are quickly approaching! To assist you in honing your 2024 ERN Conference STEM research presentations, we arranged for Dr. Mary Ann Leung of Sustainable Horizons Institute to deliver a series of webinars to help you prepare. This webinar, How to Deliver an Excellent Poster Presentation, will go over the basics of conference poster presentations and tips for delivering your research in both an effective and interesting manner. This webinar is NOT exclusive to 2024 ERN Conference participants, and we welcome all students that are interested in improving their presentation skills to join. Webinar: How to Deliver an Excellent Poster Presentation (https://lnkd.in/ejS5nNbD) (Wednesday, Feb. 21, 11:30am - 12:30pm EST) To register, copy and paste the link above. All webinar dates will be available for on-demand viewing. To view these presentations, please register for the session time you would like to view approximately 48 hours after the presentation. For those needing captioning, we will release those versions at a later date. A webinar on presenting an oral presentation will be available in February. We will send a notice ahead of this additional webinar. We can't wait to hear about your STEM research at #ERN2024!

Why do we use the term PATHWAYS instead of ‘pipeline’ in our longitudinal study of youth persistence in STEM careers? Many researchers, including our team, have raised concerns about the “pipeline” metaphor: it implies a single linear path and not the heterogeneity of #pathways. The #pipeline framing ignores the systemic inequities of science learning contexts that have posed disruptions and obstacles to youth’s #STEM pursuits; and masks the cultural and contextual features of youth’s lived experiences that serve as assets and resources.    In a NEW paper out in Teachers College Record last week, we describe our study’s methodological and conceptual approach to these concerns. We offer alternative ways to measure and understand pathways through our NSF-funded #longitudinal study which is mixed methods and relies on survey, social network and interview data.   Dr Anna MacPherson, the first author, explained:  “To collect information about where youth and new adults were located along their professional pathway and measure constructs we hypothesized might be related to their chosen pathways, we had to design a new survey instrument in the first year of the study. In our paper, we describe the way we selected published scales that measure key constructs of interest (e.g., belonging, science identity, flourishing) and summarize our first year of data collection. In this project, we challenge the typical "pipeline" metaphor by interrogating what is meant by a “STEM” pathway, measuring constructs not typically measured in STEM pipeline research, endeavoring to make our measures intersectional, and imagining alternative outcomes in addition to “staying in STEM." We hope that these methods and alternative conceptions will help other researchers who are also studying youth pathways! https://lnkd.in/e8gVx6RM Staying in Science Research team: Preeti Gupta, Rachel Chaffee, Jennifer Adams, Anna MacPherson, Alan Daly, Peter Bjorklund Jr., Ph.D., Lois Wu, Jahneal Francis, MPH, CPH, Lucie Lagodich, Priya-Syrina H., Coral Braverman, Mahmoud Abouelkheir  #informal #learning #STEM #pathways #youth #museums #research

How inspiring is this? A glimpse into the future of STEM. The Regeneron Science Talent Search 2024, America's oldest and most prestigious STEM competition for high school seniors, announced that Achyuta Rajaram won first place 🥇 and $250,000 for developing an automatic method to discover which parts of a computer model are involved in decision-making. This knowledge sheds light on what these algorithms are "thinking," which can help make them more effective, fair and safe. 🥈 Second place and $175,000 went to Thomas Cong, 17, of Ossining, NY for investigating the rapid growth of certain cancers and whether information controlling metabolism is primarily controlled by the expression of genetic information. 🥉 Third place and $150,000 went to Michelle Wei, 17, of San Jose, CA for finding that second-order cone programming problems can be solved more quickly than previously thought by converting the original problem into a modified form. Learn more about Regeneron Science Talent Search at https://lnkd.in/dQsCcPnC.

📢 Exciting New Article Alert! 📚🌟🔥 Dive into our latest post! 🕵️♂️ From insightful tips to in-depth analysis, our team got you covered! 💡📌 The Role Of Stem In Addressing Global Issues - https://lnkd.in/drEvYfbH ➡️ Introduction To Stem And Its Importance In Solving Global Challenges The acronym STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, encompassing a broad spectrum of disciplines that are foundational to the technological and scientific advancements shaping our world. At the heart of STEM is an integrated approach to learning that encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovative design—skills essential for tackling complex global issues. As we navigate through an era marked by rapid technological advancements and unprecedented challenges, including climate change, global health crises, and sustainable development needs, the importance of STEM education has never been more pronounced. [0, 1, 2] […] ✍️ Vangelis Kotselas 📧innovatebiz (The scientific arm of INVESTIMA LLC)

📢 Exciting New Article Alert! 📚🌟🔥 Dive into our latest post! 🕵️♂️ From insightful tips to in-depth analysis, our team got you covered! 💡📌 The Role Of Stem In Addressing Global Issues - https://lnkd.in/difibtdi ➡️ Introduction To Stem And Its Importance In Solving Global Challenges The acronym STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, encompassing a broad spectrum of disciplines that are foundational to the technological and scientific advancements shaping our world. At the heart of STEM is an integrated approach to learning that encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovative design—skills essential for tackling complex global issues. As we navigate through an era marked by rapid technological advancements and unprecedented challenges, including climate change, global health crises, and sustainable development needs, the importance of STEM education has never been more pronounced. [0, 1, 2] […] ✍️ Vangelis Kotselas 📧innovatebiz (The scientific arm of INVESTIMA LLC)

"The U.S. sorely needs a coordinated national research strategy", says Marcia McNutt, president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. In a first-ever “State of the Science” address, she warned the U.S. was ceding its global scientific leadership to other countries, China in particular. This slippage could make it harder for the U.S. to maintain the strength of its economy and protect its national security. U.S. has a declining share of the most cited science papers. It still spends the most money out of any other country on research and development although China's investment growth rate is double that of the USA. China currently files more patents than the U.S. and hosts more than a quarter of the world’s clinical trials, as compared to only 3% in 2013. The US accounts for nearly 60% of all Nobel Prizes awarded since the end of World War II. This dominance is now being challenged. As federal investment dipped in the 1980s, the scientific landscape grew more complex. Companies and philanthropies began funding and conducting greater portions of research and development. The private sector tends to pursue narrower, applied interests, and to keep its findings to itself. When companies take over entire fields as they did with genetically modified organisms and now artificial intelligence, public’s distrust is increased. Math and science proficiency fell during the 1980s too, with fewer Americans entering the STEM workforce. Of utmost importance, McNutt emphasised, was improving K–12 STEM education. Foreign-born individuals play a key role in maintaining U.S. STEM prowess, accounting for 19% of the nation’s STEM workforce and 43% of its STEM Ph.D. population. However, decline in Chinese students enrolling in US universities in recent years, represents risk to the US's ability to attract top talent. In 2022 Congress passed a law in line with many of McNutt’s recommendations: the CHIPS and Sciences Act. The statute which McNutt called a “good start”, promised not only to revive homegrown semiconductor production for computers but also to invest $170 billion in broad research funding over the next five years, as well as to expand STEM education on the K–12, college and graduate levels. The outcome of the upcoming presidential election may shape the future of federal scientific program as well. During the past four years, the Biden administration has supported modest increases to several scientific agencies’ budgets, including those of the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2020, the last year of his term, former president Donald Trump proposed widespread slashes, although those were dismissed by Congress. See articles from Scientific American and Tech Times. https://lnkd.in/gZdSNe8M https://lnkd.in/gK866QQp #Science #Geopolitics

The $3.8 million investment boost in the game-changing Superstars of STEM program will powerfully elevate diversity in science and technology and inspire girls and women to study STEM subjects. The funding – announced last night by Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic MP – pays for the program to run until 2030, and provides for an increased focus on reaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences. Superstars of STEM is run by Science & Technology with funding from the Australian Government. The program takes women and non-binary scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, and gives them the skills, training, and support they need to turn themselves into highly-visible role models in the media. Since 2017 it has created 210 Superstars of STEM, including such well-known scientific media commentators as whale expert Dr Vanessa Pirotta, infectious diseases expert A/Prof Kudzai Kanhutu, and Gamilaroi astrophysicist Karlie Noon. The program was praised in the recent Pathway to Diversity in STEM review as one that was making a tangible difference and shifting the dial in getting more women and girls into STEM study and careers. Applications for the next intake of the program which begins in 2025 are open now. https://lnkd.in/gVVPjdCp #SuperstarsOfSTEM Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Australian Government

The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded teams from South Dakota, New Hampshire and Maine approximately $8 million each through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement program. This initiative aims to enhance states' research and development competitiveness and drive scientific progress nationwide. "By boosting their state's R&D capabilities, these teams are poised to drive use-inspired research and transform STEM education and workforce development within their regions." This investment underscores our commitment to advancing research and building robust research infrastructure hubs, fostering innovative ecosystems, and creating pathways for economic growth and societal impact,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. Teams will spend the next four years collaborating across diverse academic, governmental, industry and nonprofit sectors to address core research infrastructure needs. Their goal is to cultivate self-sustaining research ecosystems and foster pathways to STEM fields, driving both economic growth and societal impact. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3WEZImf #EPSCoR

Really interesting to look at this recent ranking of the "Top 50 Universities Led by Women" - the international comparison speaks to questions we're trying to answer in our Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs working group, empowering the next generation of women leaders around the world. The US claims only 15 of the 50 top women-led institutions (30%), despite taking up 44% of the spots on the international university rankings list. It's interesting to examine those countries where this trend reverses. The UK is close, with UK institutions capturing 16% of the top women-led universities and 14% of the overall top university rankings. Germany has 12% of the top women-led universities but only 6% of the overall top rankings, and Australia lands at 8% of the top women-led and only 2% overall. The winner, I think, is the Netherlands claiming 12% of the top women-led universities despite an overall ranking claim of only 2%.

A far better explanation of today's conference!