USM Chancellor Kirwan Addressed STEM Leaders on Vital Role of Higher Education
The Universities at Shady Grove (USG, www.shadygrove.umd.edu) welcomed the National Defense Industry Association (NDIA) and the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) for a quarterly STEM Workforce Committee meeting on Oct. 25-26. As keynote speaker, University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Dr. William Kirwan spoke about Maryland’s leadership in education and several state STEM initiatives that address the nation’s challenges in remaining a global leader in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Dr. Stewart Edelstein, USM’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and USG’s Executive Director also discussed Montgomery County-specific initiatives. Other speakers included June Streckfus from the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, Dr. Patrick Gallagher from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Professor Sylvester Gates from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and University of Maryland, College Park.
“Alarming indicators suggest that we are a ‘nation at risk’ because of the education deficit we are building in relation to the rest of the industrialized world, especially in so-called STEM areas,” said Kirwan. “However, with 70 of America’s top 100 defense contractors and 16 of the top 25 aerospace companies having a presence in Maryland, combined with our position among the best educated states and research and development powerhouses in the nation, Maryland and USM are in a unique position to help reverse the trend.”
Kirwan described key state developments, including a STEM Task Force appointed by Governor Martin O’Malley in 2008, demonstrating how the highest level of government recognizes the importance of STEM. He indicated the continued need for Maryland to be in the forefront of advances in this area. USM is also redesigning the way instructors teach STEM courses to place more emphasis on active learning, drawing on real world applications to engage and motivate students. The transition is key to improving learning and retention in STEM disciplines, considering that the biggest “leak” in the STEM production pipeline is in the freshman and sophomore years of college. Two additional “rays of hope” and opportunities for the state include fulfilling industry demands that will result from the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission and cyber security. USM is responding to these needs with expanded academic programming and task force development.
“Building on USM’s commitment to STEM innovation, the Universities at Shady Grove increases access to related programs for people in Montgomery County and the STEM-focused I-270 corridor,” said Edelstein. “Our programs in biological sciences, offered on the USG campus by University of Maryland, College Park, and
cybersecurity and biotechnology studies, offered by University of Maryland University College (UMUC), are examples of pathways to educating a more robust STEM workforce.”
The AIA and NDIA STEM Workforce Committees hold joint quarterly meetings around the country to bring together organizations that have local and national initiatives to help create local communities of practice. The meeting also included presentations from experts at BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), University of Maryland, Teachers on Tour, National Research Center for College and University Readiness, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital, Montgomery College, U.S. Air Force Association, Living Classrooms Foundation, State Division of Career and College Readiness, National Governors Association, National Science Teachers Association, National Association of Rocketry, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County.