Science Cheerleader

In our continuing effort to playfully challenge stereotypes–and inspire young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, math, and health–I, Dr. John, would like to introduce you to Erica, a San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleader and a software engineer with a masters in Instructional Technology.

In between nailing double pirouettes, Erica works as an Instructional Designer for online classes for graduate students. As distributed e-learning becomes more and more common, it’s great to know that multi-talented women like Erica are working hard to improve online education and training.

I recently had a chance to ask Erica a few questions about her passion for engineering, the challenges of balancing two different worlds, and her future ambitions. Thanks to Erika and the 49ers Gold Rush for spending some with ScienceCheerleader!

Erica, what experience turned you on to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers?

I went to a Math, Science, and Technology High school where I could take programming and advanced math classes. Math was my favorite subject but wasn’t my best. I asked one of my teachers if I could be an engineer if math wasn’t my best subject — he said no. From then one I was determined to prove him wrong, which I did.

Do you have any advice for youngsters who might feel torn between following one dream associated with beauty or physique (like cheerleading) and pursuing a science and engineering career usually associated with, well, geeks?

I think you experience the best of both worlds when you pursue both STEM careers and beauty/physique-centered activities. I am constantly challenged by both, but one is a mental challenge and the other a physical challenge.

How did your fellow cheerleaders accept your interest in engineering?

My fellow cheerleaders accept my interest in engineering. I don’t think they know how much I’m into it. It’s funny because they find what I do to be amazing and challenging when I think of them as just as smart as me and able to do it just as easily. We all find qualities in each other that we wish we had.

Is there advice you would give your former 10-12-year-old self, now that you have the benefit of hindsight?

If there were advice I could give my former 10 year-old-self it would be to accept my talent and not follow the crowd. I was in advanced math and science class throughout elementary and middle school. When I entered middle school, I wanted to be in classes with my friends so I complained to my mom that I didn’t understand my teachers and the work was too hard. She eventually pulled me out of the advanced classes. I was taking Pre Calculus and Physics in 6th grade.

Can you describe a “typical day” at work?

I usually come in and check emails. After emails I work on the Xserve for about 3 hours. I have lunch and watch tourist out on the Pier for about an hour. The rest of my day is working with instructors to design online classes for graduate students.

What are your plans for the future?

In the future, I would like to get my PhD in Instructional Design and become a college professor.

Best cheerleading experience?

My second best cheerleading experience is when I made the Gold Rush finals. My best cheerleading experience is when I actually made Gold Rush. I couldn’t wait to tell my family and especially my Dad who was the most excited.

Favorite and least favorite courses you took to prepare for your work?

My favorite courses were Calculus, Physics, and Probability and Statistics. I liked these courses because I could teach myself. Also, these were the only courses where I could concentrate and listen to music at the same time.

My least favorite course was Differential Equations, hands down. Thinking of Laplace Transform of F(s) = f(t) just makes my skin crawl. I hated it because I wanted to get it so bad but instead I struggled with it.

More exhilarating: positive experimental results or nailing a cheer move?

I am always excited when I nail a double pirouette. Often times I sneak to the bathroom while at work and practice them. Actually, as I am responding to these questions, I took a break to go and practice, ha-ha.

Steady as She Goes? Three Generations of Students through the Science and Engineering Pipeline

In October 2009, Rutgers University released an important (if not provocative) report that didn’t make the headlines and was barely mentioned by the usual STEM chest-pounders (STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). I mean that in a good way–we need those folks. Wait, I’m one of them.

But why haven’t we heard much about this report? It may have something to do with a key finding that, in some ways, seems to contradict some of the common pull quotes of STEM-related press releases where we often hear about the need–and, more recently, read about the financial investments–to turn more kids onto STEM careers. Rightly so, especially given the fact that the number of STEM graduate degrees earned in the U.S. in 2006 ranked among the lowest of the G-8 countries. (Digging up recent stats now. If you have info, would you kindly send it to me?)

Here’s where the confusion sets in. Based on the findings of the Rutgers report, a HUGE problem is being dissed. From the report:

Yet, is there evidence of an actual long-term decline in the proportion of American students with the relevant training and qualifications to pursue STEM jobs? We have argued elsewhere that the United States actually supplies more than enough students prepared for STEM jobs and that there is little evidence of a current domestic supply bottleneck (Lowell and Salzman, 2007).1 We found that universities in the United States actually graduate many more STEM students than are hired each year. We also found that the U.S. education system produces large numbers of top-performing science and math students.2

But….?

“Highly qualified students may be choosing a non-(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) job because it pays better, offers a more stable professional career, and/or perceived as less exposed to competition from low-wage economies,” writes Georgetown University demographer Lindsay Lowell and colleagues, in the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation-funded study. “The problem may not be that there are too few (science) qualified college graduates, but rather that (science) firms are unable to attract them.”

In an April speech at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), President Obama seconded years of concern over the U.S. scientific workforce, particularly a 2005 NAS report, by calling for more engineering and science graduates from U.S. colleges.

However, the supply of technically-capable students has remained level over the last three decades, find the researchers, producing “many more” science graduates than are hired by industry. Turning to federal surveys from 1972 to 2005, they instead find that the best students are moving out of science and engineering careers, “at a substantial rate, and this decline seems to have come on quite suddenly in the mid-to-late 1990s.”

Many of the  best STEM graduates follow the money, at least they did in the  90s, per this report. And, there was a lot more money to go around back then, in non STEM areas. Regardless,  this paper provides a nice argument in support of raising salaries for STEM-related positions. Now. Industry: are you listening? I know you like to hire cheap labor overseas but…”Wo jue de ni yao ting wo shuo!  Zenmeyang? Xie, xie, ni.”

On the bright side, it’s possible this bad economy will be good for STEM. Money’s not what it used to be in the investment banking world these days. In fact, current currency among the leaders in that realm is traded in Marlboro cigs if my sources are correct.

This ain’t yo’ daddy’s NASA no mo’.  Today, NASA launches Mission Science, a site designed specifically for teens “who have their own unique language and style,” according to this morning’s NASA press release. Teens can access real-time spacecraft data, conduct experiments with NASA scientists, find space-related summer internships, and participate in a host of social networking initiatives. And, yes, it’s also designed to showcase NASA’s vast “collection of educational resources and encourage students to study and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.” Yes, yes, there are still shades of yo’ daddy’s NASA but this is a great start. True fact: NASA has accounts on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. NASA, you da bomb!

I’ve hinted at a special announcement the White House was expected to make today and here it is:

President Obama Launches “Educate to Innovate” Campaign for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (Stem) Education. This nationwide effort includes over $260 million in public-private investments to move American students to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.

You can read the “official” White House press release on this but it’s only fair to tell you, it’s nothing but good-old safe facts. I, on the other hand, am about to fill you in on who’s REALLY behind this huge effort to improve science education. Ready? OK!

Kudos to President Obama and:

-his Office of Science and Technology Policy staff (my guess is, based on some conversations I’ve had with her, the unbelievably effective Beth Noveck had a big role in this)

-the MacArthur Foundation, (here’s hoping they support little people with big ideas, too, not just Obama-sized proposals)

-Dean Kamen (the real hero here even though he spilled red wine on my borrowed shoes)

-Jack Hidary (kindly took a break from his squash game a few weeks ago to talk me through these plans)

-The Discovery Channel (an independent production company of theirs called me Friday to talk about my family starring in a Science Family reality TVshow–not sure it’s going to fly since I don’t have one scientist in my family)

-and others I’m sure I’ve come in contact with along the way….OH! and Tim O’Reilly who seems to be taking over the world through his Gov 2.0 and Web 2.0 conferences and now it looks like his giant Maker Faire will take over the White House in May (as part of National Lab Day). THAT’s going to be cool.

The Return of Buzz Lightyear

Thanks, John, for sharing this NASA image of the day. Disney’s space ranger Buzz Lightyear returned from space on Sept. 11, aboard space shuttle Discovery’s STS-128 mission after 15 months aboard the International Space Station. His time on the orbiting laboratory will celebrated in a ticker-tape parade together with his space station crewmates and former Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin on Oct. 2, at Walt Disney World in Florida.

While on the space station, Buzz supported NASA’s education outreach program– STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)–by creating a series of fun educational online outreach programs. Following his return, Disney is partnering with NASA to create a new online educational game and an online mission patch competition for school kids across America. NASA will fly the winning patch in space. In addition, NASA plans to announce on Oct. 2, 2009, the details of a new exciting educational competition that will give students the opportunity to design an experiment for the astronauts on the space station.

Image Credit: NASA

Wow. Anyone curious about science and math education–what’s taught, how it’s taught, the political interplay, where we rank against other nations and more– will appreciate the following thoughtful and provocative article written by guest blogger Bart Leahy from Bartacus.com

 Educating the Next Generation, Part Two.

This is part two of a two-part article on the U.S. results from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), in which American 4th and 8th graders placed around the middle of the pack compared to other nations’ students in math and science. While part one dealt with policy and political issues surrounding the TIMSS, this section will focus on what is taught in today’s 4th and 8th grade math/science classrooms, and how it is taught.
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Obviously, with a name like “Science Cheerleader” I spend a lot of time advocating (good) science, in addition to technology, engineering and math (but “STEM Cheerleader” just doesn’t sound as cool).

I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the importance of other life-enriching subjects including, but limited to, music, art, dance, writing, religion, philosophy, history…

In this spirit, I present you with a wonderful article written by my very talented sister-in-law, Debbie Cavalier, a Dean at Berklee College of Music. To her thousands of adoring little fans, she’s just Debbie from the musical group Debbie and Friends. Not surprisingly, this article focuses on the importance of music.

DO WE REALLY NEED A REASON? by Debbie Cavalier

John J. Mahlmann, executive director of the National Association for Music Education, was quoted in the Washington Post as saying he is tired of having to defend the importance of music education. He often finds it necessary to rattle off statistics about how music improves the lives of people who study it. The sheer joy of playing and understanding music isn’t enough, he said.
So he has an unorthodox response to educators: “Why is math so high on the priority list?”

His answer: “Because we can test for it.”

The thing people forget, he said, is that musicians are assessed every time they play an instrument. “If you went to a concert and they only played 80 percent of the notes correctly, you wouldn’t like it,” he said. “Musicians strive for perfection. Lots of people don’t mind 80 percent on a math quiz.”

Here are some more “reasons” why music education matters, as collected and presented by Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post. (more…)