STEM Education in a Wider Context Ken Walsh

STEM Education in a Wider Context Ken Walsh, Ph. D. Dean, SDSU-Georgia

Agenda • Why do I care? – The SDSU-Georgia project • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in the world • What do we do about it in schools?

SDSU-G 101 • SDSU offers US degrees in STEM fields in Georgia • Goals: – Economic development via workforce – Accelerate recovery of Georgian higher education sector • Associated with top 3 public universities in Georgia – Tbilisi State University – Ilia State University – Georgia Technical University

History and Status • First cohort uptake in Fall 2015 – 85 in 2015 – 40% women – 120 in 2016 – 33% socially vulnerable – 200+ in 2017 • Faculty development program • Infrastructure improvements • Current degree programs: – – Electrical and Computer Engineering Computer Science Chemistry/biochemistry Civil/Construction Engineering

Faculty Development • • 54 visitors to San Diego so far Extensive visits Co-teach, use equipment Teaching methods and approaches

Renovation & Construction

Why STEM? • STEM fields build a modern economy – Innovation, not production, is the key to building wealth – Innovators build new companies and new employment base – STEM employment • huge global demand • huge needs in Georgia • high salaries

Enormous Challenges • • • Global Warming Energy and Cyber Security Emerging Disease Threats Urbanization and Polution Poverty Terrorism

Enormous Challenges • Global Warming Does the education we offer prepare our students to solve the • Energy and Cyber Security challenges we face? • Emerging Disease Threats we think the answer is “yes” – what is the EVIDENCE? • If. Urbanization and Polution • Poverty If we think the answer is “no” – what are we doing about it? • Terrorism

Shanghai - 1987 and today

Companies that Did Not Exist in 2000 • • Facebook Instagram Whats. App Uber • • Airbnb Spotify Dropbox Skype Do you have a smart phone? What do you use it for?

STEM statistics • STEM employment growth is 3 x Non-STEM • Example: Need for 50% more data scientists by the time our students graduate • >40% of foreign students in US study STEM. • Up to 2/3 of them don’t go back home • STEM degrees most common in the world’s wealthiest people

What can a school leader do?

Ex her eac cite d. S T ed tud gag En ent s What can a school leader do? s Collaborative Environment

Excite Students • Messaging • Resources • Gender and Social Vulnerability • Extracurricular opportunities

A Riddle A father and son are in a horrible car crash. The father is killed, and the son is raced to the hospital. He’s taken for emergency surgery. The surgeon runs into the room, and is just about to start operating, when suddenly the surgeon says: Wait, I can’t operate - this boy is my son! How is this possible?

Outcome Gap Representation of Women in: University Programs University STEM Programs High-tech Workforce 54% 42% 16% … at a time when STEM Employers report a significant problem in recruiting STEM workforce … AND STEM knowledge workers drive the global economy

Engage Teachers • Seek opportunities for training and development • Encourage • Support with resources • Creativity

Collaborate • Reach outside the classroom • Partnerships • Technology • Resourcing Schools Students Private Sector Colleges/ Universities