Presentation on STEM Initiatives

Susan L. Thomas, executive vice president for academic affairs, will give a presentation about the importance of STEM courses and careers at 6:30 p.m. April 7 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theatre.

Thomas will present “Developing a Dynamic, Less Porous STEM Pipeline: Lessons Learned from Robot Competitions,” which will focus on increasing the number of students who pursue courses and careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). It has been determined that simply increasing the number who enter the pipeline does not work, as the pipeline has been found to be rather leaky. To minimize the leaks, it is imperative to understand the social and psychological factors that impact STEM achievement-related choices. Robot competitions not only increase students’ interest in pursuing STEM, they also provide a unique research environment to examine these factors.

This event is made possible by the Truman Faculty Forum.