STEMconnector announced its newest initiative - the STEM Higher Education Council
(HEC) -- a national forum for college and university leaders to address
America's need for STEM talent through innovative education, training
and strategic partnerships with business and industry.
Rob Denson, President of Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC),
will Chair the Council with Martha Kanter to serve as its Senior
Advisor. Dr. Kanter is the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Higher
Education at New York University, having previously served as US Under
Secretary of Education from 2009 until 2013. In addition, Dr. Freeman
Hrabowski, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County,
will play a key role at the Council's first Summit on October 8, 2014.
Denson and Kanter will guide the design and implementation of the
Council's vision, goals and accomplishments.
Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, co-chair of the Governor's STEM
Advisory Council and chair of STEMconnector(R)'s Food & Ag Council,
enthusiastically supports the HEC, "we're pleased Rob will take his
passion and leadership to STEMconnector(R)'s Higher Education Council
as its new chairman. Rob is an engaged member of the Governor's STEM
Council and will help drive the message that great careers await
students who obtain the STEM skills to fill the jobs."
Edie Fraser, CEO of STEMconnector(R), is thrilled to have the team of
Rob Denson and Martha Kanter, noting that "Martha has devoted her life
to drive change in higher education to increase student access and
success. Her commitment to innovation and her drive and commitment to
new initiatives are legendary; moreover, her advocacy for providing
viable and adaptable career pathways for students is second to none."
The STEMconnector(R) Higher Education Council (HEC) mission is to bring
focused energy to Higher Education's leading high impact practices,
increasing the emphasis on STEM pipeline-to-jobs (and what we call STEM
2.0). The HEC will inventory and integrate current efforts whenever
possible, building on the energy of others in support of
boundary-breaking collaborations between higher education (two and four
year institutions) and industry to achieve significant results that can
be recognized and scaled-up.
An Impact Summit will be held October 8, 2014. The Council will kick
off with its first Summit "From Opportunity to Impact" in New York
City. Business and higher education leaders will showcase pioneering
examples of partnerships that ensure student success in college and
careers. Participants will share best-in-class STEM models of workplace
learning through internships, co-op programs and mentorships,
especially focused on engaging underrepresented populations in STEM
fields leading to employment. A variety of face-to-face and virtual
meetings and events will be held each year to encourage game-changing
collaboration between higher education, government and industry.
Other activities will be announced with the strategic plan. Achieving
impact is the organizing principle of the STEM Higher Ed Council by
assembling key thought leaders to inform decision makers from business,
government and higher education to improve access to viable STEM career
pathways for students and optimizing their success. A unique
characteristic of the Council will be its composition of 2 and 4-year
colleges and universities focused on bridging early excitement in STEM
to success in higher education and careers.
HEC members will stimulate dialogue, collaboration and innovation
between diverse stakeholders from industry, state and local
government, federal agencies and non-governmental organizations
to improve STEM outcomes. The Council will couple student preparation
with highly dynamic workforce demands driven by the rapidly changing global marketplace. STEMconnector(R)'s business-led initiatives like its STEM
Innovation Task Force (SITF) and the STEM Food and Ag Council (SFAC) and its communications platform, including the STEMdaily(R) online newsletter,
will be integral to the Council's work, amplifying the HEC's reach and impact.
Some distinguishing characteristics:
-- Leads a high-energy and national "boundary-breaking STEM collaboration"
of industry, government and education with an action-oriented agenda.
-- Promotes high-impact strategies that improve outcomes in STEM education
at all levels.
-- Focuses on the unique role of Higher Education connecting students to
the workforce and STEM careers.
-- Collaborates with business to calibrate supply with workforce demand.
-- Emphasizes providing workplace-learning experiences to inform student
preparation and career choices.
-- Showcases model partnerships between higher education and industry that
achieve measurable results and scale.
-- Incorporates a diverse array of institutions including Community
Colleges, Public and Land Grant Universities, Private Colleges and
Universities and Minority Serving Institutions.
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