PLTW Summit Brings Together Nations Top STEM Personal | PLTW

INDIANAPOLIS – Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, has announced the complete lineup of keynote speakers, panelists, and workshop presenters for the 2014 PLTW Summit, Nov. 2-5, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The 2014 PLTW Summit will bring together nearly 1,500 educators and leaders in the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors who work together every day to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. The national event will serve as a catalyst for collaboration and strategies that can help solve the education and workforce development challenges facing our nation.

In addition to previously announced speakers Dr. William Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education; Jeff Charbonneau, the 2013 National Teacher of the Year; and Steve Forbes, chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media, keynote speakers for the 2014 PLTW Summit will include:

• Dr. Cheryl Schrader, chancellor of Missouri University of Science and Technology – Dr. Schrader is the 21st leader in Missouri S&T’s 144-year history and one of the few female engineers to ascend to the top leadership position of a college or university in the United States. She is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from the White House. USA Today recently ranked Missouri S&T third among the best engineering colleges in the United States.
• Eunice Heath, global director for sustainability, business engagement, and education at The Dow Chemical Company – Heath leads Dow Chemical Company’s involvement in developing sustainable products and supply networks that address environmental, social, and economic imperatives. She is a member of Dow’s Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Council and a passionate mentor for women in STEM fields. Heath’s first-hand experiences clearly demonstrate the need for a talented next generation workforce trained in STEM fields.
• Julian Rimoli, Goizueta Junior Faculty Professor and assistant professor of aerospace engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology – Problem solving and problem-based learning are cornerstones of Rimoli’s educational philosophy and his research in the field of computational solid mechanics. His work has been highlighted by the American Society for Engineering Education. A native of Argentina, Rimoli came to the U.S. for graduate school at the California Institute of Technology where he earned his Master of Science degree and Ph.D. in aeronautics. He has also served as a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

PLTW President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Vince Bertram will deliver the closing remarks on the final day of the event.

The PLTW Summit will also feature student presentations from students at five PLTW schools, including the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders (Austin, Texas); San Jose High School (San Jose, California); Francis Tuttle Technology Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma); Greenfield-Central High School (Greenfield, Indiana); and Gulliver Preparatory School (Coral Gables, Florida). The schools and their students exemplify PLTW’s approach to student learning, teaching, and community engagement. They excel in connecting their classrooms to the real world and making learning relevant for their students. Students from these schools will share their projects and stories to inspire PLTW Summit attendees with ideas they can take back to their own communities and students.

The 2014 PLTW Summit is hosted in partnership with Chevron.

PLTW extends a special thanks to Hewlett-Packard Company/Intel Corporation. Hewlett-Packard Co. is the official Technology Partner of the PLTW Summit.

PLTW also thanks Autodesk, National Instruments, Intelitek, Vernier, and Zahourek Systems for their support and sponsorship of the PLTW Summit.

For more information or to register for the 2014 PLTW Summit, visit the official PLTW Summit webpage.

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Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the nation’s leading provider of K-12 STEM programs. PLTW’s world-class, activity-, project-, and problem-based curriculum and high-quality teacher professional development model, combined with an engaged network of educators and corporate partners, help students develop the skills needed to succeed in our global economy. More than 6,500 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are currently offering PLTW courses to their students. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.

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