INDIANAPOLIS – The National Science Foundation (NSF), in consultation with the Department of Education, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today announced the appointment of Project Lead The Way (PLTW) President and CEO Vince Bertram and 17 other members to a new advisory panel created to encourage U.S. scientific and technological innovations in education, as authorized by the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act.
“Our students must have the type of learning experience that empowers them to thrive in our rapidly evolving world, and that continues to mean developing knowledge and skills in STEM,” Bertram said. “We have a moral and economic imperative to get this right for our students and for our nation, and I am honored to serve alongside leaders from industry and education in this work.”
Congress authorized creation of the STEM Education Advisory Panel to advise a group of federal organizations called the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education (CoSTEM) on matters related to STEM education.
In particular, Congress authorized the panel to help identify opportunities to update the 2013-18 Federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan, which CoSTEM developed to improve the efficiency, coordination and impact of federally supported STEM education investments.
In addition, the panel will assess CoSTEM's progress in carrying out responsibilities mandated by the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act.
"This new panel has an opportunity to bring fresh eyes and novel approaches to CoSTEM's next five-year strategic plan, which will help enhance the nation's entire STEM ecosystem," said NSF Director France Córdova, who co-chairs CoSTEM. "NSF continues to generate benefits for society through STEM research. To fulfill that mission, we and our federal partners need to make strategic investments to create new generations of discoverers."
"This advisory panel is another strong step taken by this administration to advance educational options in the STEM fields," said Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, a CoSTEM member. "I look forward to working with this exceptional new group of STEM leaders to ensure we are constantly rethinking what education means for America's students."
The panel is composed of individuals from nonprofit, business, academic and informal education organizations. The members are:
- Vince Bertram, Project Lead The Way
- Douglas Clements, University of Denver
- Lizanne DeStefano, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Arthur Eisenkraft, University of Massachusetts, Boston
- David Evans, National Science Teachers Association
- Gabriela González, Intel Corporation
- Jacqueline Huntoon, Michigan Technological University
- Aimee Kennedy, Battelle
- Laurie Leshin, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Robert Mathieu, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Ray Mellado, Great Minds in STEM
- Ioannis Yannis Miaoulis, Museum of Science
- K. Renae Pullen, Caddo Parish Public Schools
- Larry Robinson, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Kimberly Scott, Arizona State University
- Robert Semper, Exploratorium
- William Yslas Velez, The University of Arizona
- Bruce Wellman, Olathe Northwest High School
About the National Science Foundation (NSF)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2018, its budget is $7.8 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 50,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards.
About PLTW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for PreK-12 students and teachers across the U.S. PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. Approximately 11,500 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs. For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit pltw.org.
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