Posted
on Nov. 10 in “Inauguration Countdown”
Inspired
to Innovate symposium looks at critical topics in higher education
Growing
up in the inner city Bronx, Wanda Austin acknowledges that she didn’t
have much in the way of mentors.
Still,
the encouragements of one teacher in particular have stuck with her
to this day: “You’re good at this. Don’t let anybody tell you
that you’re not,” the president and CEO of The Aerospace Corp.
pointed out at a symposium on Friday as part of President Laurie
Leshin’s weekend inauguration ceremonies.
“It’s
helpful if you have a role model who looks like you, but it’s not
critical,” she added. “We all benefit from getting those diverse
viewpoints in.”
The
importance of mentors to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship
was just one of the points touched upon in a lively and informative
discussion,“Inspired
to Innovate: A Future-Focused Conversation,” moderated
by Leshin on Friday afternoon at Alden Memorial. Among the key topic
areas were the Global Impact of STEM Higher Education; Technological
Innovation and Entrepreneurship; and Disruptive Innovation in Higher
Education.
The
four panelists included Austin; Craig Barrett, retired chairman and
CEO of Intel Corp.; Mariko Silver, president of Bennington College in
Vermont; and Subra Suresh, president of Carnegie Mellon University in
Pittsburgh and former director of the National Science Foundation.
The
distinguished panel was hand-picked by Leshin based on their numerous
professional achievements, as well as their dedicated commitment to
technological innovation and STEM education. The panelists
steadfastly agreed that the country’s schools, beginning at the
kindergarten level, must do more to foster an interest in STEM fields
that can be used to take on a panoply of real-world problems.
Addressing
the country’s performance in STEM leadership,Barrett
noted the strong standing of U.S. colleges and universities, but
cautioned that they face intense competition.
Although
the world has historically “voted with their feet” in coming to
the U.S. for its top-tier universities, “there are some leading
indicators (that) the rest of the world is catching up,” he said.
For
example, he pointed to the fact that American students are falling
behind foreign students when it comes to GMAT scores, and are also
lagging in worldwide contests in which they once excelled, such as
those held annually by the Association for Computing Machinery.
Ultimately,
“everyone wants to work with talented people,” Austin added,
whether they’re in the states or not. To get them here and keep
them here, “we need well-educated, tech-savvy leaders,” she said,
noting that, whatever their background, “he who builds the best toy
wins.”
Leshin
interjected, “Or she.”
“Well,
we know if it’s a she, she wins,” Austin quipped back.
It
comes down to encouraging students from a young age to embrace
mathematics and science-based disciplines “and not run from them,”
Austin said. Opportunities to do this include creating programs that
require mathematics or other STEM disciplines, setting firm
expectations, assisting teachers with creating examples that inspire,
getting students involved in internships at an earlier age, and
encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit and helping lead young people
through the complicated process from germ to completion.
It’s
not a sprint, or an honor for just a select few, she said. “This is
very much a journey.”
Barrett
suggested another way to make STEM fun is to sanction competitive
robotics teams at the high school and collegiate levels.
Another
key to moving ahead is creating more of a synergy between science and
the arts.
“How
do we get students to actually live in the middle?” said Silver (as
opposed to taking an engineering course in one place and a painting
course elsewhere).
She
said she envisions a “scientization” of the study of the human
condition, which can ultimately help the next generation of creators
and great thinkers interpret and understand problems and ask the
right questions.
“How
does storytelling help us to understand the way that we want to think
about designing a technology so that it will be useful to people?”
It’s
also important to recognize how important diversity is to education,
Suresh stressed.
People
from different backgrounds “look at the same problem from very
different lenses,” he said, also noting that innovation comes “in
many different flavors,” and is one of the greatest equalizers. For
example, “we put a man on the moon before we put wheels on the
suitcase,” he said, the crowd chuckling in return.
While
the moon landing was monumental, “wheels on the suitcase is very
innovative, as well,” he said. And ultimately, in addressing any
issue, technology isn’t the sole answer. It’s a tool, and it’s
how you use it that’s key, Barrett said.
“Computers
aren’t magic in the classroom,” he added. “Teachers are the
magic in the classroom.”
-
BY TARYN PLUMB
Original story link.
No comments:
Post a Comment