STEM Southwest Podcast: Recent Episodes
Bob And Dr. Shelly Gruenig
Designed to create STEM connections, cohesion, and elevation within the Southwest region of the United States. You have discovered a place where STEM enthusiasts gather to learn about the amazing STEM rockstars of the region as well as STEM activities that are impacting the world!
Whether you are looking to learn more about STEM innovations in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and California you are in the right place! If you have longed to be united with other STEM nerds, then you have found your people here at STEM Southwest!
Check out our family-friendly show and events calendar designed to build problem solvers, thinkers, and innovators for the future. New episodes are released every other week.
This episode is for you if you have ever wondered how to make financial decisions, or you will one day to have to make decisions regarding elder care for a loved one or yourself!
Join Bob and Shelly for another year of celebrating tech and finances at FinCon23. Listen in as they talk about AI and making it your collaborator and not your competitor. First up is Bob who speaks with Russell Faigen from moomoo, a one-stop destination for financial investing and resources. However, don’t worry as there will never be any high-pressure investors from moomoo giving advice. Then, listen in as Shelly learns more about the compelling personal story of Lily Vittayarukskul and how the burden of long-term care for an elderly family member strongly influenced her life and how her idea, Waterlily, is helping to understand financial planning for the elderly. Waterlily utilizes AI in a way to help predict and build a custom plan for each family having or will be having an elderly family member for whom they will need to provide support now and into the future. Ultimately, Waterlily was awarded the top prize at this year's Fintech competition and we couldn't be happier to cheer them on and tell you more!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Russell Faigen is the Strategic Influence Business Development Manager for moomoo, an innovative online trading platform and commission-free app providing power tools, real-time market data, and educational resources. Russell graduated from Drexel University with a BS in Finance and Business Analytics, and has been a financial educator and content creator since September 2020, using his social media platform, investwithruss, as the primary means to do so.
Lily Vittayarukskul is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Waterlily Planning. She previously worked from 2019 to 2021 at a computer vision telemedicine startup involved in product development, AI prototype building, successful product launches, and scaling of an IoT AI telemedicine platform; Lily led commercialization efforts which included launching the company's first product, developing market positioning, strategy, and sales training. Prior to that, Lily worked as a Data Scientist Consultant at STELLARES from 2018 to 2019; held roles as Head of Technology and Head of Growth and Development at Research to the People in 2018; worked as a Scientist Intern (Software Developer) at DNAnexus in 2017; served as an intern with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2013.
moomoo
Waterlily
The Waterlily Blog
The Fioneers
How to Money
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Russell Faigen, Strategic Influencer Business Development Manager
moomoo
(650) 999-6872
rfaigen@us.moomoo.com
X
Lily Vittayarukskul, Founder and CEO
Waterlily Planning
(510) 239-7411
lvittayarukskul@gmail.com
X
In this episode, Bob and Shelly take a look at the sky just days before the next solar eclipse. Join us as Dr. Misty enthusiastically shares her wealth of knowledge about the sun, moon, and stars - and why we seem to be having more solar events! Finally, join us as we speak about the upcoming Balloon Fiesta and the excitement surrounding this event.
Let's blast off with this next out of this world STEM Southwest podcast!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Dr. Misty Carty has over two decades of experience as an informal science educator, inspiring young students to develop a love for science. Her journey in science began with a spark of curiosity when she learned that Pluto had moved inside the orbit of Neptune and was not currently the last planet in the solar system - at a time when scientists still defined it as a planet. This ignited her passion for learning and sharing knowledge.
Misty holds a Bachelor's in Physics from McDaniel College, located just outside Baltimore, MD. She further pursued her academic goals by earning her Master's and Doctorate in Astronomy from the University of Maryland, College Park. Misty has donned various hats as a science educator and communicator throughout her career, including professor, author, and museum science educator. Through her involvement with the Balloon Museum Foundation and R4 Creating, she actively supports and raises funds for STEAM education. In addition, she is dedicated to empowering young women and girls in science and technology. She takes pride in advocating for girls in STEAM and inspiring them to pursue careers in these fields through the Girls into Tech program of Be Greater than Average.
Pluto Planet Day (New Mexico)
Clyde Tombaugh
NASA Eclipses
Annular Solar Eclipse
Annular Solar Eclipse Path
Total Solar Eclipse
Total Solar Eclipse Path
NOAA, NASA, NSF events at Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
Solar viewing glasses and filters must be ISO 12312-2 certified!
Eclipse Eye Safety
Eclipse Eye Safety (Pinhole Viewers)
Pinhole Box Viewer
Solar Viewers/Eclipse Glasses
Where Did The Sun Go, by Dr. Misty Carty
A Little Science: Inquisitive Science Books for ALL Ages (Dr. Misty Carty)
I.S.S. Tracker
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Dr. Misty Carty
misty.carty@gmail.com
Join us in this episode to learn why we took an extended break. Then, dive in with one of our favorite repeat guests speaking about a favorite subject.... money. Whether you are stressed about money, trying to understand how to make more money, or simply want a plan to invest, this episode is for you! Ann Shubert has launched a new blog that stands at the intersection of STEM and Money! Her message today gives us all hope - it's never too late, or too early to be making financial plans!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Ann Shubert started her professional career planning to be an astrophysicist, receiving a BA in Physics from Princeton University and an MS in Astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology. After realizing that she was not cut out to be a pure research scientist, Ann shifted gears into a 30-year career in the defense industry, first designing and building software systems and later managing multi-million-dollar aerospace programs. In 2014, while enrolled in the University of New Mexico’s Executive MBA program, Ann made another major career transition, becoming a licensed Financial Advisor. Three years later, she co-founded Intentional Finance LLC, an independent, woman-owned, Registered Investment Adviser firm. Ann enjoys working with women in STEM, combining science-based approaches to financial planning, risk management and investing with her interest in behavioral finance and how people make decisions about money. Because she knows what it is like to be a woman in a male dominated workplace, Ann feels a special kinship with women in the STEM fields, and loves helping them to reach a place of confidence about their finances so they can keep their energies focused on their STEM passion, whether in research, education or business.
Intentional Finance LLC
Ann-splaining
Ann-splaining (Resources)
Federal Student Aid
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Ann Shubert
ann@intentionalfinancellc.com
(505) 563-4500
Join Shelly as she interviews leaders in the Aerospace Industry that gathered to innovate new ideas and build collaborative relationships at the November 2022 Hyperdrive Space Summit hosted by CNM Ingenuity and the Air Force Research Labs. Interviews cover topics from space marketing and innovation, the space force, new technologies as well as rockets and the future of the workforce. Join us and launch into another dimension as we finally kick off 2023 with this fabulous episode!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Hyperspace Challenge
Hyperspace Drive Summit
66+Co
The Aerospace ADVERSARY (John Hopkins University)
SmartCone Technologies
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Miles Space
Rogue Space Systems Corporation
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Linkedin (Merridith Ingram, 66+Co)
Linkedin (Meredith Schweitzer, 66+Co)
Linkedin (Jihoon Kim - The Aerospace ADVERSARY)
Linkedin (Jason Lee - SmartCone Technologies)
Linkedin (Steven Wood - Patent Attorney and Space Lawyer)
Linkedin (Brad Berkson - Miles Space)
Linkedin (Jeromy Grimmett - Rogue Space Systems Corporation)
Are you ready to lead, build, and scale your business? This Is what our guest Ivy Slater of Slater Success asks others. In her podcast, Her Success Stories, Ivy highlights gutsy women in business and recently interviewed our co-host Shelly regarding the future and shaping the future of technology. While Ivy is not from the Southwest, she brings a wealth of knowledge that everyone in the STEM Southwest audience needs to hear - how to effectively lead our businesses to make our communities even greater.
With all of that in mind, we welcome best-selling author, accomplished business owner, and coach to C-suite executives, Ivy Slater, to STEM Southwest Podcast.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
As the CEO of Slater Success, Ivy Slater works closely with C-Suite executives and upper-level managers to advise and create clear strategies that provide instant and long-term impact on businesses. From generating team synergy and launching new sales initiatives, to holding mastermind retreats and corporate trainings on communication, finances, or strategic planning, Ivy is an expert at cultivating and facilitating relationships that are the hallmark of any successful business.
Slater Success
Her Success Story podcast
Slater Success blog
Youtube (Ivy Slater)
From the Barre to the Boardroom, by Ivy Slater
Shelly comments in intro:
Hyperspace Challenge
Girls Into Tech
Subscribe to Be Greater Than Average newsletter
Shaping the Future of Technology, Shelly’s podcast interview with Ivy Slater
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Ivy Slater
Ivy@SlaterSuccessCoaching.com
This week’s episode is a celebration of tech and finances! Bob and Shelly attended FinCon22 and share with you two great interviews for their second annual report on Fintech. Join them as they spend time with the host of the Fintech competition, Ryan Ruff of ASA, to hear the latest on the impact of technology on financial learning. They also interview Jason Parker with Retirement Budget Calculator, one of the competitors in this year's FinTech Competition and he walks through the powerful tool designed to help all people answer the question, When Can I Retire?
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Ryan Ruff is Head of Fintech Relations at ASA, bridging the gap with the creators of tech and those who want to invest in the development of tech. He is leading the way to create a bridge between technology development and those who want to invest in the future expansion of important tech.
Jason, RICP® is the best-selling author of Sound Retirement Planning, and the host of the podcast Sound Retirement Radio. He has been seen as a frequent guest on ABC, FOX, & MSNBC. He is the inventor of the retirementbudgetcalculator.com. He has earned the advanced retirement designation of a Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®). Jason is the President of Parker Financial LLC, which is an independent, fee-based, registered investment advisory firm, and operates as a fiduciary.
FinCon22
Fintech Startup Competition
SpendPal
ASA
Parker Financial, LLC
Sound Retirement Planning Podcast
Retirement Budget Calculator
Retirement Calculator: How much money do I need to retire, by Jason Parker
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Ryan Ruff
Ryan.ruff@asa.financial
(801) 473-5749
Jason Parker
info@parker-financial.net
(360) 337-2701
Big apologies for our summer hiatus from posting new episodes....it's been a crazy, wonderful time for Bob and Shelly, but we are happy to be back at it and sharing a new episode with our amazing audience. H. Puentes is a kindred spirit and we can't think of a better way to dive back into STEM Southwest. In addition to this amazing interview, we have some exciting interviews lined up for the Fall and can't wait to share them with you! Thanks for joining us for this amazing interview, and please consider sharing this episode and inviting friends to join us and listen in to STEM Southwest Podcast.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
H. Puentes is the co-founder and executive director of San Diego Squared, a nonprofit that he founded with San Diego biotech pioneer, Bill Rastetter, that works to increase diversity in STEM careers through mentoring, scholarships, and other programming.
As a freshman in high school, H. earned perfect scores in math for the entire year. His teachers were impressed, but that was where it ended. No one followed up to encourage him in math, to inform him about potential careers in STEM, or considered introducing him to professionals who shared his background. “Now, I am a father to two diverse children and I want them to know that, not only do they belong in STEM, but that STEM-driven companies want them to be successful,” he says.
San Diego Squared
Fellows (San Diego Squared)
Scholars (San Diego Squared)
Interns (San Diego Squared)
STEM Capsules (San Diego Squared)
Battling Bots League (Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse partnership)
Robot Rumble (in partnership with Cottonwood Mall)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
H. Puentes, Co-Founder and Executive Director
San Diego Squared
team@sd2.org
Linkedin (San Diego Squared)
Twitter (San Diego Squared)
Instagram (San Diego Squared)
Today's episode will take a deep dive into the science of cancer, asking the hard questions and discussing how regulation may lead to a cure. Our guest. Dr. Steve Worland, has a strong background in pharmaceuticals, research and molecular biology that led to a powerful discussion with Bob and Shelly.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Dr. Steve Worland has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of eFFECTOR Therapeutics and as a member of its Board of Directors since its inception in May 2012. Previously, Dr. Worland served as Chief Executive Officer of Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, from August 2007 until its acquisition by Roche Holding AG in 2011. Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Worland served as its Chief Scientific Officer and President, Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Dr. Worland was Vice President and Head of Antiviral Research at Pfizer Inc. and Vice President at WarnerLambert Co., where he was responsible for worldwide anti-infectives strategy. Dr. Worland has served on the Board of Directors of Tracon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, since February 2015. Dr. Worland was an NIH postdoctoral fellow in molecular biology at Harvard University and completed a Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He received his B.S. with Highest Honors in Biological Chemistry from the University of Michigan.
eFFECTOR Therapeutics
Selective Translation Regulation Inhibitors
Pipeline of Selective Translation Regulation Inhibitors
Patients and Clinical Trials - eFFECTIVE Therapeutics
Investors - eFFECTOR Therapeutics
Battling Bots League (Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse partnership)
Robot Rumble (in partnership with Cottonwood Mall)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Steve Worland, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer
eFFECTOR Therapeutics
142 North Cedros Avenue, Suite B
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(858) 925-8215
info@effector.com
eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc. (Linkedin)
eFFECTOR_Rx (Twitter)
Today's guest brings a perspective on the economic development impact of STEM as the newly appointed Director of the Office of Science and Technology for the New Mexico Economic Development Department. With a biomedical background, Alex Greenberg shares his unique perspective on the powerful impact that science is making on business and in the state. He shares how the important collective partnership of government agency, private business, and education will continue to improve the trajectory of all things STEM in the state, and encourages listeners to reach out and leverage the many resources available.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Alex Greenberg is the Director of the Science and Technology office for New Mexico State Economic Development Department (EDD). Alex has a background in project management and entrepreneurship. He holds a BA in psychology, and an MBA with a concentration in management of technology from the University of New Mexico.
Most recently, Alex served as the Financial Program Specialist for the New Mexico EDD and, prior to that, worked in healthcare as a Clinical Project Manager in healthcare business development and as a strategist for a New Mexico biomedical startup. He has also worked extensively with local startups to address financing, long-term strategy, and system optimization. Alex’s focus is to supporting technology commercialization and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Mexico.
Office of Science & Technology - New Mexico Economic Development Department
Science & Technology Business Start-Up Grants
2022 Grant Recipients
New Mexico Small Business Innovation Research Grant
2022 Grant Recipients
Technology Research Collaborative
State Small Business Credit Initiative
Statewide Strategic Plan (Economic Development Department)
Battling Bots League (Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse partnership)
Robot Rumble (in partnership with Cottonwood Mall)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Alex Greenberg, MBA
Director, Science and Technology Office
NM Economic Development Department
(505) 690-4593
AlexanderM.Greenberg@state.nm.us
Join Bob and Shelly today as they shine a light on the science of circadian rhythms and how guest, Dr. Paul Pickard, is using advances in technology to make life better for all of us. Today, you can listen in as we get nerdy over all things lighting, and explore how innovation is being used by physicists, light scientists, and data scientists at Korrus and other companies to ensure that we all have a brighter future!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Paul Pickard is the Chief Technology Officer of Korrus, Inc, a Los Angeles-based startup dedicated to improving human health and wellbeing through the power of light. A Mechanical Engineering graduate of the University of New Mexico, Paul has worked the help launch the first volume white-light LED luminaires and lamps with LLF and Cree, and was a member of the team that launched the first sub-$10 LED light bulb at Home Depot. A prolific inventor, Paul has over 250 granted US patents with many more pending.
Korrus
Lighting Science
Lighting Technology
Battling Bots League (Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse partnership)
Robot Rumble (in partnership with Cottonwood Mall)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Paul Pickard
Paul.pickard@korrus.com
(855) 632-6737
Join Bob and Shelly as they interview John Rizzo, the CEO and co-founder of the New Mexico Innovation Triangle. John is leveraging the power of innovation and tech for the common good. John shares about some of his Silicon Valley experiences with Apple and Intel with the STEM Southwest listeners, and his current work with the New Mexico Innovation Triangle.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
John is currently the CEO and co-founder of the New Mexico Innovation Triangle
John Rizzo is an entrepreneurial transformation agent, focused on leveraging the power of innovation and technology for the common good. John has more than 40 years of experience helping guide some of the world’s most successful technology companies through start-up phases, major product launches, branding and marketing campaigns, rapid growth, acquisitions, and initial public offerings (IPOs). He has raised well over $200 million in venture capital financing, and was a key early-stage contributor to companies that are today delivering well over $325 billion in combined sales with combined market capitalizations well in excess of $2 trillion.
You’ve probably heard of two companies in Silicon Valley that John Rizzo has worked for: Apple and Intel. At Apple, John was on the first Macintosh team with Steve Jobs. At Intel, John was responsible for what is FLASH memory today, which enables almost all of our consumer electronic devices.
The New Mexico Innovation Triangle
Proposed Innovation Villages in Los Alamos
New Mexico Angels
Film Prize New Mexico
Battling Bots League (Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse partnership)
Robot Rumble (in partnership with Cottonwood Mall)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
John Rizzo
John.rizzo@nmit.net
How do we get Girls Into Tech and keep Girls Into Tech? In today’s episode, Shelly shares her emotional STEM story and how her 6th grade science fair project boosted her desire to learn more science and tech. Shelly shares about her first Radio Shack computer that was purchased with money that she earned delivering newspapers. She grew up in what we now call an underserved rural community with no mentors that could help to guide her pathway to tech, which impacted her access and her future career. She hopes to open doors of opportunity to girls in a way that no program has ever offered before.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
We often hear Shelly share that we owe it to every daughter to open the doors of opportunity and fill them with hope while equipping them with skills and confidence that they can be successful in STEM.
Growing up as a shy country girl, Shelly was an innovator and problem solver who would eventually become a community leader inducted into the STEM Hall of Fame. With a PhD in Workforce Education and Career Development, she believes that young people need two things to make their best career decisions:
-Broad Range of Experiences
-Great Role Models
Shelly is committed to using her philosophy and experiences in working with young women in order to ensure that they have the opportunity to become a Girl Into Tech. She shares that “Girls Into Tech is my answer on how we encourage and support more Girls Into Tech - we need women’s viewpoints in the marketplace and the only way for that to happen is by knocking down the barriers that our daughters face.”
Mimi Vandermolen, Ford Motor Company: Mimi Vandermolen, the Ergonomics Genius Behind Ford's “Rounded Edge Revolution” - Core77
What makes Girls Into Tech special:
-ongoing support and mentoring community, not simply one and done
-by girls for girls, growing them into peer leadership
-monthly programming
-workshops and training
-access to scholarships and opportunities
Special thanks to:
Meta/Facebook for sponsoring the first cohort of girls in Valencia County, New Mexico
R4Creating as Girls Into Tech sponsor: R4 Creating
Founding sponsor, Market Ascent: Market Ascent - Home
How to support Girls Into Tech:
Learn more about Girls Into Tech: Girls Into Tech How It Works – Be Greater Than Average
Contact:
Become a sponsor of Girls Into Tech: Girls Into Tech – Be Greater Than Average
Sign up a Girl: Girls Into Tech – Be Greater Than Average
Share your genius – send us an email on how you want to get involved: info@BeGreaterThanAverage.org
What started with a class project led to an entrepreneurial journey and innovation in the informational technology company, RiskSense. Today's guest, Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala, openly shares the challenges and victories of his amazing race. In 2021, Ivanti acquired his company and he now serves as Senior Vice President of Security Products. Sri impressed Shelly while openly sharing his journey during a keynote presentation at the New Mexico Technology Council Experience IT Conference in 2021. There is a lot to unpack in this episode so let's get started!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala is Senior Vice President of Security Products for Ivanti. He was the founder and CEO for RiskSense until Ivanti acquired the company in August 2021. He is a recognized authority in the artificial intelligence (AI) and neural networks communities and was part of a think tank that collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense on applying these concepts to cybersecurity problems. Dr. Mukkamala is responsible for Product Management for all Ivanti Security products and will continue to drive innovation in integrated security solutions across all company pillars: ITSM, Security, and UEM.
Dr. Mukkamala was also a lead researcher for CACTUS (Computational Analysis of Cyber Terrorism against the U.S.) and holds a patent on Intelligent Agents for Distributed Intrusion Detection System and Method of Practicing.
Dr. Mukkamala holds a PhD of Philosophy and a Master of Science degree from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
New Mexico Tech
Indian Space Research Organisation
RiskSense
Ivanti
Battling Bots League (Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse partnership)
Robot Rumble (in partnership with Cottonwood Mall)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala
This week’s guest, Andrea Sisneros Wichman, helps us dive into the subject of training and how it influences the STEM workforce. The CNM Ingenuity program offers a wide range of immersive technology training in addition to Coding Bootcamps. In 8-12 weeks, you can learn, apply the knowledge through project-based learning, and then walk into a new career. These programs are popular nationwide, but CNM was one of the first to offer this type of training, and is now working with other colleges across the nation to innovate in this way.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Andrea Sisneros Wichman, Program Director with CNM Ingenuity, leads immersive technology training programs, including the Deep Dive Coding Bootcamps. A fifteenth generation New Mexican, Andrea’s passion for the community is reflected in winning 40 Under 40 Business Leaders in New Mexico in 2018. Andrea has been with CNM since February 2011, building a portfolio of technical training programs through managing many grants, contracts, and business units such as Technology Solutions Labs.
Central New Mexico Community College
CNM Ingenuity
ActivateNM
Deep Dive Coding
Deep Dive Coding Bootcamps
Internet of Things Bootcamp
Salesforce Administrator Career Certificate
FUSE Makerspace
STEMulus Center
STEM Southwest Episode 18 - John Mierzwa
Battling Bots League (Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse partnership)
Robot Rumble (in partnership with Cottonwood Mall)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Andrea Sisneros-Wichman
msisneroswichm@cnm.edu
info@deepdivecoding.com
This week’s episode is a double dose of Fin Tech! Join Bob and Shelly and learn about FinCon21, where money and media meet, and also hear from some of the interesting folks that they met and some great tools for your financial future.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Ryan Ruff is Head of Fintech Relations at ASA, bridging the gap with the creators of tech and those who want to invest in the development of tech. He is leading the way to create a bridge between technology development and those who want to invest in the future expansion of important tech.
Jake Tamarkin is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Everyday Life Insurance. Jake is passionate about using technology to help people make their financial lives easier. Let him explain why he says that “Insurance is Stupid” and just what we can do about it.
FinCon21
Fintech Startup Competition
ASA
SpendPal
Everyday Life Insurance
A few of the financial apps that Bob and Shelly use
Acorns
Acorns automatically invests spare change and provides cashback rewards at select retailers
Bumped
Bumped turns everyday spending into investing by which users get fractional stock rewards when they spend.
Bitmo
Bitmo rewards you for everyday shopping at major brands both online and in-store
Travel Freely
Travel Freely helps users navigate the process of earning credit card rewards for free travel
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Ryan Ruff
ryan.ruff@asa.financial
(801) 473-5749
Jake Tamarkin
(888) 681-3811
Celina Bussey is a Specialist Leader at Deloitte and this week's guest on STEM Southwest Podcast. Her rich experience in workforce development gives amazing insight into this deep dive discussion about the future of the STEM workforce. Shelly and Celina discuss workforce solutions and innovations as well as the important and growing work happening at Deloitte.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Celina Bussey is a Client Relationship Executive in Deloitte’s Government and Public Sector practice and serves as a subject matter expert for Labor and Workforce Development. She has worked with state and local government agencies, higher education, and the private sector in New Mexico for nearly 20 years.
Deloitte
Deloitte - Internships
New Mexico Governor's STEM Showcase
A New Playbook for Talent, by Joe Ucuzoglu, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte
Job-Centric Upskilling: The New Workforce Development Imperative, by Celina Bussey, John O’Leary, and Sushumna Agarwal
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Celina Bussey
celina.bussey@gmail.com
Today's guest is working to ensure that the gap in the digital divide for Indian tribes is closing! Catherine Nicolaou and Sacred Wind Communications are leveraging all of the resources that they can reach and then some as they try to solve this daunting issue. Hear from her today about how organizations are partnering to make a difference and bridge the gap and what we can all do to make a difference! Nicolaou is an expert in state regulatory and marketing, a member of the New Mexico Technology Council, and a registered lobbyist.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Catherine Nicolaou is the External Affairs and Marketing Manager for Sacred Wind Communications, the state’s newest rural telecom carrier, which provides voice and internet service to rural and tribal areas in Northwest New Mexico on Navajo land. As such, she interfaces with state regulatory officials and government officials to promote the company's public image and business agenda. She also manages the coordination, review, compilation, assembly, filing and tracking of reports, tariffs, audits, applications, and petitions to state, tribal, local, and federal authorities, including state PRC, FCC, RUS, or any other governmental authority, while promoting brand recognition through the company’s marketing initiatives. Catherine is a member of the New Mexico Technology Council and the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce policy committees. She is a registered lobbyist for Sacred Wind and sits on the board of the Cibola Arts Council.
Sacred Wind Communications
Sacred Wind Communications - Careers; send resumes to hr@sacredwindnm.com
Dinehnet
Lifeline Program
Sierra Electric Cooperative
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Catherine Nicolaou
Sacred Wind Communications
External Affairs and Marketing Manager
7801 Academy Rd NE
Building 2, Suite 103
Albuquerque, NM 87109
(505) 908-2668
cnicolaou@sacredwindnm.com
Sacred Wind Communications
YouTube
Today's guest, Dr. Rebecca Woodbury (Keller), is a scientist, chemist, educator, cyclist, and curriculum expert! In this episode, she and Shelly have a great discussion on how to disrupt education and what needs to be done to provide a greater STEM experience for students. Join them and consider what you can do to take action and help to infuse education with a love of learning!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
For over 20 years. Dr. Rebecca Woodbury (Keller) has been exploring the ways students learn. Starting out as a research scientist in the field of biophysical chemistry, she left academia to create quality educational support materials for students and educators. In 2003, she founded Gravitas Publications Inc. and introduced the Real Science-4-Kids product line for home and classroom educators. In 2020, Dr. Woodbury branched out to launch a new company, called Nachokat, to introduce the RATATAZ STEM program as a way to introduce fundamental science concepts in easy-to-use activity-based kits. The RATATAZ program incorporates several different learning modalities to get kids back to asking their own questions and playing like real scientists.
Real Science-4-Kids (Gravitas Publications)
Real Science-4-Kids (Amazon)
RATATAZ
Sequence of Learning (RATATAZ)
Products (RATATAZ)
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Make Just One Change, by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana
The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Dr. Rebecca Woodbury (Keller), Ph.D
CEO, RATATAZ Science Kits
Nachokat LLC
rebecca@ratataz.com
RATATAZ
300 Menaul Drive NW, Suite 200
Albuquerque, NM 87107
(505) 207-8125
info@ratataz.com
YouTube
Please join us today as we have an interesting discussion with a repeat guest, Jonathan Firth, who is Chief Operating Officer at D-Orbit, an international New Space company with solutions covering the entire lifecycle of a space mission. We first met Jonathan as the organizer of the Las Cruces Space Festival and met him again at a robotics competition while he was in the U.S. working with Virgin Galactic. He was a long-standing member of the senior executive team that started up Virgin Galactic and we are blessed to call him a friend who has done a lot to support the STEM Southwest Podcast.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Jonathan Firth has been directly involved in the development of the commercial space industry since 2004, when ‘SpaceShipOne’ reached suborbital space and won the ‘Ansari X-Prize’. He is the Chief Operating Officer at D-Orbit, an international New Space company with solutions covering the entire lifecycle of a space mission, including: mission analysis and design, engineering, manufacturing, integration, testing, launch, and end-of-life decommissioning. Previously he was a long-standing member of the senior executive team that started up Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company and Virgin Orbit, leveraging his previous business development and program management experience in the commercial aviation, long distance rail, mass transit, and oil & gas industries.
Jonathan is a mechanical engineering graduate of Imperial College London and holds an MBA from Henley Business School, UK. He is a regular keynote speaker on space activities and the global space economy at international events.
D-Orbit
ION Satellite Carrier
Solutions (D-Orbit)
Las Cruces Space Festival
Virgin Galactic
97th Burning of Zozobra kicks off in Santa Fe
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Jonathan Firth
info@dorbit.space
Facebook (D-Orbit)
Linkedin (D-Orbit)
Twitter (D-Orbit)
Instagram (D-Orbit)
Join Shelly and her guest today, Ray Sandoval, Director of Corporate Communications and brand management at PNM Resources, talk about key issues including sustainability and environmental leadership. Ray also shares his love of Old Man Gloom, Zozobra, and explains the technology involved in lighting a fire to burn away troubles!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Ray Sandoval is the Director of Corporate Communications and brand management at PNM Resources. In this role, Ray directs the internal and external corporate communications strategy while leading key initiatives to benefit PNM customers and community engagement. Additionally, Ray manages the external awareness on the company’s corporate sustainability and environmental leadership. He earned a law degree from Boston University, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from American University.
PNM
AVANGRID
New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
PNM whatif
Burning of Zozobra
Burning of Zozobra (footage)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Raymond Sandoval
(505) 241-2782
raymond.sandoval@pnm.com
Today's guest is no stranger to the STEM Southwest podcast. Jill Meyers was a previous guest on Episode 66, and we brought her back today to share her experience as a VIP at the Virgin Galactic launch from Spaceport America. Jill recounts her thoughts as she watched firsthand the history of making spaceflight and her close brush with Elon Musk.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Jill Meyers has been in aviation her entire life since earning her private pilot's license at age 17. She is an Aerospace Engineer, Air Force veteran, STEM advocate and mentor, professional speaker, and owner of Meyers AeroConsulting. In 2019, Jill was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in London, the world's only professional body dedicated to the aerospace community.
Meyers AeroConsulting
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic Launch photos (Jill Meyers)
"New Normal" by Khalid
Karman line
The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, by Frank White
Thin Blue Line
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
jill@meyersaero.biz
(505) 610-8851
This week’s guest is young and wise with thoughtful answers to questions we are all asking. Join us as this STEM Rockstar shares his passion for leveling the playing field and building a place where kids can create and learn. STEM Southwest interviews Andrew Proctor and reveals the power of youth.
In addition, Bob and Shelly share their plans for attending the launch of Sir Richard Branson into space as Astronaut 001 launching from southern New Mexico's Spaceport America! Join them on Facebook live or in person at the launch on July 11 at 7am!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Fictional Futurists
Fictional Futurists (Memberships)
Fictional Futurists (Donations)
Juntos
micro:bit
Cognimates
MIT App Inventor
Virgin Galactic Announces First Fully Crewed Spaceflight
Virgin Galactic
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
In this episode, hosts Bob and Shelly dig deep and share their personal commitment to connecting the STEM dots. Listeners will get behind the scenes commentary on life, profession, and as always, all things STEM. Join our rockstar hosts as they recommit to you, their listeners!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Majority of New Mexico's STEM Workforce doesn't have a bachelor's degree
State STEM Report Cards 2019
R4Creating
STEM Workforce Pipeline
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
info@stemsw.com
(505) 715-7732
Shaun Taylor, aka Nytfury FPV, and his wife, Teng Ma, aka JuneBug FPV, are professional drone pilots that have accepted awards on both world and national podiums. Shaun is a world champion, 2xnational champion and 2xXDC champion along with numerous other awards. Teng has earned the title as fastest female and is a member of the USA women's FPV team. Recently, Shaun used his drone to help rescue a dog that was wedged in a crevice in the Sandia Mountain Foothills. Their love of drone racing is only second to their love for one another and their son, Max. This married duo will share their knowledge of drones and show off their superpowers during our episode.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
In early 2015, Shaun Taylor was a firefighter when he started to fly drones on his off-days. The drone racing industry was on fire and, in June 2016, after winning five of the biggest drone races between 2015-2016, Shaun asked his wife if he could quit his job in order to prepare for the 2016 MultiGP national championship and the subsequent world championship in Hawaii. His wife, Teng, unequivocally agreed and Shaun quit his job that same month. Three months later, Shaun won the aforementioned national championship (defending his title from 2015). A month later, he won the world championship in Hawaii. Subsequently, Shaun signed with DR1, a premier drone racing league that aired on Eurosport. The league lasted two seasons and Shaun’s team won both seasons. By the end of 2017, Shaun has solidified his reputation as the most decorated drone pilot in the world, a title for which even the fastest drone pilots today have a hard time competing due to the lack of events. Shaun became a dad in December 2018 and spent the majority of the last year at home (due to COVID-19). Today, Shaun still enjoys flying drones with his wife at the park on a weekly basis, and plans to go back to the fire department for which he has been asked to integrated drones in future fire and rescue efforts.
Teng Taylor started to fly drones to spend more time with Shaun, and she started to progress quickly. Teng also started to travel with Shaun and compete as well. In 2019, Teng won the fastest female spot on team USA to compete in China and took third place at that competition. This year, races are starting to come back, and Teng is excited to be competing again.
Shaun Taylor - YouTube Channel
Teng Taylor - YouTube Channel
Nytfury
Drone Racing League
MultiGP Drone Racing
Southwest Pod Racing
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Instagram (Shaun Taylor)
Instagram (Teng Taylor)
Join Shelly as she leads a panel discussion of Women in STEM on the important topic of getting our girls more involved in tech. Hear the perspectives of this diverse panel during a session at Experience IT, an event sponsored by the New Mexico Technology Council, as these panelists cover important thoughts, experiences, and focus on understanding the power of mentoring for young women in technology. From STEM educators to professionals, these ladies have a lively and important discussion about their own experiences, and how to make the workplace more welcoming for women. In today's episode, Shelly invites us all to become mentors for young women in technology to ensure a brighter future for all.
Show Notes
Watch episode here
New Mexico Technology Council
Tracy Hartzler (CNM)
Heather Fitzgerald (CNM)
Melissa Ober (Science Girl's Lab)
Maggie Werner-Washburne (Boomerang New Mexico)
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Contact:
Linkedin (Tracy Hartzler)
Linkedin (Heather Fitzgerald)
Linkedin (Melissa Ober)
Linkedin (Maggie Werner-Washburne)
Robots are revolutionizing every industry and today’s guest shares how his company is ensuring co-bots are keeping people safe while completing important tasks. Chris Ziomek and the team at Build With Robots are making a difference and leveraging the support of the community to make great things happen!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Chris Ziomek is a tech entrepreneur who has over 30 years of experience in high-tech industries. Chris presently leads Build With Robots, an automation business developing the next generation of robotic tools. Chris also serves as an adviser and investor in many New Mexico-based startups. His prior professional experience includes: Senior Vice President and General Manager at Teradyne, Founder and President of ZTEC Instruments, microwave engineer at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, and section leader at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Chris holds BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of New Mexico.
Build with Robots
Breezy One
Job Training Incentive Program (New Mexico Economic Development Department)
FUSE Makerspace
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Chris Ziomek
(505) 224-3955
chris.ziomek@buildwithrobots.com
Today's guest shares her journey flying high and the work that it took her to get there. Jill Meyers has had a storied career in STEM with some amazing organizations, and we know you will be wanting more when we are done . . . because we did! From stories about aviation, learning to fly at 17 years old, and facing the challenging world of STEM as a woman, she shares it all. We even get to hear about her latest adventures with Virgin Galactic and the WAI Land of Enchantment Chapter as she mentors her way through an amazing career!
Show Notes
Watch episode here
Jill Meyers has been in aviation her entire life since earning her private pilot's license at age 17. She is an Aerospace Engineer, Air Force veteran, STEM advocate and mentor, professional speaker, and owner of Meyers AeroConsulting. In 2019, Jill was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in London, the world's only professional body dedicated to the aerospace community.
Meyers AeroConsulting
Changemaker Talent
Fly Like A Girl (Documentary)
Women in Aviation International
Women in Aviation International - Land of Enchantment Chapter
Coming Home: Fight for a Legacy (Documentary film by The Red Door Films)
Flygirls: A Wartime Odyssey (Dramatic scripted series by the Red Door Films)
Dare to Dream
Build with Robots
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
jill@meyersaero.biz
(505) 610-8851
This week’s guest, a NM State Representative, takes a break from her duties serving the people of New Mexico to discuss important issues that matter to the region. Her passion for flying led to a path in aviation law. She is leading the way to establish New Mexico as a premiere place for space and flight. Listen in as Bob nerds out over law and politics in a conversation with Day Hochman-Vigil.
Show Notes
YouTube episode link
Day Hochman-Vigil is a native New Mexican, born and raised in Santa Fe, and is the only certified aviation and space attorney in the State of New Mexico. She practices law as a commercial aviation safety and security specialist and has been recognized for her work providing pro bono community legal services. She graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law and holds a Master of Law degree in Aviation and Space Law from McGill University.
Day comes from hard-working New Mexican roots. Her father was a local doctor, rancher, and small business owner outside of Glorieta, NM, while her mother managed a restaurant on the Santa Fe Plaza. At an early age, Day became interested in language, political science and the arts. After graduating with her Bachelor of Arts, Day witnessed the social and political realities for four countries, learning to speak three languages fluently.
DHV Law
Representative Day Hochman-Vigil - NM Legislature
Day Hochman-Vigil, Democrat for House District 15
New Mexico Legislature
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Battling Bots League (Partnership between Be Greater Than Average and Electric Playhouse)
Contact:
Today’s interview is a follow-up with Financial expert, Ann Shubert. It is our first podcast built to help with the money questions that you have. Join us as we get beginner tips for those just starting out on their financial journey, as well as those for professionals with retirement nearing. Great tips for STEM entrepreneurs and advice that you don’t have to be a math major to understand!
Ann Shubert started her professional career planning to be an astrophysicist, receiving a BA in Physics from Princeton University and an MS in Astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology. After realizing that she was not cut out to be a pure research scientist, Ann shifted gears into a 30-year career in the defense industry, first designing and building software systems and later managing multi-million-dollar aerospace programs. In 2014, while enrolled in the University of New Mexico’s Executive MBA program, Ann made another major career transition, becoming a licensed Financial Advisor. Three years later, she co-founded Intentional Finance LLC, an independent, woman-owned, Registered Investment Adviser firm. Ann enjoys working with women in STEM, combining science-based approaches to financial planning, risk management and investing with her interest in behavioral finance and how people make decisions about money. Because she knows what it is like to be a woman in a male dominated workplace, Ann feels a special kinship with women in the STEM fields, and loves helping them to reach a place of confidence about their finances so they can keep their energies focused on their STEM passion, whether in research, education or business.
Show Notes
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Acorns
Invest in Acorns
Intentional Finance LLC
YouTube episode link
Contact:
Ann Shubert
Ann@intentionalfinancellc.com
Intentional Finance LLC
7770 Jefferson Street NE, Suite 430
Albuquerque, NM 87109
(505) 563-4500
connect@intentionalfinancellc.com
Subscribe to Newsletter
This week, we start off 2021 with a special peek into the lives of our hosts, Bob and Shelly. They are no longer hiding behind the microphone because their podcast editor has convinced them to give listeners more. So, now you cannot only listen to the podcast, but if you choose, you can watch the video recording on their YouTube channel! Bob and Shelly are driven to be mentors and encourage young people to do hard things! Join them today for this very special and personal episode as STEM Southwest kicks off its third year of sharing some of the most amazing STEM rocktars of the Southwest!
Show Notes
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Courses
Be Greater Than Average Family Fun!
Be Greater Than Average A Semester of STEM Activities E-Book
Our first YouTube podcast video
Contact:
info@stemsw.com
(505) 715-7732
Join Bob and Shelly this week and get the scoop on a dirty little science secret that the textile industry doesn't want you to know. Our guest, Gary S. Selwyn, a retired Los Alamos National Laboratory chemist, shares his discoveries and innovations that have him learning a lot about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process as he works to share his life-saving innovation in the prevention of COVID19!
Show Notes
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Competitive Robotics
Gary S. Selwyn received his B.S. degree in chemistry from New York University, Albany, in 1974, and his Ph.D. degree in chemical physics from University of California, Berkley, in 1979. From 1979 to 1982, he did postdoctoral research at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC. From 1982 to 1994, he worked first as a Staff Scientist with IBM and then as a Research Manager at the IBM Watson Research Center. He co-chaired a NATO Advanced Research Conference in 1993 and is the recipient of two R&D100 Awards. He has been with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM, since 1994, and studies the chemistry and physics of plasmas used in materials processing. He is also the President and founder of APJeT, Inc., a spin-off from LANL that is commercializing a licensed atmospheric pressure plasma technology for material processing applications. Gary has since retired and started his own company, Greenthemetek, treating fabrics and currently has a mask treatment to prevent COVID19 in the FDA approval process.
Green Theme Technologies Inc.
EMPEL Technology Platform
Patents by Gary Selwyn
Testing of Antibacterial Face Masks (News Story)
Contact:
Gary S Selwyn, PhD
gary.selwyn@greenthemetek.com
phone: 1-505-200-2693
Working to make New Mexico the first choice for the space industry today’s guest is investing her retirement years in this mission. Breaking down walls and silos helps to create a rich ecosystem that will benefit the entire Southwest region and lead to a greater economic impact. Space is more than a $350 billion industry. It has increased tenfold over the last decade. and is anticipated to grow as much in the next decade, with more than 80% of the monies being private investment. This is an opportunity that everyone needs to know about and what we will discuss on today’s episode.
Show Notes
Be Greater Than Average Gift of Learning
Be Greater Than Average Competitive Robotics
Casey Anglada DeRaad is Founder and Director of NewSpace New Mexico, a non-profit established to grow the commercial Space industry in NM and to create a bigger voice to New Mexico’s Space industry stakeholders from industry, academia, Air Force, the national labs, and local, state and federal organizations. NewSpace NM is developing an expansion and communication strategy for the first time to leverage the significant federal investment and R&D Space assets, and to take advantage of the exponential growth in the commercial Space industry for our state and nation.
Casey was a 30-year executive of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), leading the Technology Engagement Office for academic, industry, and community partnerships for AFRL and other Air Force partners on Kirtland Air Force Base. Casey developed strategies to support the local academic and industrial community to help it leverage the $3.8B/annual economic impact of Kirtland to New Mexico. Casey has previously led spacecraft electronics, space systems, and joint technology investment efforts for the Air Force and NASA. She helped establish the University of New Mexico’s (UNM’s) successful COSMIAC aerospace center with AFRL, UNM, industry, Sandia and Los Alamos laboratories. She established, gained resources, and led AFRL’s $4M/year, fifth through university level programs inspiring over 4000 students per year into STEM programs including the lauded AFRL Scholars and University NanoSat programs with excellent female and minority participation.
NewSpace New Mexico
NewSpace Alliance
NewSpace New Mexico - Leadership and Board of Directors
Contact:
Connect with NewSpace New Mexico
Join the NewSpace Alliance
Today's guest is an expert in using technology to advance business and learning. Erika Hecht is the CEO of Market Ascent and shares her thoughts and expertise on how we can make money and delight audiences in order to make a greater impact using technology and tools to create amazing online experiences.
Show Notes
Fall STEM Learning offered by Be Greater Than Average - online and in-person for learners.
Also, check out the Be Greater Than Average Resources webpage to get your copy of STEM Ebook: A Semester of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Activities.
Help us grow our STEM programs through the Be Greater Than Average Facebook page.
For over 20 years, Market Ascent Founder, Erika Woldman Hecht, has been solving business strategy and marketing problems for technology and learning organizations, helping them grow smarter, faster, and better. She has taken her experience and packaged it into a proprietary process that saves clients time while putting them on a direct path to achieving desired outcomes. Erika is also a thought-leader in the online learning field and is on a mission to shine a light on how organizations can create amazing online experiences that delight customers while generating incremental revenues. Passionate about education, Erika is a life-long learner and volunteers as programming director for her local chapter of the American Marketing Association to further the development of marketing professionals with the latest advances and thinking in the field.
Market Ascent
Member Spotlight: Erika Hecht (New Mexico American Marking Association)
Contact:
Info@MarketAscent.com
(505) 821-9132
In this special episode, we hear from two members of the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Gabe Mounce and Captain Roger Anderson, as we discuss the innovative programs that AFRL is using to connect business and government through technology and innovation.
Show Notes
Fall STEM Learning offered by Be Greater Than Average - online and in-person for learners.
Also, check out the Be Greater Than Average Resources webpage to get your copy of STEM Ebook: A Semester of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Activities.
Help us grow our STEM programs through the Be Greater Than Average Facebook page.
Gabe Mounce directs the Space Force Accelerator program for the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in New Mexico. In this capacity, he oversees the Hyperspace Challenge in Albuquerque and the Catalyst Space Accelerator in Colorado Springs, both focused on connecting the entrepreneurial start-up community to the US Space Force. He is also the Technology Commercialization Lead for AFRL where he oversees all aspects of technology transfer, community engagement, and marketing & publicity for Directed Energy and Space Vehicle technology. Mr. Mounce recently founded the New Mexico COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative, bringing together government, non-profit, and private sector organizations from across the state to provide Personal Protective Equipment to Healthcare Providers in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Captain Roger S. Anderson oversees operations of Space Force Accelerators at the Air Force Research Lab for Space Vehicles at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. He aligns start-up company innovation with Space Force needs and vectors start-up technology for success through the Hyperspace Challenge and Catalyst Accelerator programs. He also oversees the Space Vehicles’ professional development program that immerses young acquisition professionals inside of innovation units and teaches agile acquisition concepts.
Air Force Research Laboratory New Mexico Tech Engagement Office
Space Vehicles Directorate
Hyperspace Challenge
Catalyst Accelerator
U.S. Space Force
Important links to other STEM Southwest Interviews that touch on factors that are involved in building the Second Golden Age of Space.
Brian Barnett, Solstar Space; EP 055 Text Messaging to Space
Rachel Gupton, Sandia National Laboratories, EP 043 Satellites to Security
Shelly Gruenig, Be Greater Than Average, EP 041 NASA Social Media to Space
George Gorospe, NASA, EP 038 From Educator to NASA Engineer
Matt Fetrow, AFRL, EP 031 AFRL reaching out to Entrepreneurs
Contact:
Linkedin - Gabe Mounce
Linkedin - Captain Roger Anderson
Join us this week when we talk about STEM repatriation with the leaders of STEM Boomerang. After noticing a brain drain in the STEM community, STEM Boomerang stepped in to support the journey home for many New Mexicans. Other states are pursuing a similar program to ensure that the STEM workforce pipeline remains enriched. It all started here in the Southwest and we are going to uncover the important information! We will discuss everything from STEM careers to internships - don't miss this episode!
Show Notes
Fall STEM Learning offered by Be Greater Than Average - online and in-person for learners.
Also, check out the Be Greater Than Average Resources webpage to get your copy of STEM Ebook: A Semester of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Activities.
Help us grow our STEM programs through the Be Greater Than Average Facebook page.
Maggie is retired from UNM, where she was a Regents Professor of Biology, and an adjunct in Computer Science and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and a full member of the UNM Cancer Center. Maggie chose to come to UNM because her mother was from Mexico and the students made her feel like she was among family. Her current work is to help some of the 600+ students that she mentored at UNM and nationally to come back home to their families for great STEM careers, and to support economic development in New Mexico.
Monica Sandoval-Johnson, PhD is the co-Director at STEM Boomerang and has a passion for building up the STEM workforce in New Mexico. Monica is a UNM alumni, who has received higher education at both the University of Colorado and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Since returning to New Mexico, her mission has been on recruiting and repatriating New Mexico's high-tech and innovation economies.
STEM Boomerang
STEM Boomerang - Job Seekers
STEM Boomerang - Employers
CNM Ingenuity Info Session
Contact:
STEM Boomerang - Contact
We often take electricity technology for granted, until it isn't there anymore. With one flip of a light switch, we become part of the largest machine in the country! During this week's episode, we will explore the importance of and developments in renewable energy, what careers are available, and how local and regional power companies are partnering with consumers to change what used to be a one-way road into a two-way street by using technology to build the smart grid. Join us as we discuss this and much, much more with our guests from PNM, Alaric Babej and Jon Hawkins.
Show Notes
Fall STEM Learning offered by Be Greater Than Average - online and in-person for learners.
Also, check out the Be Greater Than Average Resources webpage to get your copy of STEM Ebook: A Semester of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Activities
Help us grow our STEM programs through the Be Greater Than Average Facebook page.
Alaric J. Babej is the Product Development Manager at PNM and works to design and implement customer programs for electrification and voluntary renewables. Major initiatives include transportation electrification to aid in the adoption of electric vehicles, and programs to assist customers meet their sustainability goals. Alaric has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island where he focused on automotive technology, and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington with a focus in renewable energy systems. He enjoys learning languages and playing hockey in his free time.
Jon Hawkins is the Associate Director for Innovation and Communications at PNM Resources. Jon’s team is responsible providing research and development of new technologies used in the generation, distribution, and use of energy as well as design, implementation, and maintenance of telecommunications and network systems across PNMR. Jon has his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico, is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and has been author or co-author on multiple publications primarily focused on integration and optimization of PV with energy storage.
PNM
PNM - Electric Vehicles
Contact:
Contact Us
ev@pnm.com
As a girl, Ann dreamed of being an astrophysicist. Her journey into a STEM career led her into the defense industry. After years of success, she enrolled in an MBA program and there, during a math class, she had the opportunity to help other women understand. That moment, when she taught until “the light came on,” and her classmates’ new confidence with math, changed them and her. That experience would change her and shift her career from math to money. Her dream is to support women in STEM to be comfortable building their financial success and designing their financial future. What small financial change could you make that would end in financial freedom?
Show Notes
Fall STEM Learning offered by Be Greater Than Average - online and in-person for learners; the schedule will be released in late August.
Also, check out the Be Greater Than Average Resources page to get your copy of STEM Ebook: A Semester of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Activities
Help us grow our STEM programs through the Be Greater Than Average Facebook page.
Please check out R4Creating, whose mission is to provide support for those organizations making valuable contributions to increase the number of STEM opportunities for students.
Ann Shubert started her professional career planning to be an astrophysicist, receiving a BA in Physics from Princeton University and an MS in Astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology. After realizing that she was not cut out to be a pure research scientist, Ann shifted gears into a 30-year career in the defense industry, first designing and building software systems and later managing multi-million-dollar aerospace programs. In 2014, while enrolled in the University of New Mexico’s Executive MBA program, Ann made another major career transition, becoming a licensed Financial Advisor. Three years later, she co-founded Intentional Finance LLC, an independent, woman-owned, Registered Investment Adviser firm. Ann enjoys working with women in STEM, combining science-based approaches to financial planning, risk management and investing with her interest in behavioral finance and how people make decisions about money. Because she knows what it is like to be a woman in a male dominated workplace, Ann feels a special kinship with women in the STEM fields, and loves helping them to reach a place of confidence about their finances so they can keep their energies focused on their STEM passion, whether in research, education or business.
Intentional Finance LLC
Contact:
Ann Shubert
Ann@intentionalfinancellc.com
Intentional Finance LLC
7770 Jefferson Street NE, Suite 430
Albuquerque, NM 87109
(505) 563-4500
connect@intentionalfinancellc.com
Subscribe to Newsletter
Inspired by the Apollo missions to the moon, Brian Barnett has been dreaming of being an astronaut since he was a little boy. Not only does he plan to be a commercial astronaut in the near future, but he also hopes to inspire a new generation in the race to space. His innovation and ideas have led him to develop the Space Wide Web, allowing earth-to-space communications. Join this family man and hear how his children have been involved in his business, Solstar Space, from very early on. Listen in to some of his amazing stories and ideas for STEM-minded individuals.
Show Notes
Join Shelly and host, Betsy Jewell, on the latest episode of High School Hamster Wheel podcast (episode #040)
Fall STEM Learning offered by Be Greater Than Average - online and in-person for learners; the schedule will be released in late August.
Help us grow our STEM programs through the Be Greater Than Average Facebook page
M. Brian Barnett is a serial entrepreneur with 33 years’ experience in commercial space, the mobile satellite services industry, as an aerospace technologist at NASA, and at KPMG Consulting as a management consultant. He is Founder and CEO of Solstar Space Co. (Solstar), the first internet service provider for people, Internet of Things, and machines in space, that is developing technologies to build a Space Wide Web. On April 29, 2018, Solstar demonstrated the first commercial two-way data and wi-fi hotspot service in space and Tweet from space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard crew capsule, using Barnett’s patent-pending technology. Brian began his career at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center where he provided Space Shuttle payload integration services at the Payloads Project Office. He also provided astronaut crew training in the Mission Operations Laboratory for Spacelab missions. At Johnson Space Center, Brian worked in the Missions Operations Directorate, and later worked on JSC’s 1992 Strategic Plan. He also managed a contract to document all Space Shuttle operations processes as directed by Congress after the Challenger accident. Later, as a management consultant for KPMG’s Space and High Technology group, Brian wrote dozens of business plans and market assessments for commercial space companies. He led the Team that wrote the initial business plan and helped identify the best location for the spaceport that eventually became Spaceport America in New Mexico. Brian earned a B.S. in microbiology from the University of Oklahoma, a Masters in Administrative Science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and is a graduate of the International Space University. He is a classically-trained rock and reggae drummer and is founder and producer of DrumsAstro®, an organization Connecting Artists and Musicians of all Genres to Space and Space Exploration.
Solstar Space
Contact:
M. Brian Barnett
(505) 389-2299
barnett@solstarspace.com
What does a good book and a video game have in common? This week’s guest will share his thoughts on using virtual reality as classroom literature, and why it is time for us to step up and make a difference! Join us in this episode where we learn more about Esports and the possibility of it being a career. Dr. Miles Harvey will share his experiences as a gamer and streamer, and how he is using that platform to make a difference in the lives of so many students!
Show Notes
Dr. Miles Harvey is a scholar gamer, middle years Esports coach, streamer, and teacher educator from the University of New Mexico researching media literacy and digital game-based learning. He is a K-12 Language Arts and Media Literacy educator in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also instructs classes at the Central New Mexico Community College. Miles’ research interests focus on how students make sense of their learning through multimodal experiences afforded by mixed reality, video games, and research-based instructional strategies. He coaches New Mexico’s first-ever middle school Esports team and competed in the North America’s first international middle school Esports competition against Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Dr. Miles Harvey - Google Scholar
Miles of Learning
James Monroe Middle School Raiding Raptor Esports
APS Esports
Contact:
TikTok
This week's guest had a serendipitous journey to her career in STEM. In an effort to diagnose her son and improve the quality of life for her mother, Karen Crow set out to learn more about sleep which led to a breakthrough in wearable sensors. Now, as the CEO of the startup, NeuroGeneces, Karen shares about the impact of technology on the study and the science of sleep. Gone are the days of sleep studies with wires and adhesives attached while you try to "sleep" in a strange bed. The growth of wearable sensors is skyrocketing! The data those sensors are collecting can be life-changing and the opportunity for careers in the relatively unexplored science of sleep is unprecedented. As a bonus, Karen will even share how you can get involved in the beta testing of a new NeuroGeneces product!
Show Notes
Karen Crow is the co-founder and CEO of NeuroGeneces, a woman-owned start-up focused on improving memory and cognitive performance through sleep science. Karen started her business career in management consulting, and was a partner at Mercer Management Consulting where she was responsible for managing teams of consultants and clients addressing complex problems. While at Google, she led Sales Operations for Fortune 1000 accounts in North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, managing over 500 people and $1.3 billion in annual revenue. Karen is a recipient of Google Founders Award, in recognition of outstanding contribution and entrepreneurial accomplishment. She is co-founder and head of Product Development at WiserGiving, a non-profit creating donor education tools.
Neurogeneces
WiserGiving
Contact:
Karen@neurogeneces.com
Contact (Neurogeneces)
Follow Us – Neurogeneces (including signing up for beta test)
This week's episode is a great example of how business and technology meet at a crossroads to entertain! As a creative technologist, John-Mark Collins uses his STEM knowledge to build immersive technology-driven experiences. His most recent project, Electric Playhouse, puts his background in Computer Engineering, Art, and Architecture to the test. Join us to hear about this special place where fun and learning collide and how technology is changing the way we play and learn!
Show Notes
John-Mark Collins is a creative problem solver with a wide variety of skills ranging from technical and creative to managerial and business related. As a creative technologist, John-Mark aims to build immersive technology-driven experiences that both push the boundary of current technology and adapt to shifting HCI paradigms. Having a background in Computer Engineering, Art, and Architecture, as well as a number of years in management of large teams, gives John-Mark me a unique perspective and skill-set to contribute in a multitude of ways towards building new user experiences.
Electric Playhouse
Electric Playhouse (Careers and Opportunities)
Electric Playhouse (Special Events - Immersive Dinners and Coding Camps)
Electric Playhouse (Annual Passes and Gift Cards)
Bitsbox - Coding for Kids
Contact:
info@electricplayhouse.com
Linkedin (John-Mark Collins)
Find out what happens when nerds meet across the miles. Turning COVID Quarantine into opportunity, these rockstars do their part to connect the world, have interesting discussions, and throw in a bit of quirkiness for fun! We can't wait to share this special episode full of nerds from across the nation! Join us when STEM Southwest meets Nerd Talk!
Show Notes
Citizens Television, Inc.
Video Interview with Nerd Talk
Citizen's Television Videos
Contact:
Businesses both big and small are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are shutting doors while others are facing unprecedented growth. During this time in history, what predictors can we use to determine success of our small businesses and employers? While the unemployment rolls may be growing, the truth is that we are still facing an unprecedented STEM workforce crisis. Join us in this episode where we interview two different business owners, David Hughes and Dr. Simon Woodruff, who share their journey and how they are responding to the pandemic. We will also hear about how COVID-19 is shifting the job search and how there are still plenty of STEM career opportunities in the Southwest.
Show Notes – David Hughes
David Hughes was born in Montreal and, at age 15, moved to England with his family. David went to an English boarding school for three years, and then to university in Scotland to study philosophy and history. After university, David moved to Iowa where he developed an interest in energy; this led to a degree in Environmental Technology with a focus on renewable energy. After working in the energy efficiency field in Michigan, David moved to New Mexico and was able to start a career in the solar industry, eventually starting Affordable Solar in 1998, using an old Airstream trailer as his first office. David is married with two adult daughters and has lived in Albuquerque since 1994.
Affordable Solar
Federal Investment Tax Credit
New Mexico Solar Tax Credit
Affordable Solar - Careers
Book Recommendation:
21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari
Contact:
David@affordable-solar.com
Show Notes – Dr. Simon Woodruff
After a decade of research into innovative fusion concepts at the University of Manchester (PhD), Lawrence Livermore National Lab (Postdoc), UC Berkeley Department of Nuclear Engineering (Visiting Scholar), and the University of Washington (Research Scientist), Dr. Woodruff founded Woodruff Scientific to help accelerate the development of economic fusion energy. Dr. Woodruff has performed work under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy, universities, national laboratories and to the private sector, building research devices, performing modeling and simulations primarily directed at simply-connected (hence more compact and simpler-to-engineer) fusion systems. Dr. Woodruff hosts an annual Scientific Computing Bootcamp for undergraduates, introducing many of the tools in common use for High Performance Computing. Dr. Woodruff has organized national workshops in fusion energy sciences, and is a current participant in two International Atomic Energy Agency initiatives on compact fusion neutron sources and private fusion development. Dr. Woodruff is a member of the American Physical Society and the Institute of Physics.
Woodruff Scientific
SciVista
Contact:
simon@woodruffscientific.com
Join us in this week's episode as our guest, Dr. Jason Harper, shares his STEM story. Jason has been involved as a research scientist for a national lab and shares his thoughts on how technology is impacting infectious diseases. Jason serves the community through his important work as a scientist, and also serves the community as an elected member of the New Mexico House of Representatives since 2013. We caught up with Jason on a Saturday as he squeezed our interview into his extremely demanding schedule.
Show Notes
Jason Harper was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 2013, representing the northern Rio Rancho area. After serving one term, Jason was asked to serve as Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, which deals with tax policy and administration of state government programs. Tax reform is an issue Representative Harper is passionately pursuing, with special emphases on gross receipts tax reform. Dr. Harper is also a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories. He recently developed a stand-alone, low-cost, lab-in-your pocket cartridge for detecting anthrax in challenging environments. This sensor received an R&D100 Award, a Federal Laboratory Consortium Excellence in Technology Transfer Award, and was selected by Popular Science Magazine as one of the greatest technological innovations of 2016. vThe anthrax sensor recently completed a successful pilot program in Afghanistan. Jason is married to Mary, a New Mexico Tech alumni with a Materials Science & Engineering degree, and is a proud father of four children.
Sandia National Laboratories (Main Page)
Sandia National Laboratories (Careers)
Anthrax Detection Sensor
Pathogen Management Kits
Contact:
Jason Harper
505-554-7970
In this week's episode, we dive deep into the science behind COVID-19 with one of our favorite previous guests, Dr. Paul Szauter. During quarantine, Paul has worked hard to digest scientific research and share the results in more user-friendly language so that more people can understand what is happening and how science is impacting the fight against COVID-19. Join us as we discuss this important topic with a true STEM rockstar who is deeply involved in supporting entrepreneurs in the Southwest!
Show Notes
EquiSeq, Inc.
How does coronavirus kill? Clinicians trace a ferocious rampage through the body, from brain to toes
UW starts testing people with COVID antibody test that boasts nearly 100% accuracy
Contact:
Pszauter@gmail.com
What started as a challenge by Shelly to her robotics team to look around and identify a way to serve others resulted in the spark of an idea to use the 3D printers that team members had built themselves to print visors that would be assembled into life-saving face shields. What started as a project to help a neighbor by printing 10 face shields quickly grew into a project that is involving more than 40 students and 23 printers running 24 hours a day. In the first two weeks of the project, over 1500 shields were delivered to hospitals, Indian pueblos and reservations, clinics, urgent care facilities and fire departments. R4Creating is committed to continuing to serve the community through its efforts and technology to ensure that the heroes on the front line are protected. What a wonderful way to use Science and Technology to make an impact on the world!
Go to www.R4Creating.org to:
-Request PPE face shields
-Donate money or supplies
-Connect with the team about meeting space
Go to www.BeGreaterThanAverage.org
-Sign up for the newsletter if you want information about upcoming 3D printer camps and workshops
Today's guest, Travis Rosser, is the author of You, Inc., and an ed-tech developer. After a decade in the software industry, Travis co-founded Kajabi, a knowledge capital platform. While he is no longer at Kajabi, it continues to impact tens of thousands of people and generate millions in sales. As a speaker and internet entrepreneur, Travis believes that everyone has a business inside of them, and is working on a new technology platform to make life better for coaches everywhere! Travis is passionate about encouraging start-ups and is most certainly a STEM rockstar with wisdom to share - you don't want to miss this episode!
Show Notes
Travis Rosser
Kajabi
Kajabi Heroes
Coach Snap
Hear and Play
Table Top Games
Book Recommendations:
You, Inc: The Step by Step Guide for Finding A Business Within You, by Travis Rosser
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach their Kids about Money - That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!, by Robert Kiyosaki
The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection, by Michael A. Singer
Contact:
TikTok (Paola Rosser)
Matt Johnson is a world-renown filmmaker specializing in weddings. In this episode, he shares how his involvement in competitive robotics led him to use technology in media arts. Matt’s talent, coupled with his amazing business partner wife, Rachel Johnson, have built their company, Filmstrong, into a much sought-after business. As a STEM professional, Matt shares more on the growing use of media arts and how it is impacting every corner of STEM and every STEM professional. In the interview, he shares how video helps to communicate the power of your story, innovative products and ideas, all while building relationships is the power of videography, and all STEM professionals need to continue learning these important principles.
In this episode, join host Shelly and our sound editor, Makenzie Gruenig, to learn more about this STEM Rockstar, the bearded guy who loves technology, his wife, his fans, and sharing Jesus with others.... just Who is Matt? Also, be sure to take advantage of his gift for our listeners - 20% off his online wedding film editing course!
Show Notes
WhoisMatt
Film Strong
Youtube (WhoisMatt)
Vimeo (WhoisMatt)
Boris FX
Venture Workshop
Wedding Film Framework
Learn Wedding Filmmaking
Contact:
Stuart Rose is our guest this week, and listeners are going to be impressed with the impact of his STEM story. Stuart always felt a calling to be the "geek interpreter" as he had an amazing ability to communicate and understand the business behind science. He has over 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and in 2012, broke new ground by establishing the BioScience Center (Center). He is an extreme supporter of STEM startups through his work with the Center and his support of the co-working space, FatPipe ABQ. Stuart also shares with us about his latest endeavor, i.e., green technology and electric vehicles, which have a promising future in our fast and ever-changing economy!
Stuart Rose founded The BioScience Center in Albuquerque in 2012. A serial entrepreneur with more than four decades in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry and the host of more than 20 startups developing vaccines, medical devices, and research tools, Stuart was looking to create something unique and different in Albuquerque and to capitalize on its burgeoning biotech industries. In 2014, he opened FatPipe ABQ as a privately funded collaborative work space providing amazing internet bandwidth speeds, program and training for entrepreneurs, and his advice and guidance to any startup that asks for it. Stuart’s approach to supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem is unique. He believes the private sector needs to take the lead and has proven so by investing in our city’s startup culture.
The BioScience Center
Green Theme Technologies Inc.
Avisa Pharma Inc.
Respira Therapeutics
FatPipe New Mexico
Go-Station
Contact:
Linkedin (Stuart Rose)
Join us in this episode as we discover the story of Rachel Gupton. We find her at the intersection of National Security and Philanthropy making a difference in STEM. This Rockstar scientist is a native New Mexican serving the state and the nation with her talents and smarts! We are so thankful that she made time in her full schedule to give us a glimpse into her life of making a difference!
Show Notes
Rachel is an electrical and computer engineer at Sandia National Laboratories. She has been at Sandia since 2011, starting off as an intern and then she was accepted into the Critical Skills Master Program in 2013 which funded her master’s degree. She received her bachelors and masters degrees in Electrical and Computing Engineering from the University of Arizona. She currently works in the Satellites Division. She is also a local philanthropist serving on the board of Saranam and Explora, and she is active in United Way giving societies. Rachel and her husband, Billy, who is a financial advisor and philanthropic guru, were married in 2017 and live in Albuquerque with their two dogs. Rachel is a Bosque School alumna from the Class of 2009 and served on the recent Head of School Search Committee.
Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories - Student and Postdocs
Stuff in Space
Explora
Bosque School
United Way - Tocqueville Society
Jail & Prison Team - Sagebrush Church (Billy Gupton)
Contact:
Rgupton93@gmail.com
In this week’s episode, Bob and Shelly travel to another dimension where STEM is STEAM and listeners receive a behind the scenes tour of Meow Wolf. Part art exhibit, part interactive museum, Meow Wolf has taken hold and is launching into the stratosphere, started by a group of 10 artists and the generous support of George R.R. Martin whose series of epic fantasy novels were adapted into the HBO series Game of Thrones. Soon the world will know about Meow Wolf with locations opening in Nevada, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Phoenix.
Show Notes
As you pull up to this famed location in the heart of “The City Different,” you are greeted by a towering red robot who keeps an eye on the parking lot and cars from every state in the nation as people pour in to experience the hottest new trend where Art meets STEM to create STEAM! Hear from guest, Danika Padilla, as she shares the intrigue and the development - the growth and the struggle - of this amazing work of art that was started by a group of artists who wanted to disrupt the gallery arts industry. Danika joined Meow Wolf in 2018 and is Senior Director of Social Impact where she heads Meow Wolf's social impact and corporate responsibility initiatives.
Meow Wolf
Center for Contemporary Arts Santa Fe
House of Eternal Routine
Pip & Pop
Meow Wolf Origin Story
Meow Wolf and Artist Collaboration
Meow Wolf and the Community
George R.R. Martin
Electric Playhouse
KRQE clip about Super STEM Saturday
Contact:
Impact@meowwolf.com
For this special episode, our co-host, Shelly, moves into the interview seat so that she can share about her recent trip to the NASA Earth Ventures Social. The social was hosted by NASA to share about five airborne campaigns across the United States in 2020 to investigate fundamental processes that ultimately impact human lives and the environment, from snowstorms along the East Coast to ocean eddies off the coast of San Francisco.
Learn more about the 5 projects HERE, as well as HERE and NASA TV
Learn about the NASA Socials HERE
Beth Kerner with Glowsart
NASA ROADS competition information
A live feed from the event is HERE
Credit NASA photographer for some great pictures of our visit
In our first episode of 2020, you will hear from our guest, Skyler Nix, who shares his message on personal branding and what he learned during his recent STEM job search. He will also share key points on talent acquisition and the importance of knowing what you want out of a job search. We discuss tips to make solid connections on LinkedIn and other social media platforms that help #jobseekers create their personal brand in this new generation of searching for the perfect position and leveraging connections.
Show Notes
Skyler Nix was raised in Albuquerque, NM and graduated from Sandia High School. He served in the U.S. Army as an Electronic Warfare Specialist (33 Whiskey) from 2002 – 2007 at stations in South Korea and Ft. Meade, MD. After military service, Skyler has worked for multiple defense contracting firms in various disciplines including satellite communications, technical training, RF testing, SW engineering/sustainment, Agile product development, UNIX/Linux system administration, and space systems engineering. He currently works for a top five defense firm in Albuquerque. Skyler holds a BASc in Network Administration from the University of Arizona; Is the Young Professionals Affinity Group Chairperson in the IEEE(“Eye-Triple-E”) Albuquerque section; the IEEE Region 6 Government Affairs representative; and the IEEE Rising Stars conference chair for 2021.
IEEE
IEEE Albuquerque Section
2020 IEEE Rising Stars Conference
Book Recommendations:
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your life depended upon it, by Chris Voss
Crushing It! How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence - and How You Can, Too, by Gary Vaynerchuk
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek
Contact:
Skyler Nix (Linkedin)
Ted Mahler and Steve Marum were coworkers at Texas Instruments in 1993 when they had a crazy idea. Their idea was the beginning of a competitive robotics program that has influenced our family life as well as hundreds of thousands of others across the country. These two down-to-earth men are still actively involved in STEM enrichment even today and two STEM rockstars that started this nationwide program in the Southwest.
Show Notes
Ted Mahler was born in Bryan, Texas, graduated from Texas A&M University, and worked for Texas Instruments Sherman for 33 years as an Integrated Circuit Design Engineer. When Ted retired, his wife, Carolyn, and he moved to South Thomaston, Maine. They have two Eagle Scout sons, and for them, Ted spent 13 years in Scout leadership. His sons now work as an Engineer and a Meteorologist. Also, Carolyn and Ted have one grandchild named Silas. For 20 years in Texas and, so far, 5 years in Maine, Ted has taught an afterschool 4th grade model Rocket Club where, over 7 sessions, each student builds all their launch equipment, their rocket, and then spend a day flying. Presently, Ted is also working on forming a summertime Science Club for local middle school kids. Of course in 1993, Steve and Ted formed BEST Robotics.
Steve Marum has an Electrical Engineering degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and worked at Texas Instruments as a circuit designer until his retirement. After retiring from Texas Instruments, Steve began a consulting business and sells electronic test systems that he designs and builds. Along with Ted, Steve co-founded BEST in 1993 and was director of the North Texas hub for 15 years.
BEST Robotics
Texas Instruments
Contact:
BEST Robotics (LinkedIn)
Today's guest is a true STEM Rockstar! After being raised in the Southwest, George Gorospe left behind all that he knew and headed east to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. The adjustment was tough for George, but with family support, and the support of other Native Americans at Dartmouth College, he made it work. His journey included a stint as a teacher at his alma mater, the Santa Fe Indian School, before he began to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. In pursuit of more knowledge, George obtained an internship with NASA that grew into a series of amazing opportunities that would shape his career and open doors to his dreams. George continues to live out his dream of solving problems for NASA at the Ames Research Center, but also has a particular interest in become an astronaut for which he recently submitted an application.
Show Notes
George Gorospe, born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, attended high school at the Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, NM. After graduation, George attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH where he majored in Classical Studies. After Dartmouth, George returned to his community to become a full time high school teacher at the Santa Fe Indian School. While there, he decided to pursue an engineering degree at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. During his second undergraduate education, George completed multiple internships at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA. Once George completed his Mechanical Engineering B.S. degree, he participated in NASA’s premier leadership development program, the NASA Academy for Space Exploration. At the end of this program, George was hired to work in the Mission Design Center, where he helped develop conceptual space missions to send robotic explorers to the outer solar system. George is currently a member of the Diagnostics and Prognostics Research Group in the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center. There he manages the Systems Health Analytics, Resilience, and Physics modeling (SHARP) Laboratory. His research interests include: automated test systems, UAV electric propulsion systems, robotics, advanced diagnostics and prognostics, and GPU accelerated computing.
Santa Fe Indian School
UNM Mechanical Engineering Program
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (NASA)
NASA Ames Robotics Academy
NASA Ames Academy for Space Exploration
Indigenous Fly-In Program (Dartmouth College)
Artemis Program (NASA)
Urban Air Mobility (Air Taxis)
Contact:
George Gorospe
Russ@gotoif.org
This week’s episode of STEM Southwest finds Bob and Shelly in deep conversation with two young engineers from the University of New Mexico. Emily and Delaney, who have been active leaders of the UNM chapter of the Society of Women in Engineering and just returned from the national conference. Conversation covers everything from women in STEM to the power of parents and the future of engineering. Join us as we explore what Delaney has coined, less pink and more think!
Show Notes
Emily Ganley is a Junior studying Chemical Engineering at the University of New Mexico. She is the current President of the UNM Society of Women Engineers, which aims to foster the growth, success, and advancement of women in STEM fields, and to create an inclusive environment for all UNM engineering students. In her free time, she loves to read, hike, and tie-dye!
Delaney Heileman is a 4th year computer engineering major at the University of New Mexico. She previously served as the President of the UNM Society of Women Engineers and is a strong advocate for diversifying STEM. Post-graduation, she wants to pursue a career in the renewable energy sector.
Society of Women Engineers - UNM Chapter
Society of Women Engineers
Book Recommendations:
The Only Woman in the Room: Why Science Is Still a Boys' Club, by Eileen Pollack
Contact:
Emily Ganley (Linkedin)
Delaney Heileman (Linkedin)
Society of Women Engineers - UNM Chapter (Facebook)
Society of Women Engineers - UNM Chapter (Instagram)
Today’s guest, Sandra K Begay, is the daughter of a Navajo tribal leader and a public health nurse. Director Begay has had an extensive career as an engineer with several national research laboratories. She has been awarded for her work on tribal energy projects, and has mentored dozens of Native American interns. Her experience, commitment, and passion for renewable energy run deep, and are now being harnessed to proliferate sustainable energy solutions for the City of Albuquerque.
Show Notes
Sandra K. Begay was born and raised in New Mexico, and is a member of the Navajo Nation. Sandra received her Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico and then earned her Masters of Science in Structural Engineering from Stanford University. Sandra recently became the Director of Environmental Health for the City of Albuquerque after having served for a number of years as an engineer with Sandia National Laboratories.
STC.UNM Board Member - Sandra Begay (bio)
Explora
City of Albuquerque - Environmental Health Department
Mary Ross
Henrietta Mann
Book Recommendations:
An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming, by Al Gore
Contact:
sbegay@cabq.gov
This week’s episode highlights a STEM Rockstar who knows New Mexico well. As a registered architect and planner, he’s been building foundations his entire life as a New Mexico native with a strong interest in economic development and job creation. Today, Dale Dekker will share his extensive knowledge about the History of Space in New Mexico. We’ll talk about the New Mexican visionaries who made a difference in space including Dr. Robert Goddard and his advances in Rocketry, the White Sands Missile Range, the Trinity site, populating the Moon, and of course Spaceport America and its newest residents, Virgin Galactic. We’ll also find out what Dale thinks is next on the horizon and how New Mexico is poised to make a real difference in the future of space travel!
Show Notes
Dale Dekker is a registered architect and planner. He was the founding partner of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, a 200-person architecture, planning, interiors, engineering design firm with offices in Albuquerque, Amarillo, Las Cruces, and Phoenix. Dale grew up in Albuquerque and serves on numerous community boards, and is particularly interested in economic development and job creation to help our community grow and thrive.
Dekker Perich Sabatini
Dr. Robert Goddard
White Sands Missile Range
Spaceport America
Air Force Research Laboratory
New Mexico State University raised the potential for New Mexico to create a Spaceport – one of the very first private ventures outside of the domain of government. Governor Bill Richardson supported this idea and helped to direct the funding of the space along with helping to find and identify Virgin Galactic. This is allowing New Mexico to be at the forefront of the private space travel industry.
Space Debris
Space Ambassadors Program
The future of architecture includes smart buildings and smart cities, driverless cars, sensors, data sharing, apps, and satellites.
RS21
Descartes Lab
Meow Wolf
Electric Playhouse
Book Recommendations:
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
Homo Deus, a Brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari
Contact:
DaleD@DPSdesign.org
Have you ever entered a science fair? Today's guests are going to share their experiences as well as the best tips and resources on how to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held each spring. Karen Kinsman is a STEM professional working to champion STEM programs throughout New Mexico, and she introduces us to a brother and sister team who both participated in ISEF as a part of their STEM journey.
Karen Kinsman is the Director of the UNM STEMH Center has worked to grow the program to “make it bigger” with the goal of championing STEM education.
STEM-H Center
Research Challenge Bootcamp
International Science and Engineering Fair
Karen also works closely with ISEF for which 1,800 student researchers compete from 80 countries; about 20% of these students have patents or in the process of getting patents.
Karen has a lot of favorite projects from all of her years with the ISEF, including those of Taylor and Devin Roach, a brother and sister team who were actively involved with the Fair and to whom Karen introduces us.
Taylor is pursuing her Master’s in Family Counseling. Taylor started science fair in 6th grade and loved working on behavioral studies. “The Effects of Productivity and Performance on Interruptions” was her first project. It was really fun for her because she would invite friends over to be her “human subjects” and participate in her research.
Taylor also knows our past guest, Dr. Vincent Clark, and his positive psychology laboratory.
Ep025 Brain Matters and Healing Science, with Dr. Vincent P. Clark
Devin is pursuing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Devin pursued research in nondestructive inspection to identify ways to determine the strength of a structure. This project took him to ISEF which helped prepare him to be ready to pursue his PhD.
Devin has also co-authored Advances in 4D Printing: Materials and Applications
Book Recommendations:
Taylor: Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends, by Michael White
Devin: Love and War: Find Your Way to Something Beautiful in Your Marriage, by John & Stasi Eldridge
Contact:
Karen Kinsman, SciFair@UNM.edu
Taylor Roach, Taylor.K.Roach@gmail.com
Devin Roach, Devin.J.Roach@gmail.com
Show Notes
In today’s episode, Bob and Shelly share their experiences about two recent events, FinCon19 and ExperienceIT.
FinCon19, Where Money and Media Meet, was held in Washington, DC. Attendees learned about new financial technologies as well as personal finances, and connected with others in order to plan future collaborations. We’ll be sharing about some of those technologies in upcoming episodes.
At Experience IT, Shelly connected with STEM leaders and learned more about Virgin Galactic’s recent move to Spaceport America in New Mexico. Guest, Paige Prescott, and Shelly gave a presentation entitled, “The Future of Education,” about which they share with STEM Southwest listeners.
Many people in STEM are actively pursuing side hustles or gigs - they may be consulting, writing, speaking, YouTubing, or a variety of others. STEM professionals have an opportunity to leverage their knowledge to benefit the world and make an impact.
Personal Finance Conference - Financial Freedom Summit
Chris Browning, host of Popcorn Finance, and Plutus Podcast.
Documentary “Playing with FIRE”
Bob shares his passion for writing, as well as his tips on financial technology. Two of his favorite financial apps that he recommends are:
Bumped
Acorns
We understand that many times people need help in navigating their life and make career plans. Check out Shelly’s curriculum at Life Launch Academy.
P.T or Philip Taylor, founder of a personal finance website PT Money which helps people build a second income, shares tips with listeners on getting started on their side hustles, including not trying to do it all alone. Rather, P.T. recommends collaborating and studying with others, and staying focused on a growth mindset.
STEM Southwest listeners can support P.T. by checking out the digital marketing conference, FinCon20, and the upcoming Financial Freedom Summit, schedule May 1-3, 2020 in St Louis, MO.
P.T. also shares one of his favorite tech tools, LOOM, which is a Chrome extension with a free version that records screencast videos to aid in communication with team members.
Our next guest, Auri Vigil, is a returning STEM Southwest guest. Auri works for New Mexico Tech Council, a local connector for technology that works hard to build collaboration. Auri speaks about Experience IT and the Women in Technology Celebration.
Experience IT was a one-day annual conference that attracted over 420 attendees and was packed full of great workshops! Keynote speakers included three representatives from Virgin Galactic who shared with attendees the growing space technology taking place in New Mexico which includes commercial space flight that is expected to take place in the near future.
The Women In Technology Celebration is scheduled March 26, 2020, and is a celebration to honor women in STEM. One can nominate a nominate a woman in technology here.
Our last guest for today’s episode is Paige Prescott, who was a Women In Technology Award Winner this year. Paige has been working in Computer Science Education since 2007, and is currently the President of Computer Science Teacher’s Association. In 2018, she also started a non-profit, Computer Science Alliance. Paige shares information on important trends in Computer Science, including how we can make positive changes.
Paige and Shelly speak about current data and the growing demand for the STEM career pipeline and how we might be able to address this in the workforce. Paige shares about many policy issues that states need to consider in growing the workforce and preparing teachers to help their students in K-12 so that more students have access to computer programming. She explains her Teacher Professional Development program that was designed to provide resources and knowledge to impact teachers and their students. This program is designed to build community, share resources, and collaborate in order to have a great impact on STEM throughout the region.
Contact:
Philip Taylor
Auri Vigil
Auri@nmtechcouncil.org
Paige Prescott
This week's guest is a highly-trained robotics bomb technician with a four-legged partner. Michelle Tye has been protecting her community, first as a police officer, and then as a bomb technician at a major metropolitan airport. Chances are if you've ever flown anywhere, she and her colleagues have been watching your back. This important work challenges her physically and mentally while stretching her to stay on the cutting edge of technology, all which she absolutely loves. Michelle made the decision to take on the challenging bomb squad training because, although she was afraid that she would fail, she didn’t want to not do it and not know if she could.
This edition's guest, Matt Fetrow, is the Director of the Tech Engagement Office at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in New Mexico. Matt is always looking for innovative ways to solve Air Force problems working in collaboration with entrepreneurs and businesses. He hopes that these relationships will become the norm rather than the exception, and has invested resources to ensure this is happening. He is a great example of someone who has paired both science and business to create a rewarding career in STEM! Join us in welcoming Matt to the microphone!
Show Notes
Matt Fetrow is the Director of the Tech Engagement Office at the Air Force Research Laboratory in New Mexico. He leads the laboratory’s technology transfer, STEM outreach, commercialization, innovation, and community engagement activities in the state. In addition, Matt has led numerous technology programs for the Air Force with a focus on space remote sensing, laser remote sensing, and advanced photonics. Prior to his years of federal service, he worked in optical systems research and development at industry startups and in academia. Matt received his B.S. in Physics from Utah State University and his M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.
Air Force Research Lab
Enterprize Challenge
Hyperspace Challenge
Mission to Mars
New Mexico STEM Signing Day
AFRL Scholars Program
Book Recommendations:
Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman
Contact:
engage@afrlnewmexio.com
This week’s guest is Steve Goodgame who is the Executive Director of the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics. He is passionate about teaching students to code at a young age and uses the Botball competition as a tool to do just that. Like us, Steve’s desire is to help teachers meet the challenges of implementing STEM in the classroom so that there can be sustainability. Most weeks you will find Steve and his wife, Carol, traveling throughout the country in support of the Botball program that can be found at almost 1300 schools in 39 states and 7 countries. Luckily for us, we were able to find him sitting still for an hour to talk about how his program is impacting STEM enrichment in the Southwest!
Show Notes
Steve Goodgame is the Executive Director for the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics (Institute), a not-for-profit educational organization that uses hands-on robotics programs in order to communicate the excitement, knowledge, and practical understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Prior to joining the Institute, Steve served as an educator in several schools where he organized and coached a number of teams in various robotic-related programs and competitions such as BEST, FIRST, and Botball.
KISS Institute for Practical Robotics
Botball
Junior Botball Challenge
PATHFINDERS Summer Institute
Book Recommendations:
A Framework for Understanding Poverty - A Cognitive Approach, by Ruby K. Payne
Contact:
Steve Goodgame, sgoodgame@kipr.org
YouTube
Flickr
There are STEM rockstars all over the Southwest and today's guest is one of them. He is also a STEM evangelist and striving to make our programs more inclusive. While we just recently met Shawn Hardina, our perspectives and experiences in STEM enrichment are parallel; us in New Mexico and him in Arizona. He has a lot of great ideas on how we can radically change STEM education and make a difference in our future workforce so listen in here!
Show Notes
Shawn Hardina has been asking hard questions, solving problems, and challenging the status quo his entire life. Having been successful in school, but not particularly fond of the traditional education process, Shawn decided to become a science teacher to transform education and make it something that he wished he had growing up. Shawn has been on this journey ever since.
Shawn has been in education for 27 years as a science and CTE teacher and a FIRST and VEX robotics coach and mentor. He has a wide range of experiences having been a K – 6 Science and Literacy instructional coach, a certified Kagan Cooperative learning instructor, keynote speaker, a community college and university education instructor, National Board Certified in Chemistry, a Project Lead The Way Biomedical Sciences Master Teacher, and entrepreneur.
In 2014, while still teaching, Shawn founded the East Valley Robotics Academy to provide robotics experiences for families in Arizona, which was bought out by STAX3D in 2016. Using his personal experiences and struggles as a catalyst, in January 2019, Shawn created Innovation Tech LLC to utilize his robotics experiences to bring together education, career exploration, workforce development, and economic development; and to specifically help create opportunity and bring more inclusion, socially and economically, to individuals with disabilities.
FIRST
STAX3D
Empowerment Through Sports
Book Recommendations:
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown
Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, by Adam Grant
Boston Consulting Group
Stanford Social Innovation Review
IBM iX (Brand Belonging)
Contact:
Shawn Hardina,
smhardina@gmail.com
(928) 279-2018
In our New Economy, where innovation and ideas are exploding, it’s important for STEM professionals to understand the different ways to protect their intellectual property. Today’s guest, Richard Krukar, will share his tips and experience on this important issue.
Show Notes
Richard Krukar worked as a Research and Development engineer on both coasts and in the State of New Mexico after receiving a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico. Richard moved to intellectual property law to see if it was fun and has spent the past 14 years as a lawyer. He Indicates that “it's been a life of building wonderful machines, writing elegant code, and helping others protect their own creations.”
Loza and Loza LLP
Richard Krukar
United States Patent and Trademark Office
World Intellectual Property Organization
The "Alice" decision
Becoming a Patent Attorney
Book Recommendation:
Toy of the Gods, by Sonja Dewing
Rule 34, by Charles Stross
Books by Stephen Baxter
Inancu v. Brunetti
Contact:
Richard Krukar,
Richard.Krukar@lozaip.com
In an effort to build the STEM Southwest Workforce, Albuquerque science museum, EXPLORA, is making a strong investment in teens and workforce education. Leading the initiative is Allison Brody who shares her personal STEM journey, and the variety of programs and the exciting initiatives that we can be looking for at our family’s all-time favorite children's museum. Allison has been a science educator for more than 20 years and listeners will be excited by her knowledge and passion for STEM educational programming.
Show Notes
Allison Brody, Director of STEM Education and Workforce Development, oversees the development and implementation of a variety of programs and community engagement initiatives, including training and educational programming, for formal and informal audiences throughout New Mexico. Allison came to the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum from Las Vegas, Nevada, where she was a project manager at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the Clark County Wetlands Park. She has been a passionate informal science educator for more than 20 years, including working at the Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society. Allison holds a B.S. in Biology, an M.S. in Ecology and a D.A. in Biological Education.
Explora Science Center and Children's Museum
New Mexico Science Fiesta
Teen Night at Explora
The Pear Institute
Book Recommendation:
Flight Behavior: A Novel, by Barbara Kinghodler
Contact:
abrody@explora.us
In this weeks episode, we talk with Parker, an amazing high school student working on creating and building a miniature satellite to launch into space! This young woman is not afraid of hard challenges and will inspire listeners young and old. She proves that young people really want to be challenged by hard things and that the only limit is what we think of ourselves. Listeners can be a part of her project; just listen in to learn how! Show Notes Parker is a rising junior in high school. She has been interested in STEM for as long as she can remember, especially Aerospace Engineering. She was recently accepted into a highly selective program at her school named the Odyssey Scholars Program, a two-year program in which students do an in-depth study of a subject of their choice. For this program, she will be building a CubeSat, or a miniaturized satellite, that will measure the magnetic field of the Earth.
Strandbeest
Theo Jansen
Lego Mindstorms EV3
Ender 3 3D-Printer
Prusa i3 MK3
CubeSat
Interorbital Systems (IOS)
Space Mission Analysis and Design, 3rd edition (Space Technology Library, Vol. 8), by Wiley J. Larson and James R. Wertz
Contact:
sagruenig@gmail.com (use this email if you would like to support Parker)
Dr. Vincent P. Clark is an expert in Neuropsychology. With an interest in brain stimulation for neuroenhancement and brain stimulation for the treatment of chronic pain, addiction, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and motor illness, Dr. Clark and his team are making a real difference in the way that we use science to heal. Join us as we explore thoughts and ideas of how to harness the power of our brains with this week’s scientist.
Show Notes
Dr. Vincent P. Clark, Professor of Translational Neuroscience, has worked with the Mind Research Network (MRN) as Director of Neuroscience, then as Scientific Director recruiting scientists and helping MRN to increase its grant portfolio by expanding into new areas of research such as addiction, accelerated learning, and multimodal imaging. In association with the Department of Psychology at the University of New Mexico where he is Founding Director of the new Clinical Neuroscience Center, he and his associates investigate the relationship between mind and brain.
Mind Research Network
Dr. Vincent Clark
2019 BrainSTIM Meeting
Contact:
vclark@mrn.org
vclark@unm.edu
brainstimunm@gmail.com) – also use for volunteers for research studies
This special episode of STEM Southwest is hosted by Shelly along with daughters Makenzie and Bethany. Today we celebrate the power of STEM Moms!
Show Notes
Ulrika Peroni, Professional Water Skier and mom coach of ‘Da Swedish Fish,' a team that competes in VEX robotics VRC competition. Da Swedish Fish took robotics on the road that has led to an adventure across the country participating in robotics while traveling in a motorhome. They turned to the robotics community for help when she had an accident while traveling that has become a real blessing to their family. Ulrika shares how their journey has helped them to form new friendships, deepen sibling ties, and make a difference in the lives of kids she knows that were challenged.
Gwen Valentino, Massage Therapist and mom coach of the First Lego League H.O.T. Squad. They will also participate this summer in the Apollo Competition. “Forced” by her daughter to start a team over a trophy, this mom’s story is inspiring. Learning that competition is both offensive and defensive and has helped to grow their character and strengthen their resolve. She shares her belief that robotics competitions are reflective of the real world and opportunities to seek out powerful mentor relationships. Gwen’s favorite outcome of competitive robotics is how her child has come out of her shell and is no longer afraid to communicate with others and mentor other teams.
Kim Edgar is a Molecular Biologist and owner of Science From the Very Beginning. This STEM Mom who confesses about being “spatially challenged” helped to start a BEST Robotics team, R4Robotics, in hopes that it would capture her son’s interest in building. In the end. Dustin found a different kind of passion through his involvement, and his sister, Abbey, would eventually pursue a career as a technical writer for Raytheon. Kim shares their story and how BEST robotics was a vehicle to launch her kids into their life careers and impact their professional lives.
Russ Fisher-Ives This interview is certainly one of our favorites as we talk all things STEM in the Southwest and how the Southwest has influenced many countries beyond our borders including China, Japan, Estonia, Canada, Mexico and so many more! Russ Fisher-Ives is a science teacher turned robotics rock star. Years ago he teamed up with Intel and put his philosophy of Inquiry-based learning to work for students through his business, Inquiry Facilitators. His dynamic personality teams up with the heart of an educator to inspire students across the world as he challenges them to think big through the robotics competition he founded, RoboRAVE. Now an international program, Russ travels the globe inspiring both young and old with his dynamic energy and ability to get the world to communicate in one unified language…. Robots!
Show Notes:
RoboRAVE International
RRPS Student Research Expo
Inquiry Facilitators
STEM Hero and Rockstar
George Gorospe
Benjamin Franklin
Contact Information:
Russ@gotoif.org
Whatsapp (505-385-7109)
Russ also has several TED talks and speeches our listeners might enjoy:
Native Voices through Technology
Beyond Testing
Today’s guest is an executive leader with 25 years of experience as an engineer and innovator who shifted from solving complex robotics programs at FANUC America to encouraging young people to solve complex robotics programs at the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation. The students compete in VEX robotics competitions across the globe, and Dan’s leadership has promoted growth and development of a program that is making robotics education attainable and affordable for students worldwide.
We met Dan at the Google Girl Powered event where, during his keynote address, he encouraged girls to take action and get involved in making a difference in the world during his keynote address. In today’s episode, Dan shares some amazing things including how he worked with the Girls Scouts to establish an affordable, easy to implement badge curriculum on robotics engineering. We are in agreement with Dan that our communities, and especially the many organizations that support competitive robotics (FIRST, BEST, RoboRave, and Botball to name a few), need to collaborate to create a strong STEM Ecosystem for our students that will positively impact the STEM Workforce Pipeline.
Show Notes
Dan Mantz is Chief Executive Office and Chairman of the Board for the REC Foundation. Dan is responsible for the long-term strategy, structure, and fiscal health of the organization. He acts as a direct liaison between the REC Foundation and the Board. Prior to joining the REC Foundation, Dan was President of RackSolutions for four years and spent 19 year in the industrial robotics industry at FANUC Robotics.
REC Foundation
Girl Powered
VEX Robotics
VEX Worlds
Contact:
dan_mantz@roboticseducation.org
Understanding our bodies and caring for them is critical to a long and happy STEM life. Often, when people are striving to be their very best as STEM professionals, they are faced with the importance of self-care. On this episode, our hosts speak with nutritionist, Shelley Rael, about the different self-care strategies that are critical for a healthy and wealthy life.
Show Notes
Contrary to her title, Shelley Rael, MS RDN doesn’t believe in diets. A registered dietitian nutritionist since 1999, she helps people change their mindset about food, eliminating rules and judgment while supporting a lifestyle that gives you sustainable energy. Rather than gimmicks, supplements, or fad diets, Shelley works with individuals to create Customized Nutrition Blueprints, or action plans, for sustainable all-day physical and mental energy. Having worked in wellness, health promotion and disease prevention/risk reduction her entire career, she knows there is no one diet that works for everyone and helps people choose a way of eating that works for them year-round, not just before a big event, vacation, season or change of the calendar. Fads, trends, and quick fixes will come and go, but eating will always be necessary.
Shelley Rael
Quest for Energy (webinar)
Eating is not Cheating (webinar)
Six Tips Ebook
Blog
Real World Nutrition (Facebook)
Book Recommendation:
Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives, by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir
Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine, by R. Bauker Bausell, PhD
Contact:
Shelley@ShelleyRael.com
(505) 373-0407
Future space tourists will have today's guest, Chief Pilot David Mackay of Virgin Galactic, to thank for their adventures into the cosmos. This fit family man is working with entrepreneurial king, Sir Richard Branson, to make travel into space accessible to all. David recently completed a successful Virgin Galactic test flight where he traveled approximately 55 miles above the Earth’s surface and had with him the company’s first test passenger. In this episode, David shares the pain of a sobering tragedy that killed Pilot Michael Alsbury as Virgin Galactic prepared to launch its space program. David also gives listeners a vivid description of what Earth looks like from the vantage point of a pilot’s seat, and shares his thoughts on the upcoming transition of Virgin Galactic’s commercial space program from Mojave, California to Truth or Consequences, the location of Spaceport America.
Show Notes
David Mackay was born in Scotland and studied Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Glasgow. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1979 during which time he became a test pilot. After retiring from the Royal Air Force in 1995, David became a commercial pilot for Virgin Atlantic. A chance meeting led him to join Virgin Galactic in 1995 for which he has served as its Chief Pilot since 2011. On February 22, 2019, David piloted the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity into space with a test passenger whose purpose was to evaluate the customer experience and cabin.
Virgin Galactic
David Mackay (pilot)
Virgin Galactic Space Flight on February 22, 2019
Spaceport America
STEM Rockstar:
Beth Moses
Contact information:
Dr. Shelly Gruenig is typically the one on the show asking questions, but today we put her in the hot seat. She recently won the Coach/Advisor of the Year at the annual STEMYs Excellence in STEM event hosted by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a robotics coach since 2005, her teams have amassed a lot of wins. What drives her most in continuing to coach are the victories that her students have achieved in preparing for their future and launching their lives through the opportunities provided as part of the robotics team. Shelly has a strong desire to help others plan and launch their lives in a way that will bring them satisfaction and joy for years to come. She is an expert in Workforce Development and has worked with companies such as Levi Strauss, American National Bank, University of California, and the Brunswick Corporation. Shelly is on a mission to help others identify the steps that they need to take to ensure their best life launch!
Joining us today is guest co-host, Makenzie Gruenig
Show Notes
Life Launch Academy
Home Learning Life Launch Academy (Facebook)
R4 Creating
Contact information:
sagruenig@gmail.com
From construction to entrepreneur, today's guest has always incorporated cutting edge technology in order to innovate and challenge the status quo. John Mierzwa is doing that in many places throughout the Duke City and the entire region. His strong connections have helped him to broker important deals that are impacting the way the rest of the world sees the Computer Science Workforce of the Southwest!
Show Notes
John Mierzwa is CEO & Co-Founder of Ingenuity Software Labs. He is the Founder of Deep Dive Coding Bootcamps, a software development bootcamp in Albuquerque, later acquired by Central New Mexico Community College. John is also leading the DARTInitiative effort to create local software jobs and reverse brain drain by promoting New Mexico as the best value in the U.S. for software development.
Deep Dive Coding
Ingenuity Software Labs
CNM: Central New Mexico Community College
DART Initiative
Future Focused Education
TechHire New Mexico
New Mexico Technology Council
Website recommendations:
TechCrunch
InfoWorld
STEM Rockstar:
Lisa Adkins
Favorite quote:
“A true leader is not the one with the most followers, but one who creates the most leaders.” - by Neal Donald Walsch
"In science, ‘fact’ can only mean ‘confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.’ I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms.” - by Stephen Jay Gould
Contact information:
john@ingenuitysoftwarelabs.com
Peter Balyta, PhD will most certainly leave a STEM legacy to his own children and to millions of kids all over the world through his work as President of Educational Technology at Texas Instruments.
This episode is full of so much information, listeners will want to grab pen and paper to take notes as Peter shares important STEM resources. What started with a kick in the head, this sports enthusiast details how he was shocked into the pursuit of knowledge during his high school years. We are amazed at how often you can find this once math and science teacher out in the community encouraging students at robotics competitions and STEM events. Balyta is certainly a STEM Rockstar who is Inspiring Generation STEM!
Show Notes
Peter Balyta, Ph.D., is vice president of academic engagement and corporate citizenship for Texas Instruments, and president of its Education Technology business. He is responsible for leading teams that focus on the mission of teaching, learning and being inspired by STEM subjects and the impact Texas Instruments makes in the communities in which it operates. This includes several groups and programs that span Texas Instruments, all of which aim to help students develop a strong educational foundation, setting them up for future success in a workforce that increasingly demands STEM skills.
Girl-Powered
STEM Behind Cool Careers
TI Robotics System Learning Kit
TI-Innovator™ Rover
Python
Book recommendation:
Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist , by Sylvia Acevedo
Favorite quotes:
“The role of the teacher is to create the conditions for invention rather than provide ready-made knowledge,” by Seymour Papert
"If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are now," by Master Shifu
Contact information:
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a part of a robotics team? Our guests this week have been competing for years, and are going to share their experiences and knowledge with you! Not only do they have great character, these four Presidents of R4Robotics led their team to the top BEST Award at the 2018 TX BEST Robotics competition that was held in December 2018! Of course, you may realize that this is the team that we coach, and you even get to hear from our youngest daughter, Bethany, in this episode!
On the night before our competition, we asked the entire team to raise their hand if they had learned anything during the robotics season. We further asked them to raise their hand if they had fun or made a new friend. Then, we asked them to look around at the raised hands at which time they realized that They Had Already Won! That, in fact, it didn’t really matter what happened on the gamefield so as long as they did their very best. Today’s guests took that message to heart and gave it their all up until the last minute…and all of us were surprised when the team name was called for the top award. Join in the laughter and the wisdom from four of our youngest STEM Rockstars on today’s episode!
**Show Notes:**
Statement from students’ parents
Jared
The most powerful lesson Jared has learned by being part of R4Robotics is that all of his various interests and talents have, and that they lead to real-life success.
Reva
This morning, a friend said that he watched KRQE in the Morning last Friday, when Reva was being interviewed. He was quite impressed that she was able to hold her own during the interview, and was able to answer direct questions with complete and thoughtful answers. I responded that it has come from years of practice and training through the dedicated efforts of being a part of the robotics team. Reva is committed to doing a very good job, no matter what the task is.
Bethany
Bethany was born into robotics. Through the team experience, she has had to learn to stand in the shadow of her siblings and make her own way. It has helped her grow into a mature young woman whose leadership skills far surpass many of her peers. We couldn't be prouder of the young woman she has become through the experience.
Ryan
I think the most powerful experience for Ryan is the growth in confidence he has gained for being able to lead a team. The skills he has been taught, and has learned from actually leading meetings and build sessions, not only gave him confidence in his own abilities and ideas, but will serve him well in all of his future activities.
Contact information for R4Robotics,
Be Greater Than Average, and R4Creating
R4Robotics (Robotics Team)
Rio Rancho Robo Runners
Be Greater Than Average (Robotics Camps)
Be Greater Than Average
R4Creating (Not-for-Profit)
R4Creating
Phylecia Jones is affectionately known as the Budgetologist. As a motivational speaker and podcaster, she has been getting people to clean up their financial act and find ways to “feed their budget.” Her recent Ted Talk has brought her back into the STEM community, something she thought was part of her past after retiring five years ago. Her message is powerful and clear, i.e., we need to create new stereotypes to make the world a better place. Please join us as we delve into her background in STEM, baton twirling, and her passion for photography and travel. Our biggest salute to this veteran who is making a difference in the world!
Show Notes
With a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and a Master’s in Systems Engineering, Phylecia Jones proudly served 13 years as a civilian Computer Scientist for the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense, supporting sailors and soldiers across the world, but realized that it was not enough. At the age of 36 years old, she took an early retirement and started a journey that would forever change her life… entrepreneurship. As the CEO of Keep up with Mrs. Jones LLC, Creator of Budget School, a premier business financial education platform, and Host of the Budget School Podcast, Phylecia is the savvy go-to budgeting nerd, speaker, and trainer.
Women of Denver
"All Girls are Great at Math" by Phylecia Jones at TEDxCherryCreekWomen2018
Ask the Budgetologist
American Society for Engineering Education
STEM Rockstar:
Katherine Johnson
Patricia Bath
Josephine Cochrane
Book recommendations:
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage, by Mel Robbins
You Are a Badass®: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero
The Twilight Saga White Collection, by Stephenie Meyer
Favorite quote:
“Being a great scientist is not knowing all of the answers, but knowing how to find the answers.”
Contact information:
Keep Up with Mrs. Jones
Today’s guest is a little untraditional, but we know you will find her absolutely magical! Micaela Brown is bursting with great ideas and passion that is sure to capture your interest. She launched herself into the entrepreneurial community and taught herself the technology needed to support her seven business plans. You may have heard of Dinner en Blanc, Blush & Whimsey, or even the Whiskey Classic; these are all born of Micaela’s desire to create magic in everyday life. The science behind her cosmetic line is based on chemistry including special ingredients, body temperature and pH, but that is just the beginning of her story. She has some exciting events coming up…. but we can’t share that secret yet. First, let’s listen to the interview and then we’ll tell you more!
Show Notes
An entrepreneur with a social media reach of over 100k followers, Micaela Brown has created a national event marketing voice with an audience interested in event marketing, marketing, branding, and entrepreneurship. Micaela’s work has been featured by Forbes Travel, The New York Times, Travel Pulse, American Towns, New Mexico Entertainment Magazine, Albuquerque the Magazine, Albuquerque Business First, The Santafean, Santa Fe New Mexican, SantaFe.com, and NewsCastic. Initiatives created/founded by Micaela include Diner en Blanc Albuquerque, The Running of the Chihuahuas, StartupABQ, Christmas at Hogwarts, Santa Fe Foodie Classic, The Whiskey Classic, Inspire People Media, and Blush & Whimsy. Micaela is a British-American Project Fellow, and in 2017, she became a Fellow of The Royal Society of the Arts.
Blush & Whimsy
Whiskey Classic
Digital Marketer
Gary Vaynerchuk
Game of Thrones Scotch Whisky Collection
Amy the Robot scheduler
STEM Rockstar:
Paul Alexander
Drone U
Favorite quote:
"Choose one thing and become a master of it. Choose a second thing and become a master of that. When you become a master of two worlds (say, engineering and business), you can bring them together in a way that will a) introduce hot ideas to each other, so they can have idea sex and make idea babies that no one has seen before and b) create a competitive advantage because you can move between worlds, speak both languages, connect the tribes, mash the elements to spark fresh creative insight until you wake up with the epiphany that changes your life.” - Justine Musk
STEM Hero:
Elon Musk
Contact information:
Micaela Brown
You might say that Jonathan Firth flew into New Mexico through suborbital space aboard Virgin Galactic. A native of the UK, he arrived in the Land of Enchantment with a short-term plan that has since led to a bit longer stay (as so many of us have experienced). He uses his vast knowledge of business, having worked for the Virgin brand for many years, to collaborate with others to build an undeniable STEM ecosystem in Southern New Mexico. A fourth-generation Mechanical Engineer (his son is the fifth), Jonathan shares many STEM lessons from the "States" and abroad. Listeners will be excited to mark their calendar for April 2019 when they can meet Jonathan in-person at the week-long Las Cruces Space Festival!
Show Notes
Jonathan Firth is the Executive Vice President at Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight company that is developing commercial spacecraft and aims to provide suborbital spaceflights for future astronaut customers and for space science missions flying from Spaceport America in Sierra County, New Mexico. Jonathan is English, and came from London to live in Las Cruces, NM four years ago. He is a member of the company’s leadership team, a mechanical engineer by background, and has been active and passionate throughout his career on initiatives to inspire and educate the next generation, particularly in the STEAM arena.
Virgin Galactic
Spaceport America
Las Cruces Space Festival
Book recommendations:
- To Be a Machine: Adventures Among Cyborgs, Utopians, Hackers, and the Futurists Solving the Modest Problem of Death, by Mark O’ Connell
- A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
- The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe
- Cosmos, by Carl Sagan
STEM Heroes:
Richard Feynman
George Orwell
Favorite quote:
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” - by Albert Einstein
STEM Rockstar:
Dr. Bill Gutman
"How can we make space travel more accessible" at TedXABQ
Contact information:
lcspacefestival@gmail.com
Mark Hyatt could fly airplanes before he learned how to drive cars. His rich background in STEM began with his long career in the U.S. Air Force. After several retirements, he is now in a bonus career that is disrupting education in his home state of Colorado. Mark's initiative and program, Falcon Aerolab, is providing STEM training for students through a special innovation district. Mark is striving to add to the number of home-grown aerospace professionals and fill a pipeline that is currently being filled by importing professionals from out of state. In this episode, you will hear about Mark's program and the ways that he hopes to scale it to serve more students.
Show Notes
Mark Hyatt is a passionate educational entrepreneur. His favorite quote is: “If you save one child, you save the whole world.” Calling Colorado home since 1970, he’s served as a fighter pilot squadron commander in the Air Force; and advisor to the Secretary of Defense, and the current and previous White House Administration on school choice, safety, social climate, and culture issues. He’s also served as Vice Commandant at the U.S. Air Force Academy and its Director of Center for Character and Leadership Development; President of the largest charter school in Colorado, The Classical Academy; and Executive Director of the Charter School Institute in Denver. He’s testified at the Colorado Legislature to keep partial funding to public schools for homeschool students. His most important job is being married for 40 years, and having three children and five grandchildren.
United States Air Force Academy
Falcon AeroLab
Cyber Symposium
Key Lime Air
The Classical Academy: College Pathways
Book recommendation:
Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell
Contact information:
HYATTFALCON@GMAIL.COM
If you have been involved with any part of competitive robotics, you have most likely seen the smiling face of this week's STEM Rockstar, Karthik Kanagasabapathy. When you listen to our conversation with Karthik, you will understand why he is often at the microphone at FIRST and IFI/VEX Robotics events. He excels in communicating the fun and passion of competitive robotics, but also has the engineering background as a past competitor himself to understand the competitions. We were so thrilled that our daughter Makenzie, who works at Innovation First International, was able to connect us with our special guest. Our conversation with this internationally known STEM Rockstar was so engaging that listeners will get to enjoy two episodes with Karthik.
Show Notes
Karthik spent nine years at Innovation First International where he was responsible for exciting young people about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education via participation in the VEX Robotics Competition in which he designed competitive robotic games that have been played by over 75,000 teams of students around the globe. He has won numerous awards for his dedication to furthering robotics education, including the prestigious Woodie Flowers Finalist Award for exemplary mentoring and being a positive role model for high school students through the FIRST Robotics Competition. He also hosts various international robotic events, having worked with media personalities such as Mythbusters' Grant Imahara and Kari Byron, given an internationally recognized TEDx talk, and hosted televised robotics specials on ESPN and CBS.
Innovation First International
Dean Kamen (Co-Founder of the FIRST Robotics Competition)
There are several robotics competitions including:
BEST Robotics
FIRST
RoboRAVE International
VEX Robotics
Robotics Alliance Project (list of robotic competitions)
Resources on Karthik:
The Subtle Secret of Success: Karthik Kanagasabapathy at TEDxUTSC
Competitive Robotics: Bringing Excitement Back to the Canadian Classroom, by Karthik Kanagasabapathy
Simbotics Robotics Team
Book recommendations:
Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall, by Anna Funder
The Art of Smart Football, by Chris B. Brown
STEM Hero:
Dr. Woodie Flowers (Co-Founder the FIRST Robotics Competition and considered the pioneer and grandfather of competitive robotics)
Dr. Woodie Flowers - STEM Hall of Fame Induction 2017
Favorite quote:
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm," by Ralph Waldo Emerson
STEM Rockstar:
Paul Copioli
Paul Copioli and Karthik Kanagasabapathy, VEX Worlds 2018
(photo credit: Makenzie Gruenig, IFI)
Contact information:
If you have been involved with any part of competitive robotics, you have most likely seen the smiling face of this week's STEM Rockstar, Karthik Kanagasabapathy. When you listen to our conversation with Karthik, you will understand why he is often at the microphone at FIRST and IFI/VEX Robotics events. He excels in communicating the fun and passion of competitive robotics, but also has the engineering background as a past competitor himself to understand the competitions. We were so thrilled that our daughter Makenzie, who works at Innovation First International, was able to connect us with our special guest. Our conversation with this internationally known STEM Rockstar was so engaging that listeners will get to enjoy two full episodes with Karthik.
Show Notes
Karthik spent nine years at Innovation First International where he was responsible for exciting young people about STEAM (Science, Technology, Education, Arts, and Math) education via participation in the VEX Robotics Competition in which he designed competitive robotic games that have been played by over 75,000 teams of students around the globe. He has won numerous awards for his dedication to furthering robotics education, including the prestigious Woodie Flowers Finalist Award for exemplary mentoring and being a positive role model for high school students through the FIRST Robotics Competition. He also hosts various international robotic events, having worked with media personalities such as Mythbusters' Grant Imahara and Kari Byron, given an internationally recognized TEDx talk, and hosted televised robotics specials on ESPN and CBS.
Innovation First International
Dean Kamen (Co-Founder of FIRST Robotics Competition)
There are several robotics competitions including:
BEST Robotics
FIRST
RoboRAVE International
VEX Robotics
The Robotics Alliance Project (list of robotic competitions)
Resources on Karthik:
The Subtle Secret of Success: Karthik Kanagasabapathy
Competitive Robotics: Bringing Excitement Back to the Canadian Classroom
Simbotics Robotics Team
Book recommendations:
Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall, by Anna Funder
The Art of Smart Football, by Chris B. Brown
STEM Hero:
Dr. Woodie Flowers (Co-Founder of FIRST Robotics and considered the grandfather of competitive robotics)
Dr. Woodie Flowers - STEM Hall of Fame Induction 2017
Favorite quote:
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm," by Ralph Waldo Emerson
STEM Rockstar:
Paul Copioli
Paul Copioli and Karthik Kanagasbapathy, VEX Worlds 2018
(photo credit: Makenzie Gruenig, IFI)
Contact information:
The volunteer work of this next guest has impacted thousands of lives, including ours. Janne Ackerman is a longtime philanthropist with BEST Robotics, the competition in which we established a team to participate beginning in 2005. In 2008, we met Janne at a Regional Championship and have admired her and her husband Garry since as they have led TX BEST and mentored thousands of students over the years. What is amazing about Janne is that she just keeps giving… having “failed” retirement, she is enjoying the farm life, flying planes, and grandkids. Our listeners will love her energy and the smile that you can hear through the entire interview with this very successful engineer and pilot who has much wisdom to share. She is our first guest from Texas and a STEM Rockstar!
Show Notes
A current resident of Plano, Texas and long-time Raytheon employee (now retired), Janne Ackerman has had a varied career, including assignments in quality assurance, software and systems engineering, and program management. Other highlights include marrying her high school sweetheart, Garry, getting her pilot’s license, wildlife photography, and collecting aircraft projects for restoration. When she is not busy with work, airplanes, travel, or BEST Robotics, Janne crochets afghans for her family and friends. She also contemplates unusual phenomena, like why all the stray neighborhood cats adopt her or why the cucumbers in her garden stay hidden until they are the size of her left arm.
Texas Instruments
Raytheon
BEST Robotics
Book Recommendation:
Along Came a Spider, by James Patterson
Favorite quote:
“No! Try not! Do or do not. There is no try.” - by Yoda
STEM Rockstar:
Richard Feynman
Contact Information:
Janne.ackerman@bestinc.org
This week's guest may have gotten his love of STEM from a galaxy far, far away as his passion for Star Wars cannot be missed! Paul Garver has brought an energy to the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum that cannot be denied. Whether you find him talking with volunteers, interacting with his staff, or planning the next adventure, his enthusiasm will captivate you! One of our favorite memories of Paul is when he lent his personal drone to one of our students, Ben, so he could learn to fly - who does that? Only Paul. He is someone who is all about enjoying life, living science, digging through history, and encouraging others to explore.
Show Notes:
Paul Garver is Manager of the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, and has over 30 years of experience working in museums, including working 11 years for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. He is a devoted Star Wars fan, and often wonders what his life would be like if it weren’t for George Lucas. He is a native Californian who also lived in northern Virginia for 16 years, and has happily made New Mexico his home since 2011.
Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
Balloon Museum Pod Racing (Drone Racing)
Join us… and hundreds of others for one of Paul’s favorite events, Darth & Yoda: Choose your side
Read more about Paul here
Book Recommendation:
Truth Insurrected: The Saint Mary Project, by Daniel P. Douglas
Favorite quote:
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview for life’s coming attractions,” by Albert Einstein
STEM Rockstar:
Sid Gutierrez
Contact Information:
Website
Angela Reed Padilla, CEO of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of NM is passionate about helping youth become confident adults and productive citizens. The state of New Mexico chapter of BBBS actually has more mentors than chapters in larger cities such as Chicago. When you meet her, you will understand why so many people are getting involved in mentoring young people. STEM Southwest is a big advocate for this approach because we believe, like Angela, that this is a critical path to the success of our state and our nation.
Show Notes
Angela Reed Padilla joined Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Nation’s premier mentoring organization, in 1996, with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. As CEO, Angela has the opportunity to work with business and non-profit organization leaders, educators, legislators, and more to gain a broad perspective on the needs of the community and the shared vision for improving our quality of life. Angela is passionate about advocating for our youth to increase their chances of success, and to help them become productive citizens. Angela is deeply invested in collaborative work with her colleagues, and confident that we have at hand the resources, vision, and will to overcome our educational and economic challenges.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico
Discovery Festival NM
Book Recommendation
The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan
STEM Rockstar and Hero
Ryleigh Hightower
Marie Curie
Favorite quote (and joke)
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” by Sir Isaac Newton.
“How often do you like jokes about elements? Periodically.”
Contact Information:
DiscoveryFestivalNM.com
Auri Vigil, In this week’s interview you will learn about an exciting annual event, ExperienceITnm. It is described by the New Mexico Technology Council as an opportunity to “Geek out on all things technology. Our community will gather the best and the brightest entrepreneurs, technicians, hackers, and tech fans for presentations, talks, meet-ups, and parties; all to highlight the vibrant tech community in our city.” Auri Vigil joins us to tell us more about the event.
Show Notes
Fat Pipe ABQ
https://fatpipeabq.com/
Spaceport America
https://spaceportamerica.com/
Women in Technology Peer Group
https://nmtechcouncil.org/women-in-technology-peer-group/
Experience IT
http://experienceitnm.com/
New Mexico Technology Council Events Calendar
https://nmtechcouncil.org/events-calendar/
New Mexico Technology Council Jobs Board
http://business.nmtechcouncil.org/jobs/
AFRL New Mexico
http://www.afrlnewmexico.com/
Website Recommendation:
Women Who Inspire (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
https://www.lanl.gov/careers/stories/women-who-inspire/index.php
Contact Information:
Auri Vigil
Auri@nmtechcouncil.org
New Mexico Technology Council
https://nmtechcouncil.org/
https://www.facebook.com/nmtechcouncil
Russ Fisher-Ives This interview is certainly one of our favorites as we talk all things STEM in the Southwest and how the Southwest has influenced many countries beyond our borders including China, Japan, Estonia, Canada, Mexico and so many more! Russ Fisher-Ives is a science teacher turned robotics rock star. Years ago he teamed up with Intel and put his philosophy of Inquiry-based learning to work for students through his business, Inquiry Facilitators. His dynamic personality teams up with the heart of an educator to inspire students across the world as he challenges them to think big through the robotics competition he founded, RoboRAVE. Now an international program, Russ travels the globe inspiring both young and old with his dynamic energy and ability to get the world to communicate in one unified language…. Robots!
Show Notes:
RoboRAVE International
https://www.roborave.org/
RRPS Student Research Expo
https://www.rrps.net/students/r_r_p_s_student_research_expo
Inquiry Facilitators
http://gotoif.org/
STEM Hero and Rockstar
George Gorospe
https://ti.arc.nasa.gov/profile/ggorospe/
Benjamin Franklin
https://www.biography.com/people/benjamin-franklin-9301234
Contact Information:
Russ Fisher-Ives
Russ@gotoif.org
505-385-7109
Russ also has several TED talks and speeches our listeners might enjoy:
Native Voices through technology
Beyond Testing
Paul Szauter Today we have scientist and entrepreneur Paul Szauter as our guest. Listeners are going to be interested in the DNA Discovery that Paul and his team have made as well as how that discovery is disrupting the centuries-old industry of horse breeding. Listen is as Paul shares the challenges and plans they have as well as hear his thoughts on what it takes to be a scientist…. You might be surprised!
Show Notes
Human Genome Project
National DNA Day
DNA Day
23andMe
EquiSeq, Inc.
Book Recommendations:
Game Storming, by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo
Ready Player One: A Novel, by Ernest Cline
STEM Hero and Rockstar
Gregor Mendel
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Resources
One Million Cups - Albuquerque
Contact Information:
Paul Szauter
Pszauter@gmail.com
Mike DeCock and Tristan Jameson. Today we have two guests who share their passion for cubing with the world. Sometimes, as we work with students we must invite them into STEM through an untraditional door. Solving the Rubik’s cube is a great way to open up the side door of opportunity and build the confidence of students so that they might pursue even more STEM opportunities. Learn more about how cubing invites students into STEM and is a great opportunity, no matter what your age!
Show Notes
Be Cubed Summer 2018; Friday, July 27, 2018, 8:00-4:30 p.m.
Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
Information and Registration
World Cubing Association
The Home of Rubik’s Cube
Rubik’s
Book Recommendations:
Tristan:
You Can Do The Rubik’s Cube
Mike:
Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter, by Scott Adams
Cracking the Cube, Going Slow to Go Fast and Other Unexpected Turns by Ian Scheffler
Melissa Ober, Science Girl Encouraged to pursue and internship at her local Children’s Science museum, EXPLORA, Melissa Ober was mentored and discovered her passion to be a STEM performer. Since her first show, Melissa has worked with hundreds of students through school assemblies and their teachers at conferences. Perhaps you’ve seen her at a local STEM event perform the epic Elephant Toothpaste experiment.
Join us today as Melissa shares her passion with the world where she shares science through experiences instead of simply experiments.
Show Notes
Young people are capable of so much more:
Do Hard Things
“Don’t be afraid to ask, the worst they can do is say no”
Visit Melissa’s lab, find out more here:
Science Girl’s Lab
Science Girl’s Lab – Performance (Dr. Von Heister’s Hijinks)
Saturday, July 28th, 1:30-2:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 28th, 3:30-4:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 29th, 1:30-2:00 p.m.
Where Melissa got her start and some great mentoring:
Explora Science Center
Connect on Social Media
Science Girl’s Lab Facebook
Science Girl’s Lab Instagram
Science Girl’s Lab Videos
Melissa in the news:
Page 40
NM Kids Magazine
KRQE segment with Be Greater Than Average
Career coaching course with Shelly
Life Launch Academy
Melissa’s book recommendation:
The Case for a Creator, Lee Strobel
Science Girls STEM Rockstar and Mentor:
Steve Spangler Science
Favorite show filmed in New Mexico:
Mythbusters
Melissa Ober
Sciencegirlslab1@gmail.com
Ron Eppes, Intel Community Engagement Manager: Ron is the perfect first guest for our podcast! While the sound quality isn’t great (we get better with time, promise) his stories and love of community are inspiring! Ron is a STEM Rockstar who works just down the road a few miles at Intel Corporation where he is passionate about ensuring Intel is a great corporate citizen. His story is interesting as he shares how someone important in Ron’s life with no apparent attachment to STEM had such a big influence on him ultimately pursuing a STEM career.
Show Notes
Corporate involvement in STEM education benefits everyone, with efforts such as this:
Twelve Months of Math
Ron’s Book Recommendation that relates to his belief that math is fun and powerful in engineering as well as everyday activities such as his running example:
How to Not be Wrong, the power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenberg
Community Involvement and Recognition in STEM
STEMYS: Excellence in STEM Awards
Ron Eppes
Ronald.d.eppes@intel.com
While it wasn’t mentioned in the interview, we thought listeners would enjoy Ron’s Ted Talk:
Ron’s Weird Ideas about Math (TEDxABQED, March 27 2015)
This podcast is designed to create STEM connections, cohesion, and elevation within the Southwest region of the United States. You have discovered a place where STEM enthusiasts gather to learn about the amazing STEM rockstars of the region as well as STEM activities that are impacting the world!
Whether you are looking to learn more about STEM innovations in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and California you are in the right place! If you have longed to be united with other STEM nerds, then you have found your people here at STEM Southwest!
Check out our family-friendly show and events calendar designed to build problem solvers, thinkers, and innovators for the future. New episodes are released every other week.
Website address: www.STEMsw.com
Email: info@STEMsw.com
Facebook: STEMsw
Twitter: STEMsw