STEM and NC A&T's Involvement

A small glimpse of how NC A&T is being a 'change agent' in the acknowledgment of STEM fields to today's young people:  


On March 23-24, 2012, North Carolina A&T State University will host a major national conference.  The Urban Education Institute will bring together scholars, practitioners, business representatives, community members, policy makers, representatives from non-profit and faith-based organizations, and students from the K-12 and postsecondary sectors to explore the theme:  AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES IN THE STEM FIELDS: STRATEGIES, PRACTICES, EXEMPLARS.  

The Urban Education Institute will take advantage of A&T’s unique ability to address two compelling national issues simultaneously:  improving the academic engagement of African American males, and increasing their participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  This program will examine specific strategies and practices that produce positive outcomes in the STEM disciplines for African American males and other members of underrepresented groups.   A special highlight will be the participation of several exemplary African American males who will serve as visual and living proof that individuals from this demographic cohort can not only enter, but can excel in these fields.  Heading this highly distinguished group is Dr. John B. Slaughter, the first African American to serve as director of the National Science Foundation, former Chancellor of the University of Maryland-College Park, and former President of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. Other exemplars, including Dr. Louis Sullivan, former secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services,  represent the variety of the STEM fields, including biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, medicine, nursing, and physics.

The Urban Education Institute begins at 1:30 on Friday afternoon, March 23^rd and concludes on that evening with a reception at 6:00.  It starts again on Saturday morning March 24^th at 8:00 am and concludes with an awards banquet, which is scheduled from 7-9 pm that evening.  Additional details can be obtained from the website, www.urbanedinstitute.com, for registration cost and information.