Executive Director Weld to Host Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Update

Executive Director Weld to Host Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Update

(Cedar Falls, IOWA - November 15, 2011) – The Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Advisory Council Executive Director Jeff Weld will host a Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Update on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, in the Presidential Room at Maucker Union on the UNI Campus. The meeting will be held from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Weld will discuss how the council has identified activities to move Iowa’s STEM initiative forward via forming regional STEM networks,  scaling-up exemplary education programs, and action planning around seven top priorities including teacher recruitment, public awareness, STEM pipeline diversity and public-private partnerships.  The meeting will provide more details on the workings of the group along with opportunities for interested parties to get involved. 

“We’d like everyone who is interested to come and to learn more,” said Weld. “The future well-being of our youth and the relevance of our state hang in the balance as this group of leading thinkers take on something of a Manhattan Project for Iowa: building a STEM-literate citizenry and first tier modern workforce.” 

Those interested in attending the November 30 meeting may RSVP at imsep@uni.edu .

To learn more about the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, to go http://iowaeducation.iowa.gov/iowa-education-summit/stem/ .

Created by Executive Order 74, the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is a 40-member team of business, education and civic leaders created to grow Iowa’s commitment to bolstering STEM education, STEM innovation and better position Iowa’s young people and the state’s economy for the future. The Council is co-chaired by Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and University of Northern Iowa’s President Benjamin Allen. Executive director of the STEM Advisory Council is Jeff Weld, who also directs the Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP).

The Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP) is the program arm of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council as well as an inter-university STEM initiative headquartered at the University of Northern Iowa. IMSEP’s goals are to improve mathematics and science performance of Iowa students; to prepare more high quality mathematics and science teachers for Iowa’s schools; and to promote statewide collaboration and cooperation. For more information regarding IMSEP, go to www.iowamathscience.org.

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