STEM Southwest Podcast

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:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Linkedin

[email protected]

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.

Linkedin

Twitter

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

[email protected]

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:

[email protected]

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:

[email protected]

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, [email protected]

Taylor Roach, [email protected]

Devin Roach, [email protected]

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

Linkedin

Auri Vigil

[email protected]

Paige Prescott

Linkedin