STEM Southwest Podcast

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

[email protected]

Facebook

Linkedin

Twitter

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:

[email protected]

(505) 610-8851

Linkedin

Twitter

Instagram

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:

Linkedin

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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

[email protected]

Intentional Finance LLC

7770 Jefferson Street NE, Suite 430

Albuquerque, NM 87109

(505) 563-4500

[email protected]

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Linkedin

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:

[email protected]

(505) 715-7732

Facebook

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

[email protected]

phone: 1-505-200-2693

Facebook

Linkedin

Twitter

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:

[email protected]

(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

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