2018 STEAM Youth and Community Conference

Presenters and Session Descriptions

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  Daniel Aguirre, Community Engagement Manager at the Fleet Science Center
  

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  Meaningful Community Engagement: Existing Outside of Your Walls

  The Fleet Science Center in collaboration with over 56 local STEM organizations has run over a year of free weekly programming outside the museum's walls. Daniel will share his experience collaborating with other institutions and how they present high-level content in an accessible format. He will also discuss strategies for engaging diverse audiences, mainly Latino/Hispanic communities.

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  Dr. Michael (QCT) Alston, Senior Staff Engineer, Central Engineering Technology, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

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  Binary Numbers: What They Are. How They Work.

  Binary numbers are very important in the design of computers. In this workshop you will explore with tennis balls, wooden sticks and mechanical and electronic binary counters to learn how binary numbers work.

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  Dr. Morgan Appel, Director, Department of Education and Behavioral Sciences at UC San Diego Extension
  

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  Your STE+aM Powered Brain: Understanding the Neuroscience of Innovation, Integration and Inspired Learning

  Your STE+aM Powered Brain explores the use of holistic cognitive and socioemotional approaches that facilitate 'flow' for diverse learners across grade levels, drawing from research and best practices in the neuroscience of teaching and learning. Contextually grounded in STEAM, this session provides strategies, tools and examples that promote engagement, creativity and commitment in the classroom as well as in the home. Resources focusing on the development and support of metacognitive skills (sound habits of mind) will be disseminated to attendees.

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  Susan Baer, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Clear Blue Sea

  Jessica Gottdank, Co-founder, Clear Blue Sea
  Akila Thumbiran, Nolan Bisogno, Cassidy Kuhn, Lihao Zheng, and Jordan Walker, Engineering Students, USD

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  Prototyping Ups and Downs During a 10-week ISP Internship with Clear Blue Sea

  Engineering students will present the project plan and engineering approach the team performed to develop a Solar Power Subsystem designed to power a Debris Collection Subsystem prototype for a Marine Robot designed to collect floating ocean plastic pollution.

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  Xiao-Bao Bao, ThoughtSTEM Instructor

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  Code Your Own Video Game

  Students will create their own 2D video games using a proprietary video game design library ThoughtSTEM has created to teach students coding.

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  Salvador Barajas, Artist and Historical Muralist

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  The Basics of Mural Painting

  In this session you will hear from renowned artist Salvador Barajas and his daughter about the basics of mural making and you will have a chance to explore colors and try out your own creations.

  Los Padres Hacen La Diferencia

  Parents and their children will share strategies the parents used to encourage, inspire and enable their children to, develop a strong work ethic, pursue their dream and succeed.

  Insights from a Mural Artist

  Artist Salvador Barajas will share information about his art and journey and will answer questions from interested and evolving artists.

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  Xochitl Barajas, Teacher, San Diego Unified School District

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  The Basics of Mural Painting

  In this session you will hear from renowned artist Salvador Barajas and his daughter about the basics of mural making and you will have a chance to explore colors and try out your own creations.

  Los Padres Hacen La Diferencia

  Parents and their children will share strategies the parents used to encourage, inspire and enable their children to, develop a strong work ethic, pursue their dream and succeed.

  Insights from a Mural Artist

  Artist Salvador Barajas will share information about his art and journey and will answer questions from interested and evolving artists.

• 

  MarGhece Barnes, Engineering Student, USD
  

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  Making the Most of Your College Experience: Student and Alumni Panel

  Come hear college students and alumni share their experiences, challenges and wisdom about making the most out of the college experience. Each panelist will share their story about pursuing STEAM majors. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and to gain valuable insights.

  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.

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  Loxley Browne, International Adventure Travel Photographer & Veterans Museum at Balboa Park Special Ops Marketing Specialist

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  Photography and Storytelling Adventure

  Learn the principles of photography and storytelling before adventuring out for a photography scavenger hunt! We will explore the famous photographers who have contributed to Nat Geo and Life Magazines to learn how to captivate audiences with photojournalism. Historic artifacts from the Veterans Museum will be the subjects of our classroom learning. For the final 20 minutes of the session we will roam the event photographing specific scavenger hunt items. Combining technology and art, you will be given specific narratives to show in your photo. The favorited photo of each session will receive a family membership to the Veteran Museum.

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  Darbi Berry, Environmental and Ocean Sciences, USD
  

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  Under Pressure: How Deep-Sea Researchers (and you!) Deal With Pressure

  What does it mean to be "under pressure"? What does it feel like? Why is it important for marine biologists to think about it? You and your team will conduct an investigation in the classroom to answer these questions!

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  Sam Cadwell, Educator, Guitars in the Classroom

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  Strum, Sing and Write Songs for Science

  Participants will learn to create lyrics that enrich and reinforce science learning K-5 using big ideas, evidence, and familiar melodies.
• 

  Frida Cilingiri, Student, Mesa College

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  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.
• 

  Odesma Dalrymple, Assistant Professor, Engineering, USD

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  Introducing the Engineering Exchange for Social Justice (ExSJ): A New Paradigm for Engineering and Community Partnerships

  In this session we will introduce the newly established Engineering Exchange for Social Justice (ExSJ) at the University of San Diego and invite participants to collaboratively engage in an activity that explores the challenges that arise, particularly at the community level, when Social Justice is not a considered design requirement in engineering work. The ExSJ is a collaborative initiative lead by the Shiley Marcos School of Engineering and the Karen and Tom Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness and Social Action. Through the ExSJ, community-defined 'problem briefs' will be turned into actionable student assignments, design projects, research theses or extra-curricular pro bono engineering projects (supported by local professionals) that will serve the local community as well as provide invaluable experience for students.

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  Madison Dodds, Community Programs Specialist, Salk Institute

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  Communicating Science with SciChats@Salk

  SciChats@Salk is a video-chat-based science outreach program that pairs a group of students with a volunteer scientist for informal chats about what it's like to be a scientist and their research. SciChats will give the audience a clearer picture of how science progresses, encourage them to imagine a future for themselves as scientists, and illustrate the contributions that science makes to society. Rather than teaching content, SciChats embraces students' curiosity by letting their questions dictate the discussion, and emphasizes both the process of science and the people behind the science. Teachers that attend will learn how to bring this program to their classrooms and families will have the opportunity to ask the scientists questions directly!

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  Dr. Arietta Fleming-Davies, Assistant Professor of Biology, USD

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  Zombie Bugs

  Rover Bernhardt, summer intern at USD and Biology/Math major, Lewis and Clark University
  Megan Martinez, Biology major, USD
  Ray Solis, Biology major, USD

  Did you know that bugs get sick too? Participants will learn about a common local butterfly species, the passionflower plant it eats, and a deadly 'zombie' disease that infects its caterpillars. You will then use microscopes to look for virus in insect samples. Don't worry, this disease is only deadly for caterpillars, and is perfectly safe for humans! Participants will also find out about opportunities to act as citizen scientists and make observations of these butterflies in their homes or classrooms. You might even go home with a beautiful (and tasty!) passionflower plant to attract these butterflies in your own yard.

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  Ramiro Frausto, Director, TRiO McNair Scholars

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  College Experience: Is There a Formula to Succeed in College?

  Join us to get the support, ideas and wisdom that comes from personal experience and decades of supporting college students. We will share our formula for getting the most out of your college experience. Audience participation and questions are encouraged!

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  Bruce Gemmell and Julie Rauer, Art Science Complex

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  Paper Engineering

  What mysteries of the universe can we unlock by understanding how nature folds? Separately, what innovations are possible by the applications of the folding patterns and sequences to be discovered in nature? Today, in many fields, across the arts and sciences, these questions are being explored, and there is no reason for this trend to not only continue, but to actually increase: Inherent in all patterns and structures are potentials which, when understood, not only lead to our deepening of our understanding of the natural universe—but can also lead to applications of, hopefully, new innovations and technologies. I have devised a series of challenges to help facilitate this, so come joins us, and we can see what unfolds...

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  Celina Gonzalez, Teacher, High Tech High Elementary North County

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  Making the Most of Your College Experience: Student and Alumni Panel

  Come hear college students and alumni share their experiences, challenges and wisdom about making the most out of the college experience. Each panelist will share their story about pursuing STEAM majors. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and to gain valuable insights.

  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.

   

• 

  Rhonda Harley, Assistant Director of Career Development, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, USD

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  How Social Media Can Help (or Hurt) Your Job Search

  Finding the perfect job opportunity is not just about a strong resume, great cover letter and superb interview skills. Studies show that 92% of employers are using social media to hire future talent for their organization. Discover ways you can tap into the power of social media (and avoid the pitfalls) to find the right professional fit for you!

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  Erin Hogeboom, Manager, Community Development and Network Strategy for The Connectory and National Girls Collaborative

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  Promoting Equity in STEM: Free Parent and Educator Resources from the National Girls Collaborative Project

  In this interactive session, participants will be guided through the numerous free resources offered by the National Girls Collaborative Project, from a role model and mentoring database to an online tool for finding STEM opportunities and collaborators near you. Participants will have an opportunity to meet one another and ask questions around engaging girls and other under-represented youth in STEM learning.

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  Somkhit Khamsingsavath, Graduate Student, School of Leadership and Education Sciences

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  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.
• 

  Amy Knight, Institute Programs Specialist, Salk Institute

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  Communicating Science with SciChats@Salk

  SciChats@Salk is a video-chat-based science outreach program that pairs a group of students with a volunteer scientist for informal chats about what it's like to be a scientist and their research. SciChats will give the audience a clearer picture of how science progresses, encourage them to imagine a future for themselves as scientists, and illustrate the contributions that science makes to society. Rather than teaching content, SciChats embraces students' curiosity by letting their questions dictate the discussion, and emphasizes both the process of science and the people behind the science. Teachers that attend will learn how to bring this program to their classrooms and families will have the opportunity to ask the scientists questions directly!

• 

  Kristen Koeblin, Director of Education, Robolink
  

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  Program and Fly a Drone with Robolink

  Drones are everywhere now, and they can absolutely be flown in the classroom! Learn how to program and fly CoDrone, the world's first programmable drone for education. We'll go over block-based programming, flight basics and ways that you can implement CoDrone for your learning environment.

  If possible, please bring your own laptop so you can download and work with Snap!, the language used to program CoDrone. See Instructions.

• 

  Maria Llamas

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  Making the Most of Your College Experience: Student and Alumni Panel

  Come hear college students and alumni share their experiences, challenges and wisdom about making the most out of the college experience. Each panelist will share their story about pursuing STEAM majors. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and to gain valuable insights.

  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.

• 

  Thomas Lupfer, President, Clarity Design

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  Problem Solved: A Look into the Work of Engineers

  Want to make the world a better place? So do we! Find out how engineers have the opportunity and responsibility to use their careers to improve the lives of others. This is your chance! Prepare a question to ask these experienced engineers and learn about their real-world problem-solving.

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  Maria Malloy, Associate Director and International Admission Manager, Undergraduate Admissions

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  Applying for College

  In this interactive and highly informative session you will learn the steps required for preparing and applying for college. The session will cover how to decide on a college that suits you, how to prepare a personal statement, as well as other, often overlooked details of the college application process.

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  Anya Manolakas, Special Education Graduate Student, USD

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  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.

  Making The Most Of Your College Experience: Student and Alumni Panel

  Come hear college students and alumni share their experiences, challenges and wisdom about making the most out of the college experience. Each panelist will share their story about pursuing STEAM majors. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and to gain valuable insights.

• 

  Dona Mapston, Director of Education Outreach, Salk Institute

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  Communicating Science with SciChats@Salk

  SciChats@Salk is a video-chat-based science outreach program that pairs a group of students with a volunteer scientist for informal chats about what it's like to be a scientist and their research. SciChats will give the audience a clearer picture of how science progresses, encourage them to imagine a future for themselves as scientists, and illustrate the contributions that science makes to society. Rather than teaching content, SciChats embraces students' curiosity by letting their questions dictate the discussion, and emphasizes both the process of science and the people behind the science. Teachers that attend will learn how to bring this program to their classrooms and families will have the opportunity to ask the scientists questions directly!

• 

  Ana Moreno, CEO, Navega Therapeutics and Ph.D. Candidate, UCSD

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  Special Presenter during the Closing Session

• 

  Mulika Musyimi

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  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.

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  Christine Norris, VP Client Services and Clarissa Dieck, Client Services, Rokenbok
  

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  See Like a Designer, Think Like an Engineer: an Introduction to Rokenbok Applied STEM Education

  Participants will work in groups as they experience what it is like to be an engineer. They will plan, build, test solutions to a unique challenge as they explore the engineering process.

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  Hannah Otte, Biology Student, USD

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  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.
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  Kevin Pelaez, Mathematics Education, Graduate Student, UCSD
  

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  Population Estimation with Sociology Applications

  Use statistics and probability to estimate and make inferences about populations.

  Making the Most of Your College Experience: Student and Alumni Panel

  Come hear college students and alumni share their experiences, challenges and wisdom about making the most out of the college experience. Each panelist will share their story about pursuing STEAM majors. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and to gain valuable insights.

• 

  Paul Phillips, Computer Graphic Artist, Developer and Owner, Art by Coloring
  

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  MathArt: Creating Beautiful Art from Math Transformations.

  Paul will unveil and demonstrate the MathArt platform, an Angular 5 web app, developed for the USD STEAM Academy 2018 during the workshop. He will challenge those attending to make beautiful patterns and maybe learn some math. MathArt works on both a laptop and IPad using the Google Chrome Browser.

• 

  Pauline Powell, Assistant Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, USD

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  College Experience: Is There a Formula to Succeed in College?

  Join us to get the support, ideas and wisdom that comes from personal experience and decades of supporting college students. We will share our formula for getting the most out of your college experience. Audience participation and questions are encouraged!

• 

  Judith Romero, School Counseling Graduate Student

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  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.

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  Martha Romero, High Tech High Parent Odyssey

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  Los Padres Hacen La Diferencia

  Parents and their children will share strategies the parents used to encourage, inspire and enable their children to, develop a strong work ethic, pursue their dream and succeed.

• 

  Siria Salas, Project Manager, The Energy Coalition

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  Water-Energy Nexus

  Participants will be introduced to the water-energy nexus. Using recycled materials they will construct a water infrastructure and transport a given amount of water from "northern California" to "San Diego" using only a handful of supplies.

  Energy Coalition Programs for Educators

  Participants will be introduced to The Energy Coalition and all the programs offered to educators in the San Diego area, They will be shown the online learning platform and how to apply for services.

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  Jasmine Sadler, Senior Test Engineer, Solar Turbines and Entrepreneur, Adorn the World

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  Problem Solved: A Look into the Work of Engineers

  Want to make the world a better place? So do we! Find out how engineers have the opportunity and responsibility to use their careers to improve the lives of others. This is your chance! Prepare a question to ask these experienced engineers and learn about their real-world problem-solving.

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  Kathryn Schulz, UCSD/CREATE, Regional Director, San Diego Science Project

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  Engineering in Motion

  This will be a interactive, hands-on lab. In groups of 4, participants will use various materials to design a cart that rolls freely. They will test their cart's design and collect data by rolling their cart down selected ramp heights. They will analyze their data and make a "Best Design" claim using their evidence.

• 

  Paula Schmid, Executive Assistant I, Engineering, USD

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  Introducing the Engineering Exchange for Social Justice (ExSJ): A New Paradigm for Engineering and Community Partnerships

  In this session we will introduce the newly established Engineering Exchange for Social Justice (ExSJ) at the University of San Diego and invite participants to collaboratively engage in an activity that explores the challenges that arise, particularly at the community level, when Social Justice is not a considered design requirement in engineering work. The ExSJ is a collaborative initiative lead by the Shiley Marcos School of Engineering and the Karen and Tom Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness and Social Action. Through the ExSJ, community-defined 'problem briefs' will be turned into actionable student assignments, design projects, research theses or extra-curricular pro bono engineering projects (supported by local professionals) that will serve the local community as well as provide invaluable experience for students.

• 

  Danielle Silvaggio, Graduate Student, USD
  

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  Making the Most of Your College Experience: Student and Alumni Panel

  Come hear college students and alumni share their experiences, challenges and wisdom about making the most out of the college experience. Each panelist will share their story about pursuing STEAM majors. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and to gain valuable insights.

  STEAMagination Stations

  Make your own chain reaction machines, designs with paper folding and circuits, and play mathematical visualization games.

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  Jasmyn Sosa-Houston, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics Student, USD

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  STEAMagination Stations

  Make Your Own Chain Reaction Machines, Designs with Paper Folding, and Circuits and Play Mathematical Visualization Games.
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  Michael Soudmand, Financial Aid Advisor, University of San Diego

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  Getting Real about Funding College

  A college education is affordable and within your reach! Come to this session and learn how to make your dream of college a reality.

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  Dr. Devoun Stewart, Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, USD

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  The Colorful World of Chemistry

  Participants in this workshop will learn the principles behind some chemical reactions that cause a color change. Students will work in groups to carry out their own fun chemical reactions, and then be amazed as color changes before their eyes.

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  Meagan Trudeau, Career Coach, UC San Diego, School of Global Policy and Strategy

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  How Social Media Can Help (or Hurt) Your Job Search

  Finding the perfect job opportunity is not just about a strong resume, great cover letter and superb interview skills. Studies show that 92% of employers are using social media to hire future talent for their organization. Discover ways you can tap into the power of social media (and avoid the pitfalls) to find the right professional fit for you!

• 

  Oscar Vazquez Mena, Assistant Professor, NanoEngineering, UC San Diego

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  From Mayan Astronomy to Nanotechnology in San Diego

  In this presentation, Prof. Vazquez will talk about how Mayan knowledge of science drove his confidence and motivation to pursue a career in science and technology. He will also talk about his own career, and the importance of failure and persistence to succeed in academics and STEM careers.

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  Lavar J. Watkins, CEO STEM Counseling and Workforce Development Division, Learning Knowledge Worldwide, LKW STEM Foundation

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  Coding, Robotics and Equal Access…OH MY!

  This workshop is intended to be an interactive presentation and conversation about the increasing role of STEM in society and our personal lives. The workshop will show how educational programs, cultivating STEM experiences and invigorating STEM activities are necessary for diverse, multicultural, socioeconomically and disadvantaged populations to foster and equip a growth mindset in STEM EDUCATION within the context of a global perspective.

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  Kristina H. Watkins, CEO STEM Education and Curriculum and Development Division, Learning Knowledge Worldwide, LKW STEM Foundation

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  Coding, Robotics and Equal Access…OH MY!

  This workshop is intended to be an interactive presentation and conversation about the increasing role of STEM in society and our personal lives. The workshop will show how educational programs, cultivating STEM experiences and invigorating STEM activities are necessary for diverse, multicultural, socioeconomically and disadvantaged populations to foster and equip a growth mindset in STEM EDUCATION within the context of a global perspective.