STEM Education Initiatives

This morning, I read about the proposed two-thirds cut to NSF as well as to so many other science agencies. With this, I can not help but wonder about where our future STEM workforce will come from. If it were not for internships at DOE, I never would have pursued a degree in STEM. NSF funding was essential to support my degree. NSF was essential in me getting my first position at a Ph.D.-granting university. NSF funding and other federal funding was instrumental in providing research opportunities to nearly 300 students and postdoctoral fellows that I have worked with through the years. Where have they gone? Where are they now? In sectors including national defense, national security, industry, and many other areas where STEM degrees are vital. NSF has resulted in everyday products that we take for granted - from the internet to MRI's and cell phones. It provides an inexpensive route towards American innovation, economy, the future technical workforce, and national security. STEM-focused economic activities account for ~40% of our GDP. The ROI from NSF and other investments in STEM and the U.S. future workforce is enormous, with impacts that will be held far into the future. I can not help but puzzle why anyone in the U.S. would be contemplating a reduction in R&D investments. This will have a long-term impact upon our economy, innovation, security, and world standing.

Ten years of NIRF data as analysed by KPMG India now offers a rare longitudinal view of how Indian higher educational institutions are performing. Keeping aside the integrity issues, this is indeed a positive trend for higher education. The next ten years can be transformative, if the government is willing to make some bold reforms in higher education. ▪️ Participation in NIRF grew from 2,426 institutions in 2016 to 7,692 in 2025. The college category alone expanded from 803 to 4,030 institutions. Law and medical categories saw triple-digit growth. ▪️ PhD-qualified faculty in engineering institutions increased from 28 percent in 2017 to 48 percent in 2025. Top-ranked institutions now report over 73 percent PhD faculty across most categories. Management institutes exceed 90 percent. ▪️ PhD student enrolments in universities rose from 97,947 in 2019 to 118,556 in 2025. Completions increased from 16,403 to 24,481 in the same period. Institutions ranked 76 to 100 showed the fastest growth in enrolments, while top-ranked institutions led in completions. ▪️ Research publications increased by 150 percent in engineering and universities. Pharmacy and management categories recorded a 300 percent rise. India’s share of global publications moved from 3.5 percent in 2017 to 5.2 percent in 2024. ▪️ Patent filings by educational institutions tripled between 2022 and 2024. India is now among the top six countries globally in patent activity. ▪️ Median salaries of graduating students across institutions nearly doubled over five years. This reflects improved graduate outcomes and stronger employer confidence. ▪️ In the QS World University Rankings 2026, India is the fourth most represented country with 54 institutions. This is a fivefold increase since 2015.

"In 1947, a determined young woman named Marie Maynard Daly walked into Columbia University and made history. Within three short years, she became the first Black woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry, a feat that shattered barriers and redefined what was possible for women and people of color in science. But Daly’s greatest legacy wasn’t just her title; it was her science. At the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, Daly’s pioneering studies revealed how proteins are synthesized from RNA, a breakthrough so foundational that James Watson later cited her work in his Nobel Prize lecture on the structure of DNA. Long before the world understood genetics as we do now, Daly was already identifying the building blocks of life itself. Her brilliance didn’t stop at biochemistry. Daly turned her attention to a question that continues to haunt millions: why do hearts fail? Through groundbreaking experiments, she became the first scientist to prove the link between high cholesterol, high sugar intake, and artery blockage, as well as how hypertension accelerates heart disease. Every modern cardiovascular treatment, from statins to heart-healthy diet guidelines, traces back to Daly’s trailblazing discoveries. Despite her monumental contributions, Daly’s name has too often been reduced to a footnote in scientific history, remembered primarily as “the first Black woman Ph.D” rather than the architect of modern biochemistry, genomics, and cardiovascular medicine. Her story is one of brilliance, perseverance, and transformation. At a time when systemic barriers tried to define what she could not do, Daly defined what science could become. Her story proves that representation in science isn’t just about inclusion—it’s about innovation. Because when a voice like Marie Maynard Daly’s breaks through, the entire world changes." 🔗: https://lnkd.in/eW3EgVth #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels

💡 What if every lesson felt like an adventure, not a chore? Let’s be honest: unforgettable learning doesn’t happen with boring lectures or endless notes. It happens when students feel excited, curious, and emotionally connected. 🔥 Here’s how to make learning stick—and spark real transformation in the classroom: 1️⃣ Light the curiosity fire first 🔥 Don’t dump facts. Start with a question so intriguing they can’t look away. When curiosity leads, engagement follows. 2️⃣ Make it a full-sensory experience 🎧👀🖐️ Learning isn’t just mental—it’s physical. Get them seeing, touching, hearing, and doing. The more senses involved, the deeper the retention. 3️⃣ Show, don’t tell 🧪 Skip the theory dump. Demonstrate it. Let them experiment, explore, mess up—and learn through doing. Discovery beats instruction. 4️⃣ Tap into emotion 💥 Stories. Surprise. Laughter. Relevance. When students feel something, they remember it. Emotion = memory glue. 5️⃣ Be the guide, not the guru 🧭 You’re not there to give all the answers. You’re there to open doors, ask great questions, and empower them to find the answers themselves. 🎯 Truth bomb: The best classrooms aren’t quiet—they’re buzzing with energy, ideas, and wide eyes. Learning isn’t about memorizing—it’s about experiencing. Let’s stop teaching for the test and start teaching for life. Who’s ready to make education magical again? #UnforgettableLearning #ModernTeaching #STEMEducation #LearningThatSticks #CreativeTeaching #StudentEngagement #EdTech #ExperientialLearning #FutureOfEducation #TeachingReimagined #India #Kawal #EducationReform #PassionForTeaching #21stCenturySkills #TeachingTips

Young College Grads Are Struggling — Especially in One Corner of the Labor Market In earlier posts, I showed that young college graduates are facing an unusually weak labor market relative to their own history. But that weakness is not evenly spread across fields. This chart breaks BA-only workers ages 22–34 into four broad occupational groups and tracks each group's unemployment rate as a percentile of its own 2003–2026 history, using a 24-month moving average to smooth monthly noise. That framing matters. It does not show which group has the highest unemployment rate in absolute terms. It shows which group is doing badly relative to its own normal. A reading of 76 means unemployment is higher than it has been in 76% of months since 2003. And one group stands out. STEM is at the 76th percentile — clearly weaker than the others. "All Other" occupations are at the 61st percentile. Management is at the 50th. Health, Education, and Social Services is at the 51st. The pain is especially concentrated in STEM. The likely driver is coding. Not because every STEM occupation is struggling equally. But because software, data, and adjacent digital roles absorbed the biggest post-boom correction — and they are also the part of the entry-level labor market where AI is most likely to reduce demand for junior workers first. Fewer entry-level openings. Slower backfilling. Higher hiring bars. More work done by smaller teams. The contrast with the other groups matters. Young workers already in management roles are a selected group. Reaching management by your late 20s or early 30s usually signals stronger career progression to begin with. And Health, Education, and Social Services operates in a very different labor market — less tied to the tech cycle, less exposed to AI substitution, and more dependent on human, regulated, or institutionally staffed work. One more point: 50th percentile may sound "normal," but in an economy where the overall unemployment rate is still historically low, normal is not especially impressive. Young college grads in professional fields would usually be expected to look better than average in a labor market like this. #AI #labormarkets #STEM #careers #futureofwork #recruitment #tech

You've probably heard of Marie Curie or Albert Einstein. But in a world where breakthroughs often make headlines, how do some of the greatest innovators stay invisible? Take, for example, an Indian scientist whose research shaped the very medicines we rely on today! In 20th-century India, Dr. Asima Chatterjee reshaped the field of medicinal chemistry. Yet, many have not heard her name? Born in 1917, Asima’s curiosity about the world around her started early, thanks to her father’s love for botany. Growing up in Calcutta, she excelled in science and mathematics — an unusual path for women in a time when societal expectations steered them towards domesticity. Graduating with honors in chemistry, she went against societal expectations and became one of the first women in British India to receive a Doctorate of Science in 1944. Chatterjee's research focused on the immense potential of plants in medicine, a field known as phytochemistry. And this led to her most significant contributions: the development of antimalarial and anti-epileptic drugs. To put her achievements into context, let’s look at the figures: ▶️ Malaria: According to the WHO, there were over 249 million cases of malaria in 2022, leading to 608,000 malaria deaths in a single year. While Dr. Chatterjee’s work primarily involved natural compounds, the antimalarial drugs stemming from her research have been instrumental in controlling this disease over the decades. ▶️ Epilepsy: Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. The anti-epileptic drugs she worked on resulted in the development of 'Ayush-56,' a critically acclaimed anti-epileptic medication still used commercially today. For me, what makes her story even more remarkable is the era in which she lived! In the mid-1900s, women in India rarely ventured into higher education, let alone into the rigorous world of STEM. She authored over 400 research papers, making significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry. Her dedication to scientific progress led to the establishment of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry of Natural Products at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, where she nurtured the next generation of scientific minds. While her research continues to shape the medical landscape, Dr. Chatterjee’s name is far less known than it should be. This post is a part of a series on Unsung Heroes of India's Science and Innovation. Image Source: @povmumbai (Twitter) #inspiration #science #womenleaders #India #innovation

This woman graduated college at 18, then put a man on the moon. But it wasn't until she was 96 years old that she was recognized with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Creola "Katherine" Johnson was born to a lumberjack family in West Virginia. A child prodigy, Katherine excelled in mathematics and graduated elementary school at a young age. At the time, segregation was still in place and only white children were allowed to attend the local high school. So, Katherine's parents were forced to move the family to a nearby town, where Katherine was able to attend high school. By 14, Katherine enrolled in college. Katherine's intellect was unmatched. Professors soon began creating advanced mathematical courses just for her. By 18, Katherine graduated. Quickly, she grew bored of domestic life and returned to college for advanced education. In 1938, Katherine became the first Black woman to ever be admitted to West Virginia University. After struggling to find employment as a woman in science, Katherine happened upon a chance job opportunity: a mathematician opening at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (now known as NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration). From 1953 to 1958, Katherine worked as a "human computer" -- a job where human beings performed complex calculations before electronic computers. The department was known as "Colored Computers", where Katherine and fellow Black female colleagues worked on complex equations and projections. At the time, Black employees were forced to use separate restrooms and cafeterias. By 1958, digital computers were rolled out and Katherine's department was disbanded, while she was promoted to an aerospace technologist. That's when Katherine changed history: she performed the calculation to put the first man in space. She would go on to provide crucial calculations to various space missions, including calculating the trajectory for the moon landing. By day, Katherine literally put a man on the moon. By night, she and her husband raised their three children. When digital computers were rolled out, NASA used Katherine to verify the computer's calculation. Katherine would continue at NASA until retirement in 1986. Like many women in STEM, Katherine's story was largely unknown until the book (then film) Hidden Figures was released. That same year, President Barack Obama awarded Katherine the Presidential Medal of Freedom. NASA named several buildings after her. In 2020, Katherine passed away at 101 years old. How is it possible that the woman who put a man on the moon spent most of her life unknown? While I often share the stories of current women leaders, I'll be sharing more stories of women who are no longer with us for #WomensHistoryMonth. Because... if we don't tell our history, who will? Did you know Katherine's story? - - - Here's to Katherine and the women who built our history. ✌🏼 If you liked this story, subscribe for more. 🔔 #womenfounders

3D image technology has changed entertainment and science as we know it - all thanks to Valerie Thomas. This futuristic concept became a reality and continues to shape today’s technology, all thanks to this NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist and inventor. Before her invention, visual displays were limited to flat, 2-dimensional images. Then, in 1976, after witnessing an illusion where a lightbulb appeared lit despite being removed from its socket, Thomas began experimenting with concave mirrors. By 1980, she patented the “illusion transmitter,” a groundbreaking system that uses mirrors and cameras to create realistic 3D images - holograms - that forever changed how we perceive visual information. This invention was later used in NASA satellite technology, revolutionising how we analyse and interpret data from space. It has also since been adapted for use in surgery, enhancing precision in medical imaging and procedures, And, of course, has influenced the production of television and video screens, paving the way for immersive entertainment experiences. But her legacy extends far beyond holography: 👉🏾 Thomas played a critical role in developing image-processing systems for Landsat, the first satellite to send images of Earth from space. 👉🏾 She helped to develop computer program designs that supported research on Halley's Comet, the ozone layer, and satellite technology. 👉🏾 She’s received many awards for her work and her activism, including an Award of Merit from the Goddard Space Flight Center and the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal. Thomas retired from NASA in 1995, but her impact didn’t stop there. She continues to inspire generations, to enter STEM fields and break new ground. Her invention changed how we see the world - literally and figuratively, influencing everything from medical technologies to entertainment. #ReclaimingNarratives

There is a fundamental shift in learner and learning expectations with recognized credentials at the heart of the change. In my recent Engineering the Future Workforce podcast conversation with Jessica Silwick, CPA, MBA, CAE, COO of ABET, we explored how quality-assured credentials are creating new pathways into STEM careers while maintaining rigorous standards. Jessica emphasized aligning learning outcomes with industry needs and involving stakeholders in the design process to ensure credentials deliver real value and impact. Learners want their efforts in microcredentials to be fully recognized, integrated with their program of study and credit bearing. A recent article by Adil Husain titled “The Quiet Credential Takeover”, discusses the strong student demand for credit-bearing microcredentials. It notes 94% of students want microcredentials to count toward their degrees (up from 55%). That demand pushes engineering education to become more flexible, accessible and responsive to industry needs. This will open doors for talent through stackable, bite-sized learning opportunities. As Jessica noted, “the traditional one size fits all degree model is giving way to more flexible pathways that reflect how people actually learn and work.” Credentials allow learners to "create a trajectory for themselves, their families, and their communities" - especially those who may not fit the traditional education model. At Siemens Digital Industries Software, we're proud to partner with ABET to help shape these new standards. Together, we're working to ensure that whether through degrees or credentials, learners gain qualifications that are trusted by employers and recognized globally. The future demands both technical excellence and essential professional skills. Through thoughtful assessment and continuous improvement, we can cultivate adaptable, lifelong learners while addressing evolving workforce needs. See the comments for the related blog with links to our full conversation. Let me know what else you're learning about learning shifts.