Each year the CUNY Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, the CUNY Graduate Center and The Feminist Press cosponsor a annual forum – “Inspiring Woman Scientists”. The purpose of the forum is to support women students, faculty, and professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

This year the forum will be held on March 21, 2012 at the CUNY Graduate Center, Proshansky Auditorium, 9:00am – 6:00PM. Several faculty and staff members from different CUNY colleges will join this day-long event to inspire and celebrate woman in science making great strides in the STEM fields – and contributing to the Nation’s STEM talent pool! Check this link for more information: http://www.cuny.edu/research/news-events/IWS.html

The conference will include several panel discussion and keynote address by Mary E. Kicza, Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Sciences, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

This will be a great opportunity for the NOAA-CREST (www.crest.ccny.cuny.edu) woman scientists to present their NOAA-related research to the august gathering and also meet Ms. Kicza, whose office overseas the CREST sciences which is aligned to NOAA’s goals and missions.  NOAA CREST students are trained in NOAA-related STEM fields. More than 80% of the CREST students trained in NOAA sciences succeed in securing professional STEM jobs – be it Academia; private sectors; and federal agencies like NOAA; EPA; FEMA.

My students and I look forward to this great event and meet Mary Kicza and other CUNY members. I also look forward to meet my friend Meghan Groome, Director, K12 Education and Science and the City The New York Academy of Sciences,  and our Education Partner, who will serve as a panelist on “Career Options in Science” panel discussion!

By: Shakila Merchant, NOAA-CREST Center, The City College of CUNY New York, NY

Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, Deputy Administrator and Acting Chief Scientist welcomed NOAA employees to the agency’s 2012 Black History Month Commemoration. Celebrating the African American women who have helped NOAA become the agency it is today, Dr. Sullivan emphasized that NOAA is committed to increasing minority representation in sciences. At the undergraduate and graduate level, the Educational Partnership Program (EPP) has supported some 2500 college students—of whom 23% are African American women—as they obtain their degrees in NOAA-relevant fields. She cited EPP-funded support of students studying and doing applied research in NOAA-critical fields, as well as our collaborative efforts between Minority Serving Institutions and NOAA programs.

Source: www.epp.noaa.gov

Posted: February 8, 2012

Saturday February 11, 2012 was a perfect wintery snowy day to remain cuddled in bed with my current book “Atlas Shrugged”….!! But the passion inside me for the K-12 STEM Education rather had me hop the train to reach St. Anns High School in Brooklyn, NY, to participate in the  pre-regional National Ocean Science Bowl (http://www.nosb.org/) that was sponsored by NOAA-CREST center (http://www.crest.ccny.cuny.edu).

More than 20 HS students from Midwood HS; St. Anns HS; Bronx Science HS and Farmingdale HS gathered early morning – bracing against the cold weather to participate in the pre-regional scrimmage. Their zeal and enthusiasm sure made my participation all worth!

The Pre-regional competition was a great way to prep the students for the REGIONAL (final tournament) National Ocean Science Bowl coming up on March 3, 2012 that will be held in Stony Brook, NY.  Sixteen schools (including these four) will represent the North East Regional Bowl, and the winning team goes for the Finals Competition that will be held at the Sheraton in Downtown Baltimore, MD April 19-22, 2012!

After three rounds each of multiple choice and the total challenge rounds, Bronx Science won the Scrimmage, with Midwood, Farmingdale and St. Anns ranking 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. After observing the entire competition, in my opinion, all students emerged as super winners and heroes!! I am sure they are all set for the FINALS on March 3rd! All these pre-regional participating students will be felicitated during the Annual NOAA-CREST that will be held in April, 2012. Thanks to all the teachers and coaches for putting this pre-regional scrimmage together.

NOAA-CREST center, through a major funding from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (www.noaa.gov), has adopted the Bronx Science since 2003 and has been sponsoring to train more than 10 students each year to participate in NOSB regionals. This competition certainly increases the students knowledge and inculcates an early interest in Ocean Sciences and possibly create next generation Oceanographers; Fisheries and Marine Biologists or Marine Policy Advisers, this is exactly what NOAA-CREST’s mission is  – “to increase Environmental Literacy and help create a National STEM talent pool to enhance and diversify the US STEM workforce”, which is in line with NOAA’s Education Mission and Goals.

President Obama recently said, “an American built to last is built upon 21^st century skills for American workers” – well the STEM Education program like NOAA-EPP, I believe is one-small-step toward building a robust 21st century skill sets and STEM professionals!!

– By Shakila Merchant, NOAA-CREST, New York