During a visit to MIT, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker stressed the need for government investment in research, reports Jeff Engels for Xconomy. “Our investment in R&D in this country is flat since, I think, 1980. It’s actually quite concerning at a time when the rest of the world, as you said, is not standing still,” said Pritzker.
Scott Broom reports for Washington Post TV that a team of high school students from Frederick County, Maryland has been selected as national finalists for the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeen grant for their invention to help people without access to running water transport water more efficiently.
Justine Hofherr writes for Boston.com about Prof. Dava Newman, highlighting her new role as deputy administrator of NASA, her work planning for a manned mission to Mars and her goal to encourage more young girls to pursue careers in STEM. “I’m motivated every single day because my passion is exploration,” says Newman.
MIT will be collaborating with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to examine teacher and school leadership education, reports Jacqueline Thomsen for Inside Higher Ed. “The research will be part of a new institute at MIT, called the MIT PK-12 Initiative, which will provide support to STEM teachers in all levels of K-12 education."
NPR reporter Claudio Sanchez reports on the new collaboration between MIT and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation aimed at helping teachers use new technologies in the classroom. Sanchez explains that MIT researchers will focus on conducting studies to “guide the new curriculum and develop technologies focused on digital learning.”
Nidhi Subbaraman writes for BetaBoston about research scientist Felice Frankel, who is credited with making scientific research more accessible through her photos. Prof. John Rogers of the University of Illinois says that Frankel, who is teaching an edX course this summer, has “played a significant role” in advancing science photography.
Students from MIT and Harvard are biking across the country, stopping in rural communities along the way in an effort to get kids excited about science, the AP reports. "We can't teach them programming in a day, but we can get them excited about programming," says MIT freshman Drew Bent.
A team of students from MIT and Harvard are biking across the country in an effort to spread enthusiasm for STEM fields, writes Eden Shulman for BetaBoston. During their journey, the students will “host workshops in a variety of STEM fields, providing hands-on science experience to kids that might not otherwise get it.”
WGBH reporter Cristina Quinn reports on this year’s 2.007 robot competition, during which student-built robots faced off on a course inspired by the movie Back to the Future. “We really try to stress real life skills in this class and one of the biggest as a designer is realizing things don’t work as you thought they would,” says Prof. Amos Winter.
John Paradiso writes for BostInno about this year’s 2.007 robotics competition, which was based on the movie Back to the Future. "The game boards, where the students drive their robots, are a DeLorean with a backdrop of the clock tower. The robots drive all over the DeLoreans to give them fuel, and climb the clock tower,” says Prof. Amos Winter.
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Professor Dava Newman as the NASA deputy administrator, writes Janelle Nanos for BetaBoston. “It’s an enormous honor to serve at NASA in times when our country is extending humanity’s reach into space while strengthening American leadership here on Earth,” says Newman.
Jordain Carney writes for The Hill that the Senate has approved Professor Dava Newman to be NASA’s next deputy administrator.
In an article for The Huffington Post about teaching kids computer programming, Joni Blecher highlights the robotic garden developed by researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and CSAIL. The garden has “over 100 flowers that can be controlled via a Bluetooth-enabled device.”
In a piece for The Huffington Post, Zeynep Ilyaz explains how Prof. Sangeeta Bhatia serves as an inspiration to her, citing her research advances in biotech and medicine, and her mentorship of women pursuing careers in STEM fields. “Dr. Bhatia is constantly looking for the next groundbreaking discovery in health, which makes her an excellent role model for girls and women,” Ilyaz writes.
Middle school students from Lincoln County, Maine spent February vacation creating electronics as part of an educational program developed by the Edgerton Center, reports Rob Nesbitt for WCSH-TV. "Normally kids would not be exposed to this level of electronics until, maybe at the earliest, junior year of high school," explains Edgerton instructor Bob Vieth.