Brainy Professional Football Player, John Urschel, helps students tackle unexpected STEM careers

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7746258-ti-john-urschel-stem-careers/

John Urschel, a 6-foot-3-inch, 305-pound offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, is uniquely suited to help students make these calculations. When he is not blocking defenders, he is hitting the books at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he is pursuing a doctorate in applied mathematics. The brilliant, brawny football player has teamed up with TI to give students the inside scoop on non-traditional STEM careers, like ice cream creators who make a living tempting taste buds.

"STEM Behind Cool Careers shows kids that a kitchen can be a laboratory where all sorts of delicious science happens and a fashion studio can make algebra and geometry chic," said Urschel. "By focusing on topics that kids are already into, like food and fashion, we can help them make meaningful STEM connections that will serve them well in the classroom and in their future careers."

To bring the STEM Behind Cool Careers activities to life for students, Urschel traveled to Dallas to visit with the people who inspired them— artists, fashion designers, and ice cream makers to try out their jobs for a day and document them in an entertaining, yet educational video series.

In the first activity in the series, "Ice Cream, Cool Science," Urschel explores the sweeter side of STEM as he scoops up a lesson in the physics of making ice cream. Then, in "Style by STEM," the offensive lineman learns how algebra and geometry combine to create the ultimate fashion statement. And, in "Math: An Art Form," Urschel awakens his inner artist as he learns how ratios, light and color are critical to creating larger-than-life murals. These activities and videos are sure to score with students as they realize whatever they are into, STEM is in it too.

"At TI, we want students to know that pursing a STEM career doesn't mean they have to crunch numbers at a desk or analyze data in a white lab coat for the rest of their lives," said Peter Balyta, Ph.D., president of TI Education Technology. "By connecting the things that students already love to the important concepts they need to learn, we hope to open more students' eyes to the wide world of STEM and inspire the next generation of creative thinkers and problem solvers."  

Get inspired at CoolSTEMCareers.com.

About Texas Instruments:
Education Technology, a business of Texas Instruments, provides a wide range of tools connecting the classroom experience with real-world applications, helping students and teachers to explore mathematics and science interactively. TI's products and services are tested vigorously against recognized third-party research, which shows that the effective use of graphing calculators improves the mathematical skills of students and their attitudes toward mathematics. For more information, visit www.education.ti.com.

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is a global semiconductor design and manufacturing company that develops analog ICs and embedded processors. By employing the world's brightest minds, TI creates innovations that shape the future of technology. TI is helping more than 100,000 customers transform the future, today. Learn more at www.ti.com.

Mathlete® is a registered trademark of the MATHCOUNTS Foundation.

SOURCE Texas Instruments

Related Links

http://www.ti.com