U.S. News Builds Community of STEM Leaders at Sixth Annual STEM Conference

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May 31, 2017, 11:30 ET

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly 1,000 of the country's top leaders in education, industry, policy and the nonprofit world gathered for the sixth annual STEM Solutions National Leadership conference in San Diego, May 24-26, 2017.

Each year, U.S. News & World Report, publisher of the Best STEM High Schools, Best STEM Jobs and Parent's Guide to STEM, convenes business and government leaders, scientists, technology experts, nonprofit organizers and educators to spotlight promising programs and solutions that address the biggest challenges in STEM education and workforce development.

"America has over 2 million unfilled jobs requiring skills in science, technology, engineering and math," said Brian Kelly, Editor and Chief Content Officer of U.S. News and the chair of the conference. "Through the STEM conference, we have created an active community working to build the country's STEM workforce from the ground up, fill STEM jobs and create new ones. Our economic future depends on the success of many of the people who attend this conference."

Conference highlights included the opening keynote panel with the leaders of Dartmouth College, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, and the University of Washington on "The STEM Revolution in Higher Education."

On day two of the conference, U.S. News showcased how Maker Cities – communities that align all of their resources to develop and connect skilled workers with jobs of the future – are the next iteration of the STEM movement. Peter Hirshberg, Founder of the Maker City project, and Dale Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of Maker Media, Inc. and Founder of MAKE: Magazine and Maker Faire, appeared together in a special keynote session. U.S. News also announced its new Maker City section on usnews.com, showcasing some of the most forward-thinking localities that are redefining what it means to be a 21st-century city. The new section will include op-eds, articles and photos about efforts underway to prepare citizens for the new age of American manufacturing.

This year, U.S. News honored five distinguished leaders in education, industry and philanthropy as part of the U.S. News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame. The class of 2017 includes Ursula Burns, Chairman of Xerox Corporation; Susan Hockfield, Ph.D., President Emerita of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and President of AAAS; Ioannis N. Miaoulis, Ph.D., President and Director of the Museum of Science, Boston; Ellen Ochoa, Ph.D., Director of NASA's Johnson Space Center; and Andrew N. Liveris, Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company. Award recipients discussed how to ignite a passion for STEM in young people.

The conference concluded with a special San Diego-focused program on Friday, including several breakout sessions and a closing keynote panel featuring several San Diego-based industry leaders and educators, who discussed successful STEM initiatives in this vibrant, cutting-edge community.

The conference is supported by more than 40 engaged corporations, foundations and nonprofits, including corporate sponsors CH2M, JetBlue, Qualcomm, Ford, Dow Chemical, Office Depot, Monsanto, Northrop Grumman and more. Organizations including AVID, Biocom, CONNECT, Expanding Your Horizons, Fleet Science Center, the New York Academy of Science and the San Diego East County Economic Development Council supported the conference as well.

The 2018 conference will take place in Washington, D.C., in the spring. For more details and updates, please visit http://usnewsstemsolutions.com/updates/.

For conference highlights as well as articles, op-eds and videos on STEM, visit USNews.com/STEM.

U.S. News STEM Solutions
The U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference is focused on improving America's science, technology, engineering and math skills. Produced by U.S. News & World Report, the conference highlights STEM issues on a national stage and assembles major corporations, leading educators and top policymakers to find solutions to the STEM crisis. The seventh annual conference will take place in Washington, D.C., in 2018. For more details and updates, please visit http://usnewsstemsolutions.com/updates/.

U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, usnews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 30 million people visit usnews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report