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In Memoriam

Could Future Computers Run on Human Brain Cells?

STEMTechnology

textures and design elements on the subject of virtual reality, science, education and modern technology

By Roberto Molar Candanosa

A “biocomputer” powered by human brain cells could be developed within our lifetime, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers who expect such technology to exponentially expand the capabilities of modern computing and create novel fields of study.

The team outlines their plan for “organoid intelligence” in the journal “Frontiers in Science.”

“Computing and artificial intelligence have been driving the technology revolution, but they are reaching a ceiling,” said Thomas Hartung, a professor of environmental health sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Whiting School of Engineering who is spearheading the work. “Biocomputing is an enormous effort of compacting computational power and increasing its efficiency to push past our current technological limits.”

For nearly two decades, scientists have used tiny organoids, lab-grown tissue resembling fully grown organs, to experiment on kidneys, lungs and other organs without resorting to human or animal testing. More recently, Hartung and colleagues at Johns Hopkins have been working with brain organoids, orbs the size of a pen dot with neurons and other features that promise to sustain basic functions like learning and remembering.

“This opens up research on how the human brain works,” Hartung said. “Because you can start manipulating the system, doing things you cannot ethically do with human brains.”

Hartung began to grow and assemble brain cells into functional organoids in 2012 using cells from human skin samples reprogrammed into an embryonic stem cell-like state. Each organoid contains about 50,000 cells, about the size of a fruit fly’s nervous system. He now envisions building a futuristic computer with such brain organoids.

In the next decade, computers that run on this “biological hardware” could begin to alleviate energy-consumption demands of supercomputing that are becoming increasingly unsustainable, Hartung said. Even though computers process calculations involving numbers and data faster than humans, brains are much smarter in making complex logical decisions, like telling a dog from a cat.

“The brain is still unmatched by modern computers,” Hartung said. “Frontier, the latest supercomputer in Kentucky, is a $600 million, 6,800-square-foot installation. Only in June of last year, it exceeded for the first time the computational capacity of a single human brain—but using a million times more energy.”

It might take decades before organoid intelligence can power a system as smart as a mouse, Hartung said. But by scaling up the production of brain organoids and training them with artificial intelligence, he foresees a future where biocomputers support superior computing speed, processing power, data efficiency and storage capabilities.

Thomas Hartung with brain organoids in his lab at the JohnsHopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health — Thomas Hartung with brain organoids in his lab at the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“It will take decades before we achieve the goal of something comparable to any type of computer,” Hartung said. “But if we don’t start creating funding programs for this, it will be much more difficult.”

Organoid intelligence could also revolutionize drug testing research for neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegeneration, said Lena Smirnova, a Johns Hopkins assistant professor of environmental health and engineering who co-leads the investigations.

“We want to compare brain organoids from typically developed donors versus brain organoids from donors with autism,” Smirnova said. “The tools we are developing toward biological computing are the same tools that will allow us to understand changes in neuronal networks specific for autism, without having to use animals or to access patients. So, we can understand the underlying mechanisms of why patients have these cognition issues and impairments.”

To assess the ethical implications of working with organoid intelligence, a diverse consortium of scientists, bioethicists and members of the public have been embedded within the team.

Source: Johns Hopkins University

Application Open: STEM Scholarship for Black Women

EducationSTEM

Young Happy Black Woman Looking at Camera and Smiling. Using Laptop Computer in STEM class

BestColleges is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for our inaugural scholarship opportunity for Black Women in STEM.

This scholarship is part of BestColleges’ ongoing commitment to supporting students, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, by providing them with opportunities for success. Black women remain underrepresented in STEM fields, despite the growing demand for talent in these industries.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to participate in the scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Must be a Black woman who is pursuing a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree at a four-year college or university
Provide one letter of recommendation
Write a 500-word essay that describes their interests and motivations for pursuing a career in STEM

All essay submissions should be sent: https://www.bestcolleges.com/scholarship/

To find out more about our scholarship opportunity, please visit our official scholarship page

Grow a Robot: The Future of Engineering

STEMTechnology

University of Minnesota Twin Cities materials science graduate student Matthew Hausladen works with a soft growing robot in Professor Chris Ellison’s polymer lab.

An interdisciplinary team of University of Minnesota Twin Cities scientists and engineers has developed a first-of-its-kind, plant-inspired extrusion process that enables synthetic material growth. The new approach will allow researchers to build better soft robots that can navigate hard-to-reach places, complicated terrain and potentially areas within the human body.

The paper is published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” (PNAS), a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary, high-impact scientific journal.

“This is the first time these concepts have been fundamentally demonstrated,” said Chris Ellison, a lead author of the paper and professor in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. “Developing new ways of manufacturing are paramount for the competitiveness of our country and for bringing new products to people. On the robotic side, robots are being used more and more in dangerous, remote environments and these are the kinds of areas where this work could have an impact.”

Soft robotics is an emerging field where robots are made of soft, pliable materials as opposed to rigid ones. Soft growing robots can create new material and “grow” as they move. These machines could be used for operations in remote areas where humans can’t go, such as inspecting or installing tubes underground or navigating inside the human body for biomedical applications.

Current soft growing robots drag a trail of solid material behind them and can use heat and/or pressure to transform that material into a more permanent structure, much like how a 3D printer is fed solid filament to produce its shaped product. However, the trail of solid material gets more difficult to pull around bends and turns, making it hard for the robots to navigate terrain with obstacles or winding paths.

The University of Minnesota team solved this problem by developing a new means of extrusion, a process where material is pushed through an opening to create a specific shape. Using this new process allows the robot to create its synthetic material from a liquid instead of a solid.

“We were really inspired by how plants and fungi grow,” said Matthew Hausladen, first author of the paper and a PhD student in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. “We took the idea that plants and fungi add material at the end of their bodies, either at their root tips or at their new shoots and we translated that to an engineering system.”

Plants use water to transport the building blocks that get transformed into solid roots as the plant grows outward. The researchers were able to mimic this process with synthetic material using a technique called photopolymerization, which uses light to transform liquid monomers into a solid material. Using this technology, the soft robot can more easily navigate obstacles and winding paths without having to drag any solid material behind it.

This new process also has applications in manufacturing. Since the researchers’ technique only uses liquid and light, operations that use heat, pressure and expensive machinery to create and shape materials might not be needed.

“A very important part of this project is that we have material scientists, chemical engineers and robotic engineers all involved,” Ellison said. “By putting all of our different expertise together, we really brought something unique to this project and I’m confident that not one of us could have done this alone. This is a great example of how collaboration enables scientists to address really hard fundamental problems while also having a technological impact.”

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Photo: University of Minnesota Twin Cities materials science graduate student Matthew Hausladen works with a soft growing robot in Professor Chris Ellison’s polymer lab. (Olivia Hultgren, Eureka Alert)

Source: University of Minnesota

You Deserve to Be There: My Top 5 Tips for Women Majoring in STEM

Diversity in STEMSTEM

three diverse young women walking to class

By Katerina Freedman

Entering college as a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) major can be scary. You’re thrown into a new environment where the introductory classes are challenging and where you’re surrounded by tons of unfamiliar people.

Even less discussed, though, are the challenges women in STEM face. Female students make up a small percentage of STEM majors, including computer science — my own major.

As a whole, the STEM culture can be unwelcoming to women. According to a report by the American Association of University Women, women make up just 28% of the STEM workforce.

The gender gap is particularly bad in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs of the future, including many positions in computer science and engineering. This “boy’s club” culture often leaves women feeling like outsiders, leading them to drop out of STEM programs at alarming rates.

As a woman in STEM, I’ve faced impostor syndrome, unwelcoming environments, and blatant sexism — but I’ve learned how to succeed in spite of these barriers. Here are my top five pieces of advice for women majoring in STEM.

Tip 1: Know You Deserve to Be There

My first piece of advice is to understand you belong and that you deserve to be in that STEM class or STEM major just as much as anyone else does. Your peers might talk with incredible confidence, but it’s often puffy-chest hearsay, so don’t let that freak you out.

There can be a lot of pressure going into STEM as a woman. Although I grew up with an engineering background and initially felt confident in becoming a computer scientist, I developed impostor syndrome and attribute most of that feeling to the environment I entered.

In my first computer science class in college, only five out of 50 students were women, including myself. Despite knowing there was a lack of women in my major, I’d expected a ratio of 40 women to 60 men — not 10:90.

Moreover, I had peers, both with and without a computer science background, complaining about our projects and classwork being too easy — and here I was having to spend a lot of time finishing them.

“In my first computer science class in college, only five out of 50 students were women, including myself. … I’d expected a ratio of 40 women to 60 men — not 10:90.”

Another thing that affected my confidence was hearing comments like, “It’s really cool you’re doing computing as a woman.” Hearing this — when I felt my gender identity was not a factor in choosing my major — exacerbated my impostor syndrome even more. Perhaps I wasn’t smart enough or didn’t have the “right” brain for computing. Maybe I didn’t belong in this major.

My professor had told me that women tend to drop out of my school’s computer science program at a rate 150% higher than that for men, despite having equal or higher grades. At the time, I was ranked in the top 20% of my class and was consistently scoring 90-100% on the same projects my peers were averaging just 70-80% on. Despite that impostor feeling, I was doing well.

Women often feel the pressure to excel in order to feel like they belong, but it’s perfectly OK to perform averagely in class. If men can be average and still feel welcomed, you can, too. Most people are average!

It can be scary being in the minority, but you have earned that spot in class and should have the same opportunity to succeed, no matter your background or identity.

Tip 2: Find Allies

My second piece of advice is to get involved and find your people.

By far, the best decision I made at the beginning of college was to sit next to the other four women in my first computing class. Three out of five of us stayed in the computer science track, and our little-but-mighty support group was extremely helpful in those starting days.

I also joined a club called Association for Gender Inclusion in Computing. This group helped me find peers who used she/they pronouns, as well as other students from historically excluded groups who could understand the struggles of trying to survive the boys-club culture of STEM.

Lastly, I made many connections with people who didn’t experience sexism themselves — and who were even part of the problem unknowingly at times — but who were open to learning and changing to make the STEM culture more equitable, open, and welcoming.

Tip 3: Connect With a Faculty Member

Building a relationship with a trustworthy instructor is one of the smartest things you can do as a woman in STEM.

First off, most professors have spent time in the industry and have tons of connections. They can also provide great recommendation letters for work and school and are an excellent source for helping new students get involved in their STEM program.

Furthermore, your STEM professors can create a safe environment that lets you comfortably express concerns about sexism in your program. During my time in college, I had two professors I could tell my problems to. Both took action, whether it was to escalate an issue or make changes to how they were running their classrooms to be more inclusive.

Professors can be intimidating, but the best ones want you to succeed and will take measures to make sure your environment allows for that.

Tip 4: Report Sexism When You See It

If a student is making you feel unsafe or attacked based on your identity, report them. I was so nervous to report people at the beginning of my college career, thinking it was an overreaction or not worth anyone’s time.

But if another student is harassing you due to your identity, they are likely causing problems for others as well. This harassment can affect your grades and well-being, and you owe it to yourself and to others to put an end to it.

I once had a peer tell me I didn’t need to try in school and should stop taking up my professors’ office hours because every company would want me as a diversity hire, while he had to “actually work for that same position.”

This type of statement is invalidating to any student: being told your efforts will have nothing to do with any of your success down the line. Statistically, men are hired at higher rates than women and make up the majority of the STEM workforce.

So not only was what that student said completely sexist, but it was also false information he was helping to spread into the major’s cultural bias against women. Despite him telling me this multiple times a week, I convinced myself it wasn’t big enough to report, once again doing what women often do: making myself feel smaller to fit into men’s space.

“Not only was what that student said completely sexist, but it was also false information he was helping to spread. … I convinced myself it wasn’t big enough to report, once again doing what women often do: making myself feel smaller to fit into men’s space.”

I later learned this student spread a rumor that a friend of mine was sleeping with a professor for good grades. The professor frequently met with my friend during office hours, and she had one of the highest grades in the class.

But instead of simply assuming she was a hardworking student, he labeled her “too stupid” to earn such results. My friend had the same mindset as me at the time, so she didn’t report him. We both still regret that.

Years later, I told a faculty member about these interactions in a discussion about the sexism women have experienced in our computer science program. They, too, regretted that we didn’t report these people.

You might run into men like this student I dealt with, and even if you convince yourself the problem is small and more annoying than hurtful, it’s best to let a professor know. Most faculty members don’t want people like that destroying their STEM program.

And if you have a problem with a professor, you can and should report them as well. Most programs offer anonymous reporting so students can report without unintended consequences. It’s almost always better to report and risk having nothing come of it than to regret letting people get away with such sexist behavior.

If you have a story to tell, learn what the process looks like and how to write it.

Tip 5: Don’t Burn Yourself Out Trying to Educate Everyone

My last piece of advice is to avoid trying to educate everyone on their oppressive behavior. It’s a learned skill to recognize who will be responsive and willing to make changes — and those who will not.

During my first couple of years in college, I’d call out everyone on passive and blatant sexism, especially in the presence of other women. In retrospect, I should have reported or ignored the people saying these things in most situations.

Unfortunately, hearing sexist statements is a daily occurrence in many STEM programs. Disguised as encouraging, many of these statements are rooted in internalized misogyny. This verbiage contributes to much of the impostor syndrome experienced by women.

All this is to say, put your studies first — it’s not your job to educate everyone on how to not be sexist. Taking the time with allies to understand the issues and encouraging them to call others out on their sexist behavior can help bring about a cultural shift. But trying to educate individual students is not any one person’s job and can burn you out fast.

Ultimately, school comes first. Making use of clubs and other organizations for mass education may be more effective in helping to build a better, more inclusive STEM culture for women.

Explore more college resources at BestColleges.com

Diversity Alliance for Science Wraps Up Another Successful Sold-Out Conference

BusinessDiversity in STEMTechnology

group of conference attendees with Diversity Alliance for Science Banner in background

Diversity Alliance for Science (DA4S) is a leading life science organization focused on supplier diversity, bringing together like-minded corporations and suppliers to advance equity and inclusion in the life science/health care global supply chain.

The East Coast Conference, held May 2-4 in Newark, New Jersey, featured top-level pharmaceutical executives and CEOs of diverse scientific and clinical enterprises. Over the past 16 years, DA4S has been a wonderful opportunity to foster effective, mutually beneficial partnerships between diverse suppliers and big pharma, biotech, med device and health care companies.

DA4S events are designed to bring everyone together through educational programs, keynote and guest speakers, as well as ample networking opportunities. This year’s theme for the conference was “Resilient, Bold and Strong,” and keynote speakers brought the attendees amazing content on this theme.

On day one, motivational speaker Bruce Turkel inspired the audience with ways to uncover creative solutions and messaging strategies that can future-proof their brands in a world of constant disruptive upheaval, and how to turn the lens around and focus relentlessly on your customer. He brought the house down using his harmonica as a tool for emphasis—everyone enjoyed the fun. Day two brought us the incomparable Pauline Nguyen and her story of survival and resilience. Calling herself a “spiritual entrepreneur,” Nguyen, as the owner of the Red Lantern restaurant in Australia and author of several books, uplifted the audience to lead with their heart and mind.

five conference attendees wearing a shared orange cape — Photo by Mike Tabolsky Photography Galleries

The conference showcased the mentoring program standouts in a live pitch competition. The eight finalists pitched their innovative ideas to a panel of judges live on stage! The Elevate Black Showcase event included a special matchmaking session with corporate buyers for all BBE members in the program. The roundtable session brought corporate members and suppliers the opportunity to connect and engage. And the signature “Eight That Innovate” was again a unique opportunity for suppliers to demonstrate how they use novel ideas to drive value. These, along with many other opportunities for networking, gave members a chance to connect.

This year, DA4S launched a new supplier partnerships group called “SPIRAL” to a packed room of member suppliers for discussions on best practices for entrepreneurs, networking opportunities and educational sessions run by DA4S members.

Stay tuned for registration information for our West Coast Conference on Sept. 12-14 in Laguna Beach, California.

If you would like to hear more about DA4S corporate or supplier member benefits, please reach out to [email protected].

Billionaire Robert Hale Gave Grads $1,000 Cash In Envelopes At Ceremony

EducationSTEM

Billionaire Robert Hale doled out millions of dollars recently to 2,500 graduates at the University of Massachusetts, Boston — giving each one $1,000 in cash as they accepted their diplomas—the latest billionaire donation for students, as the price of tuition skyrockets.

Hale, the commencement speaker at UMass Boston, gave students two envelopes that each contained $500, the Boston Globe reported.

The billionaire co-founder and CEO of Granite Telecommunications told seniors to keep one of the envelopes for themselves, and donate the other to a charity of their choice, calling it a “gift of giving”—though whether they donate the money is up to them.

For Hale, the sudden loss of $2.5 million only represents a drop in the bucket of his $5 billion net worth, according to Forbes’ valuation.

It’s also his second time giving college graduates cash: Hale in 2021 handed $1,000 to all 270 graduating students who attended their commencement address at Quincy College, several miles outside Boston.

$15,535. That’s how much in-state students pay per year in tuition and mandatory fees at UMass Boston, a predominantly commuter school, according to the school’s bursar’s office. For out-of-state students, one year at UMass Boston costs $37,211, just below the average price of tuition at a private college in the U.S. ($37,600, according to the National Center for Education Statistics), and well below the price of Columbia University, the school with the most expensive college tuition in the country ($69,986).

Read the full article posted on Forbes here.

College Majors With the Best Return on Investment

EducationSTEM

female collge grad in cap and gown opening champagne

By Cole Claybourn, U.S. News & World Report

Engineering and health-care majors top the list for ROI.

It’s no secret that college is expensive.

Both private and public institutions ranked by U.S. News saw tuition increases for the 2022-2023 academic year, according to data submitted in an annual survey. Average tuition and fees at ranked private universities was about $40,000, while ranked public universities cost nearly $23,000 for out-of-state students and $10,500 for in-state students.

In turn, the average student loan debt continues to rise, currently clocking in at about $30,000 per borrower, according to U.S. News data.

Though students may encounter difficulties paying for it, college is a worthwhile investment when done wisely, experts say. In 2021, the median weekly wage for full-time workers age 25 and older who had at least a bachelor’s degree was $1,334, compared to $809 for those with only a high school diploma and no college, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What a student studies can further affect the calculation. Certain degrees yield a better return on investment than others, according to data from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known collectively as STEM, the data shows, are among those with the highest ROI.

“STEM careers continue to offer highly competitive salaries in the job market,” Jackson Gruver, a data analyst at online salary database Payscale, wrote in an email. “These ‘hot’ jobs rely on specialized skill sets that are hard to come by. Such talent scarcity drives up the demand for these workers along with their pay. Whether it’s engineering, medical or data sciences – these laborers will see an abundance of opportunities in the job market that compensate well.”

Georgetown’s CEW analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard to determine a list of 34 degrees with the highest ROI. It uses four categories to determine which degrees hold the most economic value: median monthly earnings net of debt, median monthly debt payments, median annualized earnings net of debt, and median debt.

Read the complete article and more STEM news on U.S. News & World Report here.

Post Malone Calls NASA Astronauts in Space for Earth Day

EntertainmentscienceTechnology

post malone speaking remotely with astronauts

In a special Earth Day conversation, artist and music producer Post Malone spoke with NASA astronauts Steve Bowen and Woody Hoburg, who are currently living and working on the International Space Station.

Malone chatted with the astronauts about their favorite views from the orbiting laboratory, how their unique perspective changed how they see Earth, and what makes our home special.

The space station is an orbiting laboratory traveling at a speed of 17,500 mph (25,000 kph), completing one trip around Earth about every 90 minutes. Crew members carry out research and conduct thousands of experiments that have contributed to medical and social benefits on our home planet, allowing us to find new ways to combat disease and develop technologies to deliver clean water to remote communities in need.

Click to view on YouTube!

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10 Women Scientists Leading the Fight Against the Climate Crisis

scienceSTEAMSTEM

Rose Mutiso speaks at TEDSummit: A Community Beyond Borders. July 2019, Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo: Bret Hartman / TED | Flickr/TED Conference

By Tshiamo Mobe, Global Citizen

Climate change is an issue that affects everyone on the planet but women and girls are the ones suffering its effects the most. Why? Because women and girls have less access to quality education and later, job opportunities. These structural disadvantages keep them in poverty. In fact, women make up 70% of the world’s poor. In a nutshell, climate change impacts the poor the most and the poor are mostly women.

Poverty driven by and made worse by climate change also makes girls more susceptible to child marriage, because it drives hunger and girls getting married often means one less mouth to feed for their parents. Climate change also leads to geopolitical instability which, in turn, results in greater instances of violence — which we know disproportionately impacts women and girls.

Ironically, saving the planet has been made to seem a “women’s job”. This phenomenon, dubbed the “eco gender gap”, sees the burden of climate responsibility placed squarely on women’s shoulders through “green” campaigns and products that are overwhelmingly marketed to women.

There are several hypotheses for why this is. Firstly, women are the more powerful consumers (they drive 70-80% of all purchasing decisions). Secondly, they are disproportionately responsible, still, for the domestic sphere. And finally, going green is seen as a women’s job because women’s personalities are supposedly more nurturing and socially responsible.

Women should be involved in fighting the climate crisis at every level — from the kitchen to the science lab to the boardroom. Ruth Bader Ginsburg explained it best when she said: “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” However, women are underrepresented in the science field (including climate science), with just 30% of research positions held by women and fewer still holding senior positions. The Reuters Hot List of 1,000 scientists features just 122 women.

Having more women climate scientists could allow for an increased emphasis on understanding and providing solutions for some of the most far-reaching implications of climate change. Diversity in background and experiences allows for different perspectives. More perspectives allow for different research questions to arise or even a different approach to the same question.

There are, however, women all over the world in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) that have made some incredible strides in the fight against the climate crisis, from fire-resistant coating to protect places prone to wildfires, to a water-storing park for a region usually overwhelmed by floods. Here are just some of the world’s incredible women scientists leading the way on tackling the climate crisis.

Click here to read the full article on Global Citizen.

The 10 Best STEM Schools

STEM

a teacher sits with student going over paperwork together

As 2023 has arrived, you may be looking to take the next big step in your STEM education journey. While specific needs will differ from person to person, knowing which schools are the best for a STEM education can be a great start.

Here are the top STEM schools of the last year:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, most popularly referred to as MIT, is a private land-grant research university. The school is best known for its key role in the development of modern technology and science.

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Average Tuition: $74,500 without grants, $21,100 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Graduation Rate: 94%
Notable Alumni: Apollo 11 Astronaut: Buzz Aldrin; Economics Nobel laureate: Esther Duflo; CEO of General Motors: Alfred P. Sloan

Georgia Institute of Technology: The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, is a public research university and institute of technology. Their specialty is in science and technology, but they are additionally recognized as an elite institution for computer science, engineering and business.

Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Average Tuition: $30,600 without grants, $18,400 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 21%
Graduation Rate: 87%
Notable Alumni: President Jimmy Carter; Nobel Prize in Chemistry Winner: Kary Mullis; CEO of Earthlink: Charles “Garry” Betty

California Institute of Technology: The California Institute of Technology, also known as Caltech, is a private research university known for its specialties in science and engineering. Caltech is ranked among the best academic institutions in the world and is among the most selective in the U.S.

Location: Pasadena, California
Average Tuition: $79,900 without grants, $28,100 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 6%
Graduation Rate: 92%
Notable Alumni: Father of Silicon Valley: William Shockley; Co-founder of JPL: Qian Xuesen; Director of NSF: France A. Córdova

Harvey Mudd College: Harvey Mudd College is an American private college in Claremont, California focused on science and engineering. The school produces graduates who earn the highest mid-career salaries of any college or university in the country.

Location: Claremont, California
Average Tuition: $81,800 without grants, $39,300 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 14%
Graduation Rate: 92%
Notable Alumni: Co-inventor of SQL: Donald D. Chamberlain; Former US Ambassador to Israel: Richard H. Jones; Esports commentator and game designer: Sean “Day9” Plott

Stanford University: Stanford University is a private research university and one of the top-ranking universities in the world. Though they have many specialties, they are known for their graduate programs in law, medicine, education and business.

Location: Stanford, California
Average Tuition: $80,400 without grants, $21,100 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 4%
Graduation Rate: 94%
Notable Alumni: President John F. Kennedy; Astronaut Mae Jemison; Co-creator of the internet: Vint Cerf

University of California, Berkeley: A founding member of the Association of American Universities, UC Berkeley is a public land-grant research university. As one of the top universities in the country, Berkley hosts many leading research institutes dedicated to science, engineering and mathematics.

Location: Berkeley, California
Average Tuition: $42,700 without grants, $20,400 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 16%
Graduation Rate: 92%
Notable Alumni: Co-founder of Apple Computer: Steve Wozniak; Astronaut Leroy Chiao; Nobel laureate in Physics and former Secretary of Energy: Steven Chu

University of California, San Diego: UC San Diego is a public land-grant research university specializing in medicine and oceanography. The school is home to the region’s only academic health system, UC San Diego Health.

Location: La Jolla, California
Average Tuition: $36,300 without grants, $16,100 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 31%
Graduation Rate: 86%
Notable Alumni: Philanthropist and GoPro Founder: Nick Woodman; Nobel Prize Winner in Medicine: Susumu Tonegawa; Professor and Political Activist: Angela Davis

Texas A&M University-College Station: Texas A&M is a public land-grant research university and senior military college. They are home to one of the largest student bodies in the United States and hold simultaneous designations as a land, sea and space grant institution.

Location: College Station, Texas
Average Tuition: $32,300 without grants, $21,000 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 58%
Graduation Rate: 82%
Notable Alumni: Former US Secretary of Energy: Ricky Perry; Mechanical engineer and first woman to be chief flight director at NASA: Holly Ridings; CEO of U.S. Wal-Mart Stores: Eduardo Castro-Wright

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, or UIUC for short, is a public land-grant research university. Besides producing several Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners, UIUC is home to the second-largest university library in the country and the fastest supercomputer on a university campus. They are also home to Research Park, an innovation center for some of the biggest start-ups and corporations in the country.

Location: Champaign, Illinois
Average Tuition: $32,000 without grants, $14,300 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 59%
Graduation Rate: 84%
Notable Alumni: Double Nobel prize winner in Physics: John Bardeen; Paypal Creator: Max Levchin; YouTube Founders: Steve Chen and Jawed Karim

University of Michigan: The University of Michigan is a public research university consisting of nineteen colleges and degrees in 250 disciplines. They specialize in architecture and urban planning, business, medicine, law, public policy, pharmacy, social work, public health and dentistry. The school has produced over 250 high-level government officials such as senators, cabinet secretaries and governors.

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Average Tuition: $32,000 without grants, $14,300 with grants
Acceptance Rate: 23%
Graduation Rate: 92%
Notable Alumni: Former United States Secretary of Agriculture: Julius Sterling Morton; Boeing co-founder: Edgar Nathaniel Gott; Founder of the Swarm Corporation and “Father of Artificial Life”: Chris Langton

Sources: Money.com, College Avenue Student Loans, Wikipedia

Taking on Diversity in Tech with Daleele Alison

BusinessDiversity in STEMTechnology

Daleele Alison likes to help others stop wasting time doing tasks that don’t provide direct value to their clients. He is a technology professional, entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of RooksDM, a technology consulting group that helps alleviate pain points for small to midsize companies by using the right technology. Alison has worked as a consultant, business analyst and project manager for Fortune 500 companies to SMBs.

Diversity in STEAM Magazine (DISM) spoke with Alison about his company, the role diversity plays in tech and more on his participation in NMSDC’s Emerging Young Entrepreneurs cohort.

DISM: What have you seen businesses struggle with the most when it comes to their technology? How does RooksDM help them? 

Daleele Alison: From our perspective, businesses are excited about adopting new technology. However, when businesses rapidly implement new technology to fix a singular problem, this often becomes a band-aid solution and can lead to a different set of challenges. Many businesses end up with a large number of tech tools that become overwhelming to manage and lead to low user adoption. It’s important for businesses to take a step back and be strategic. At RooksDM, we ask the right questions about technology and processes and dig deep into the core pain points. Rather than simply throwing technology at a problem, we take a holistic approach. Our goal is to implement technology that works together and sets a foundation for scalable growth.

DISM: Do you feel there is diversity within the IT/tech sectors? Why or why not? 

Alison: We have seen progress in diversity within the tech industry. Organizations with targeted initiatives to increase diversity have definitely started to move the needle. It’s exciting to see a shift in the industry, however, there is still a long way to go. It continues to be a challenge for diverse vendors to break into large enterprise corporations. I’m hopeful that through tracking and monitoring vendor diversity, we will see even greater progress in supporting minorities in tech.

DISM: Why was it important for you to participate in NMSDC’s (National Minority Supplier Development Council) Emerging Young Entrepreneurs cohort? What have you learned thus far that is applicable to your own business? 

Alison: The NMSDC’s Emerging Young Entrepreneurs has been an important way for us to learn and network. Through this initiative, we have been able to connect with like-minded colleagues, which has led to advice and potential business growth. The sessions have been invaluable and have expanded my thoughts around marketing, finance and strategy. We are truly grateful to be a part of this community and are looking forward to more opportunities in the future.

DISM: How has being MBE certified through NMSDC leveraged your business’s success? 

Alison: Being MBE certified through NMSDC has given RooksDM access to a much larger community of like-minded businesses. We now have exposure to larger organizations to build our business. We have also built relationships with fellow minority-owned businesses. It has been so valuable to learn from each other and share stories and resources that support business growth. We are also proud to share our certification with current and prospective clients. This certification provides us with additional credibility that supports our conversations with potential clients.

DISM: What advice would you give another minority-owned entrepreneur or business owner just getting started?

Alison: My advice to fellow minority owners is to be intentional about how you spend your time. It’s easy to focus on initiatives that don’t matter or that won’t make an impact. It is critical to have the right people in your network to lean on so you can spend your time where it matters most. For us, spending time building relationships has been a game changer, not just in nurturing prospects but also in strengthening relationships within our industry. Leaning on others in the industry for support and expertise has not only led to referrals but been helpful to our overall growth.

Photo credit: Tori Soper Photography