Education and Workforce Development (EWD)

 

Leads: S.Basagni & E. Bernal Mor
Contributors: J. Chamberland, C. Duggan, I. Guvenc, A. Madanayake, M. Marcus, K. Narayanan, and J. Ruyle

Goal: NASCE will train a new generation of professionals with interdisciplinary expertise on “everything spectrum.” The NASCE EWD plan includes outreach and research opportunities for middle/high school students, undergraduate and graduate research and curriculum, lifelong learning for professionals, and a public awareness campaign through public art, with a clearly articulated effort to broaden participation of underrepresented groups.

Focus: Spectrum technology and policies will have an unprecedented impact on job creation:

  • 5 million jobs in the next 15 years

  • Affecting 100% of the national economy

  • National imperative to increase the pipeline

  • Engage underrepresented groups

Outcomes: To develop spectrum awareness & a diverse, identifiable spectrum workforce.

Awareness and Engagement: Need to form next generation of spectrum engineers, scientists and technologists:

  • Convergent research skills

  • Diverse backgrounds

  • Relevant professional competencies

Adapt Academic Programs: Current EE and CS programs lack the diversity of topics necessary to master “everything spectrum.” There is a need to cover from new technologies to policy to sustainable usage .

The NASCE “K-to-Gray” Vision

 

Intentionally-designed activities in support of two overarching outcomes

 

  1. Spectrum awareness

    • Pre-college experiences

    • Innovative College Education

  2. Diverse, identifiable spectrum workforce

    • Industry collaboration and spectrum management training

    • Engaging the public in spectrum science

Broadening Participation Plans: From Pledge to Practice

 

Objectives: NASCE broadening participation (BP) objectives, tied directly to EWD goals, are to: (1) increase awareness of spectrum in communities with large numbers of residents from underrepresented groups (URGs), and (2) have representation of URGs within the identified spectrum workforce that is on par with, or greater than, their representation in the U.S. population.

Focus: NASCE will target the specific involvement of URGs at all levels of the organization (outreach, education, research and leadership) through two interwoven BP activities. BP activities will be coordinated by a team including EWD lead Basagni and Duggan working with Richard Harris, Director of NU’s Program in Multicultural Engineering and recipient of the NSBE 2019 Golden Torch Award, and site PIs, especially from the four NASCE academic partners that are MSIs (FIU, TTU, UCSB, UO) and the three that are pursuing MSI designation (TAMU, UCB, UT). They will partner with districts (see letters) such as Boston Public Schools, one of the most diverse school districts in the nation: 75% of students are from URGs, 72% are economically disadvantaged, 21% have a disability. Similarly, partner Maynard H. Jackson Jr. High School has an URG enrollment of 91% and 100% of students are economically disadvantaged, and partner Massachusetts Bay Community College is 39% students of color. Other partners (see letters) include the ”50K Coalition” and the societies serving women (SWE), Native Americans (AISES), African Americans (NSBE) and Hispanics (SHPE).

Activities:

  1. Increase engagement with pre-college students from URGs

    • Goal 1: At least 50% of Young Scholars are from URGs

    • Goal 2: At least 50% of field trips are from schools with large URG populations

    • Goal 3: At least 75% of teachers participating in PD experiences are from pre-college partners with large URG populations

  2. Increase Graduate Student and Postdoc Diversity

    • Goal: At least 50% of NASCE Fellows and Postdocs are from URGs