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
Spectrum awareness
Pre-college experiences
Innovative College Education
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:
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
Increase Graduate Student and Postdoc Diversity
Goal: At least 50% of NASCE Fellows and Postdocs are from URGs