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STEM education and the rise of female inclusivity

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What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, January 31, 2019:

As men continue to dominate the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the visibility of women in the those professions often goes unseen.

In fact, women make up almost half of the workforce in the United States. But when it comes to STEM-related careers, they quickly become outnumbered by men, making up only 24 percent of Americans in these fields.

Fortunately, the youngest generation of women is making their way up to the top as early, secondary, and post-secondary education programs begin to put a focus on females in STEM.

In Pennsylvania alone, many undergraduate programs are providing ample opportunities for women to establish careers in STEM-related fields. From 2013-2017, there was an 84 percent increase of female students enrolled in STEM courses at Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology. And at institutions like Harrisburg University, more than half of enrolled students are in graduate programs involving analytics, microbiology and “techpreneurship,” with 50 percent of the overall student population being women.

Appearing on Thursday’s Smart Talk to discuss the rise of women in STEM and the potential lack of inclusivity in STEM education is Stephanie Slocum, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Central Pennsylvania representative, Judd Pittman, STEM Advisor for the Department of EducationBeth Teske, Assistant Head of School for Academics and Science Department Chair at Linden Hall School for Girls, and Olivia Bennett, sophomore engineering student, York County School of Technology

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Judd Pittman, Olivia Bennett, Beth Teske, and Stephanie Slocum

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