Former Astronaut and CEO of National Initiative to Reimagine STEM Education at NJIT Forum
Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr., CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) and the first African-American astronaut to complete a space walk, will reimagine STEM education at NJIT’s annual STEM School Leadership Forum.
The forum, organized by the university’s Center for Pre-College Programs, will take place online Oct. 8. The two-hour event will feature remarks from NJIT President Joel S. Bloom and School Engagement Advisor Barbara Weller and an interview with Harris by Jacqueline L. Cusack, executive director of pre-college programs. It starts at 10 a.m.
Harris has dedicated decades to STEM education, most recently through NMSI, which helps school systems break down barriers to access, creates sustainable practices that support all students, trains teachers to deliver culturally responsive learning and raises awareness and affinity for the power of STEM education. While at NASA, Harris researched musculoskeletal physiology and clinical investigations of space adaptation and helped develop in-flight medical devices that enabled astronauts to extend their time in space.
The forum aims to help leaders in K-12 education forge new pathways in STEM curricula and programming. Previous forums explored expanding content and identifying funding sources to support innovation. They also included presentations from students in NJIT's Dr. Bernard Harris STEM Summer Camp and university academic leaders, including Moshe Kam, dean of the Newark College of Engineering, and David Fisher, professor of practice in Forensic Science.
To register for the 2020 forum, please contact Barbara Weller by email or phone at weller@njit.edu or 973-596-5492.
About the Center for Pre-College Programs
The Center for Pre-College Programs is designed to increase access to STEM fields among pre-college-age students, especially those who are traditionally underrepresented and underserved. More specifically, it seeks to improve the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in secondary and elementary schools by offering programs and services to more than 3,000 students in grades 4-12. In addition, the center enables high school students to take credit-bearing, college-level courses at NJIT and hosts several STEM competitions annually.
About NMSI
NMSI’s work creates increased opportunities and better outcomes for all students, contributing to the foundation of anti-racism, social justice, economic prosperity and national security. The non-profit engages with school systems based on local priorities and uses evidenced-based programming and constantly evolving best practices. NMSI focuses on the ecosystem, engaging communities and families and changing leadership mindsets and local practices to embed equity into NMSI schools. Learn more at nms.org.
About NJIT
One of only 32 polytechnic universities in the United States, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT’s multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. NJIT is one of only 131 universities rated an “R1” research university by the Carnegie Classification®, which indicates the highest level of research activity. NJIT conducts more than $160 million in research activity each year and has a $2.8 billion annual economic impact on the State of New Jersey. NJIT is ranked No. 1 nationally by Forbes for the upward economic mobility of its lowest-income students and is ranked in the top 100 colleges and universities nationally for the mid-career earnings of graduates, according to PayScale.com. NJIT also is ranked third in New Jersey and 74th among colleges and universities nationwide by the QS World University Ranking® 2020.
