STEMCAST with Dr. Reagan Flowers

Latest Episodes:

Artist in Exploration: C-STEM Sculpture Challenge Gary Schott, Kinetic Artis Oct 20, 2015

Show notes

Gary studied at the University of Wisconsin and obtained a Masters of Fine Arts from University of Illinois Champaign.

One of Gary’s biggest challenged was learning the administrative aspects to the art world; “you’re trained for the technical aspects of art, not the admin part.

The joy of life creeps into your art making. Gary provides good advice on experiencing life and bringing that into your art. Art can be a way for you to process what happened in life. It can be therapeutic.

One’s quality life can be based on happiness. Think about if you are doing something happy. As a culture, are you doing something to improve the quality of life. I don’t take it lightly that I work with metals. As a maker of objects, I hope they do not end up in the landfills. I try to use objects that do not hurt the Earth.

The objects around us have a story. You can have the community around you to collect and engage. Finding ways to repurpose items instead of throwing them away. Objects have something beyond what you see to the eye.

Success is a work in progress. I feel that I am relatively successful because I’m still doing what I setup to do and I still love it.

Gary is a Resident Artist at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and his currently designing a limited edition piece inspired by his kids.

Civil Engineering: Achieving Great Heights Through the CSTEM Challenge Trisha Frederick, PE, Utility Engineer Oct 19, 2015

Show notes

Trisha Frederick, PE, Utility Engineer for Costello Engineering, a Civil Engineering consulting firm based in Houston, TX. Trisha outlines the path to engineering from obtaining an educational standpoint and career development.

Engineering is the study of failure that creates solutions.

For more information visit http://cstem-break.ning.com/

Ideas Change the World: C-STEM's Innovation Challenge Padma Narayan, PhD, Sr. R&D Manager Oct 19, 2015

Show notes

Padma Narayan, PhD, Sr. R&D Manager outlines the intersection of various science fields that has led to her career path. Early in her career she contributed to the research and development of therapeutic pharmaceuticals. Further mentioning the technology behind our household goods, personal care items, we consume frequently.

From her youth she was challenged by her parents and teachers. Her high school chemistry teacher stated that engineering is the way of the future and it stuck with her throughout her life; " I realized I can diversify and branch off as an engineer."

Narayan concludes emphasizing the importance of mentorship and education. She defines success by achieving realistic goals and finding inner peace.

For more information visit http://cstem.org.

Empowering our Future: C-STEM’s Urban Nexus Youth Challenge Dr. Assata Richards, Sociologist and Economist Oct 19, 2015

Show notes

Dr. Assata Richards provides great insight on the correlation between sociology and STEM on how we need to understand the problems in society; yet preparing our students to become practitioners for advancement. Dr. Richards challenges us with the following questions:

What does education allow you to do for yourself? Family? Community?
How do you learn from the world around you?

Dr. Richards finds fulfillment by stating "I have control over contribution to the lives of others." Knowledge accumulation is key!

For more information visit http://cstem-break.ning.com/.

Engaging Pre K-12 Student's in STEM: The Urban Nexus Challenge Oct 19, 2015

Show notes

STEMCAST is a podcast designed to entertain teachers and students on CSTEM professions. Dr. Reagan Flowers interviews professionals and entrepreneurs from various walks of life on how communication, science, technology, engineering, and math play a vital role in their day-to-day lives.

For more information visit http://cstem-break.ning.com/.