Speakers
Description
Panel Discussion
From Classroom to Career: Building South Dakota's STEM Talent Pipeline
Higher Education Perspective: (Speaker: Ashley Podhradsky) How should South Dakota's higher-education institutions evolve to prepare students for STEM careers that are changing rapidly? Address the university's role in creating a talent pipeline—not simply educating students but connecting education → research → experiential learning → industry → careers.
K-12/Student Pathways Perspective: (Speaker: Ben Saylor) How do we get more young South Dakotans to see themselves in STEM, particularly students in rural and underserved communities, and create pathways that carry that interest from K–12 into college and careers? Building early STEM interest, supporting educators, reaching rural students and creating K–12-to-college STEM pathways.
Employer Perspective: (Speaker: TBD) What employers actually need, and what they need education to do differently. What does an engineering and technology employer need from graduates, and how can employers become more involved in developing that talent before students graduate?
Student Perspective: (Speaker: Katie Pedneau) The Student Experience: Navigating the STEM Pathway. What does that pathway actually look like from the student’s perspective? What experiences make the biggest difference, and what barriers or gaps make it harder to navigate? How did you become interested in STEM? Who or what opened doors for you? How did you find internships, research or other experiential opportunities? What has helped you understand possible careers? What do you wish you had known earlier? What could universities, employers and K–12 educators do differently?