Pelosi puts spotlight on SF State
March 4, 2011 -- Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi hosted a Capitol Hill forum on SF State's model efforts to graduate highly trained professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), proposed areas of national focus in President Barack Obama's recent State of the Union address.
(From left) Democratic House Leader Pelosi, President Corrigan, Provost Rosser, Professor Domingo, Professor Hsu.
President Robert A. Corrigan and other SF State officials and educators addressed 70 representatives of legislative offices and federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, at the March 3 briefing. The event offered successful models for attracting and retaining students to study STEM fields and enter related professions.
"San Francisco State is a national leader in innovation, standing at the forefront of science and math education and on the cutting edge of new technologies and new industries," Pelosi said. "This university understands fundamental truths about our future: that STEM fields must be open to all; that innovation is key to keeping our nation number one; that our STEM workforce must be prepared to compete and must reflect the beautiful diversity of our city, state and nation."
Joining Pelosi were Rep. Lynn Woolsey and Michael Lach, special assistant for STEM Education at the U.S. Department of Education, who heard from SF State faculty, led by Provost Sue V. Rosser, about ways to close the gap among minorities and women in the STEM professions.
"This isn't just a question of fairness or inclusion or doing the right thing by our children," Woolsey said. "With globalization and technology accelerating at dizzying speeds -- and with China, India and other countries investing heavily in STEM education – it's also the smart economic strategy for our country."
Rosser led a panel discussion, featuring Carmen Domingo, professor of biology and director of SF State's Stem Cell Workforce Training Program, and Eric Hsu, associate professor of mathematics and director of the Center for Science and Math Education.
Share this story:
