JANS – The American Heart Association, Metro Jackson, a global force for a world of healthier lives for all, will host their first STEM Goes Red experience, presented by Ergon, to inspire and empower Jackson public middle school girls to pursue a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), and arm them with tools and resources to pursue their dreams and live healthy lives. Students will hear from industry leaders from Ergon, Nissan, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, and the Bean Path at the event which will be from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Monday, October 28 at the Mississippi Children’s Museum.
“The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement recognizes that women, particularly women of color, are grossly underrepresented in STEM fields across the board,” says Jennifer Hopping, executive director, American Heart Association, Metro Jackson. “STEM Goes Red draws from the Association’s strong legacy of science, education, and discovery to help inspire young women into rewarding STEM careers.”
The keynote speaker is Dr. Nashlie H. Sephus, a computer engineer and entrepreneur specializing in machine learning and algorithmic bias identification. She is a technology evangelist at Amazon Web Services and co-founder and chief executive officer of Bean Path, a nonprofit startup company developing Jackson Tech District, a planned community and business incubator in Jackson, Mississippi.
Economic projections indicate that there could be as many as 2.4 million unfilled STEM jobs. The STEM employment gap is further compounded by persistent diversity challenges, as women and minorities comprise 70% of college students, but of 100 female students working toward a bachelor’s degree, only three will work in a STEM job 10 years after graduation.
As a science-based organization, the American Heart Association recognizes the need to have more engagement in these fields to make life-saving breakthroughs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
“Ergon is honored to help empower the next generation of female leaders and innovators by providing pathways for future careers in STEM,” said Bonnie Chapman, Chemical Engineer & Ergon’s VP of Product Stewardship. “We’re excited to be a participating sponsor in the STEM Goes Red event, which will be an action-packed, fun, and interactive day where we learn, celebrate the diversity that drives innovation, and support young women as they take bold steps to embrace their futures.”
STEM Goes Red can change the impact of heart disease by aspiring young women and successful female leaders to create a platform for positive change relating to innovation, technology, health, and wellness in women. The STEM community in Jackson has an opportunity to help elevate tomorrow’s female leaders to drive groundbreaking innovation.
Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health, with STEM Goes Red locally sponsored by Ergon and Mississippi Baptist Health System.
For more information or to get involved, contact Mary Brinson at Mary.Brinson@heart.org or visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/en/get-involved/attend/stem-goes-red.