JSPG AND SIGMA XI RELEASE SPECIAL TOPICS ISSUE ON STEM EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Media Contacts

Sigma Xi
Jason Papagan 
​jpapagan@sigmaxi.org
(919) 518-7820

Journal of Science Policy & Governance
André Porter
communications@sciencepolicyjournal.org 
(202) 730-9502

Washington, DC (May 16, 2022) – The Journal of Science Policy & Governance (JSPG) and Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society (Sigma Xi) are proud to announce the release of Volume 20, Issue 02, the journal’s first Special Topics Issue of 2022, on STEM education and workforce development.

Read the special issue

“This issue covers the full pipeline of STEM education and workforce development, from K-12 to graduate and medical school, as well as opportunities for current professionals. I’m very proud of the depth and range of insight and policy analysis our authors have provided on this urgent, timely topic,” said Andy Sanchez, JSPG’s Assistant Editor-in-Chief for Special Editions. 

In the 9 published articles, authors in this special topics issue of JSPG highlight challenges and solutions to issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM education, touch upon civic science as a means for scientists to engage more broadly in society, and challenge assumptions on the STEM workforce through novel entry points and empowerment of workers in the field. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed numerous deficiencies in U.S. STEM education and workforce development systems,” said Jamie Vernon, Executive Director and CEO of Sigma Xi. “The innovative early career authors featured in this issue have identified systemic changes that could improve educational and workforce development outcomes for future generations, and their published work has the potential to greatly improve the landscape of the field for all.” 

The Special Topics Issue competition, judged by an external review committee, provided winning authors of the top 3 publications with opportunities to receive monetary awards, present their published papers at future Sigma Xi events, including the International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE), and submit a piece to Sigma Xi’s award-winning publication, American Scientist. The magazine submission opportunities for authors are still to come and will be announced at a later date. 

The winners of the JSPG & Sigma Xi competition for the Special Topics Issue are as follows:

• First place: Ensuring the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in STEM Education and Careers (Wisberty J. Gordián-Vélez)
• Second place: To Strengthen the American STEM Workforce, Empower Workers (Justin Lee and Carolyn Amir)
• Third place: Family Support Policy for Pharmacy, Medical, and Graduate Students (Lora L Daskalska, Benjamin S O’Brien, Thiago Arzua and Brianne K Bakken)

We thank competition reviewers for their efforts and greatly appreciate their input towards selecting the winners: Greer Arthur (NC Policy Collaboratory); Allison Augustus-Wallace (Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center); Laura Bartock (Association of Science and Technology Centers); Ariana Eily (Initiative for Science and Society, Duke University); Matthew Garcia (Strategic Policy Consulting in Economic and Workforce Development); Andrew George (Sigma Xi); Tammy Long (Michigan State University); Barbara J. Natalizio (pd|hub); Mary Lou O’Donnell (Department of Energy, Office of Science); Jylana Sheats (Science & Society Program, Aspen Institute) and Jeff Toney (Department of Philosophy and Linguistics, MIT). 

“Through this Special Topics Issue, JSPG is proud to partner with Sigma Xi to offer the next generation the opportunity to bring their innovative ideas to light, to create systemic change and to disseminate their published work on STEM education and workforce development towards a better future for all,” said Adriana Bankston, JSPG’s CEO and Managing Publisher. 

We would also like to thank educational partners for their support on this Special Topics Issue and associated events: Thomas Tubon (BIOMade), Shalin Jyotishi (New America) and Toby Smith (Association of American Universities). 

This issue is supported in-kind by outreach partners from the STEM Education Coalition, Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program, ​​MSI STEM Research & Development Consortium, Duke Science & Society and Science is US.

###

About JSPG
The Journal of Science Policy & Governance is an internationally recognized, open-access peer-reviewed publication dedicated to elevating students, post-docs, policy fellows and young scholars in science, technology and innovation policy and governance debate worldwide. JSPG publishes high-quality articles covering the widest range of topics in formats that are accessible to policymakers. Since 2011, JSPG has served as a vehicle for students and early career researchers to bolster their research and writing credentials in science policy. Visit sciencepolicyjournal.org and follow on Twitter @SciPolJournal to learn more.

About Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society, founded in 1886, is the world’s largest multidisciplinary honor society exclusively for scientists and engineers. The Society’s mission is to enhance the health of the research enterprise, foster integrity in science and engineering, and promote the public understanding of science for the purpose of improving the human condition. Over 500 Sigma Xi chapters can be found wherever scientific research is undertaken at colleges, universities, government laboratories, and industry research centers worldwide. Among our 100,000 inductees, more than 200 are Nobel Prize winners. The Society is based in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Visit https://www.sigmaxi.org/ and follow on Twitter @SigmaXiSociety to learn more. 

About STEM Education Coalition
The STEM Education Coalition’s mission is to raise awareness amongst policymakers at every level about the critical role that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education plays in enabling the U.S. to remain the economic and technological leader of the global marketplace of the 21st century. The Coalition believes that our nation must improve the way our students learn STEM and that the business, education, and STEM communities must work together to achieve this goal. Visit http://www.stemedcoalition.org/ and follow on Twitter @StemEdCoalition to learn more. 

About the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to serve in the national education arena. Fellows spend eleven months working in Federal agencies or in U.S. Congressional offices, applying their extensive knowledge and classroom experiences to national education program and/or education policy efforts. At the end of the Fellowship, educators are equipped with access to a national network of education leaders and programs, a better understanding of the challenges and possibilities in STEM education, and a renewed passion for teaching, ready to make significant contributions to the educational community. Visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein and follow on Twitter @EinsteinFellows to learn more. 

About MSI STEM Research & Development Consortium
The MSI STEM Research & Development Consortium (MSRDC) is a solutions provider, research development partner and strategic asset to more than 60 minority-serving research institutions, industry and government partners. Our members use a combination of basic, applied, and/or advanced technology development research to pioneer groundbreaking solutions. We help the United States maintain a competitive technological advantage, both at home and abroad through a combination of research, collective expertise and a collaborative platform that drives innovation forward. Visit https://www.msrdconsortium.org/ and follow on Twitter @MSRDConsortium to learn more. 

About Duke Science & Society
The Duke Initiative for Science & Society (“Science & Society”): fosters research, education, communication, democratic deliberation, and policy engagement on the ethical progress of science and technology in society. Science & Society takes an interdisciplinary approach, with a focus on applied ethics and policy, to advance the responsible use of science and technology for humanity. Visit https://scienceandsociety.duke.edu/ and follow on Twitter @DukeSci_Soc to learn more. 

About Science is US
Science is US is a foundation-supported effort that brings together a diverse group of science, engineering, industry, higher education and labor organizations to galvanize a broad, bipartisan political base of support for science and technology. Visit https://scienceisus.org/ and follow on Twitter @Science_Is_US to learn more.