CEOSE Mini-Symposium
on Institutions Serving
Persons with Disabilities
in STEM
Virginia Stern
Director, Project on Science,
Technology and Disability and
ENTRY POINT!
October 15, 2007
Arlington, VA
• AAAS Project on Science, Technology and
Disabilities began in 1975.
• The project serves scientists and engineers with
disabilities: students at all levels; faculty; parents;
counselors; and the media.
• ENTRY POINT! includes high achieving
undergraduate and graduate students. All are in
STEM.
• Resource Directory of Scientists and Engineers with
Disabilities includes individuals with bachelor
degree or higher. First edition 1978. Fourth edition
in progress.
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Resource Directory – Highest Degree Conferred
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• Doctoral/Prof.
170 (35.3 %)
• Masters
139 (28.8 %)
• Bachelors
147 (30.5 %)
• Associate/Other
26
(5.4 %)
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Resource Directory – Disability Groups
140
125
120
100
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80
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ENTRY POINT!
• Currently in its 11th year.
• AAAS recruits nationally. All science disciplines.
All disabilities.
• 600 students applied; vetted pool of 120 students.
• In 2007, 47 students had paid STEM internships in
public and private sectors.
• Internships are absolutely critical for entering the
STEM workforce.
We have more talent than internship
opportunities.
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Entry Point! 2007 – Alumni and Partners
• Entry Point! alumni association now has 440
individuals (1996-2007)
• Partners include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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NASA / ACCESS
IBM
NOAA
Merck
Google
Lockheed Martin
CVS
NAVAIR
(1996)
(1997)
(2004)
(2005)
(2006)
(2007)
(2008)
(2008)
ENTRY POINT! - Impact
• Persisting in STEM is a balance between
expectations and reality.
• For Entry Point! students, expectations trump
reality.
• Over 90 % of alumni are employed in STEM, in
graduate school or continuing undergrad.
There is no correlation between disability and
STEM discipline.
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ENTRY POINT! - Needs
• There is currently no funding from NSF or any other
federal agency targeted at individual students with
disabilities in STEM disciplines.
• There is not enough attention to STEM students with
non-apparent disabilities, especially minority
students.
• Some have persisted and had success.
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Ricardo Polius
Alabama A&M
Biotechnology
PhD Candidate
NASA Marshall
50
Grace Bolanos
Milwaukee
School of Engr.
Software Engineering
NASA HQ
51
Betsy Pugel
U. of Maryland
PhD
Goddard
52
Matthew Meleski
Ohio State U.
Chemistry/Biology
CPIMA/IBM/Stanford
53
Brittany Tofinchio
RPI
Biology/Management
NOAA/NERO,
Gloucester
54
Chad Cheetham
UC Riverside
Neuroscience
Merck & Co.
55
Jessica Granderson
UC Berkeley
Mechanical Engineering
NASA/Goddard
56
Francis Jackson
Augsburg Univ.
Computer Science
NASA/Ames/Goddard
57
Whitney Blanchard
Univ. of New Hampshire
Environmental Engr.
NOAA/NFWS
58
Royce James
Columbia University
Plasma Physics
NSF; NASA/Goddard
- and -
Jason Grieves
Virginia Tech.
Computer Engr.
IBM, Texas
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Contact Information
Virginia Stern
[email protected]
www.entrypoint.org
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