Dr. Matt Irvin, Professor of Educational Psychology and Research at the University of South Carolina, discusses rural STEM education and its alignment with burgeoning industry sectors like AI and advanced manufacturing. Dr. Irvin underscores the need for meaningful experiences that tether rural students to local job markets, and he describes how virtual education can offset teacher shortages. The dialogue covers the unique hurdles in rural teaching, the potential of public-private partnerships, and the shift towards more practical educational paths over traditional degrees. Insights from the IMMERSE Project funded by the NSF and the efficacy of STEM camps in sparking student interest round out a conversation rich with strategies for educators aiming to future-proof rural education.

STEM Lab

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Rural STEM Education and Workforce Development (Dr. Matt Irvin, University of South Carolina)

South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics

• Michael Newsome, PhD | SC Governor's School for Science and Mathematics - STEM Lab Host. E-mail: stemlab@governors.school LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelanewsome Michael A Newsome is the Vice President of Academics at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, one of the United States' top public STEM schools. Michael oversees curriculum and instruction in the school’s three residential and online academic programs that serve the most talented and motivated students from across the state of South Carolina. Michael manages the operations of the school's faculty and academic service offices such as the registrar, research and inquiry, college counseling, student success, and academic teams and competitions. Michael also teaches economics, finance, and entrepreneurship. Before coming to the Governor’s School in 2016, Michael was a tenured Full Professor of Economics at Marshall University. There, Michael taught undergraduate, masters, and doctoral classes and worked as MBA Director. Michael has taught economics at universities and secondary institutions around the world and has published research in several sub-disciplines of economics. Michael’s primary professional specialty is the management of institutional change, with a particular focus on designing, piloting, and implementing new and efficient value-adding policies and programs.
• SC Governor's School for Science and Mathematics
• IMMERSE - College of Education | University of South Carolina
• Matthew J. Irvin, Ph.D. - College of Education | University of South Carolina - Guest

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