Strengthening STEM in America, from Precision Ag to Nuclear Fusion

Congressman Frank Lucas, Chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee

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As Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Congressman Frank Lucas is passionate about strengthening STEM in America.

We sat down with the Chairman to talk about the vast technological advances taking place in the U.S. thanks to bipartisan efforts in the Committee, legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act, and the growth of STEM programs in schools today.

Through all that progress, there is still work to be done inspiring and equipping the next generation of technologists to fill high-demand careers across every sector of the economy. Hear about the incredible opportunities for today's students, and better understand where STEM education can meet the growing needs of the skilled workforce.

3 Big Takeaways from this episode:

Don't underestimate agriculture - precision ag is a high-tech field! Having grown up on a fifth-generation family farm in Oklahoma, Frank Lucas has watched agriculture transform tremendously in the last few decades. Today, precision agriculture is a high-tech industry, utilizing satellite networks, drone technology, autonomous vehicles, smart sensors, data analytics and a host of precision machinery.
Jobs are going wasted because companies don't have people to fill them; that's where STEM education can help: As technology drives every sector of the economy forward, jobs are becoming higher-skilled but don't necessarily require a four-year degree. Hands-on STEM education, especially delivered in career and technical education programs and community colleges, is a cost-effective way to equip learners to work in these jobs.
Research and development around next generation technologies are moving us farther, faster: From nuclear fusion, to high-tech weather prediction technology, to countless new drone applications...technology is evolving at faster rate than ever before. In many ways, it's an exciting time to be in STEM. But there's a lot more work to be done educating students and preparing future generations to keep America moving forward.

Resources

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