Hudson County Community College to Host Sixth Annual ‘Girls in Technology’ Symposium
March 27, 2019
The event includes a panel discussion, breakout sessions, and competition.
March 27, 2019, Jersey City, NJ – The next generation of girls who pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are expected to be a driving force in sparking innovation. Although women comprise only 25 percent of the nation’s workforce in these fields, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) is working to support more women who are interested in STEM education and careers.
The College will host its Sixth Annual “Girls in Technology” Symposium on Thursday, March 28th, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the HCCC Culinary Arts Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City. The event includes breakfast and lunch, as well as roundtable discussions, demonstrations, presentations, and hands-on activities. About 200 students from the following schools are expected to attend: Bayonne, Hoboken, High Tech, Kearny and North Bergen High Schools; Memorial High School in West New York; Dickinson, Liberty and Snyder High Schools, James F. Murray School (P.S. 38), and M.E.T.S. Charter School in Jersey City; Miftaahul Uloom Academy, Union City High School Academy for Enrichment and Advancement, and Union City High School; and Passaic Gifted and Talented Academy. Up to 50 school administrators, faculty, educational partners and staff will also participate.
Studies show that women bring different perspectives and approaches to STEM that are essential to creativity and change. “For centuries women played important roles in what we now refer to as STEM fields, but they were not always acknowledged or appropriately recognized. This symposium continues to be important in inspiring and encouraging young women to consider pursuing STEM careers, which is key to the social and economic growth of Hudson County,” HCCC Associate Dean for STEM Dr. Burl Yearwood said.
The symposium begins with a welcoming address by HCCC President Chris Reber, followed by remarks from HCCC Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development Lori Margolin, who will introduce the event’s essay contest winner, Lyna Bacha of HighTech High School.
The program will proceed with a panel discussion on “A Day in the Life of Women in STEM.” Panelists include Natalie Batmanian, Director of The Office for the Promotion of Women in STEM at Rutgers University; D’Jvonne David, President of Dynamic Digital Air, LLC; Shelley Goldman, Program Director, D2.0 Architecture Governance, AT&T; Allie Surina, Marketing Data Scientist at Priceline; and Sophie Wakita, Manager of the Tech & Design Studio at Liberty Science Center. Zakia Hmamou, Instructional Technologist for the HCCC Center for Online Learning, will moderate.
Breakout sessions and activities will include a Straw Buoyancy Challenge (Zaniac Jersey City); Finding Your Tech Secret Identity (Allie Surina); Food Technology, Recycling & Conductors (HCCC STEM Division); EDU Competition (New Jersey City University Ed-Tech Doctors); Eastern Millwork and IBEW Joint Apprentice Training Center Presentation; and Student Display Contest.
The Sixth Annual “Girls in Technology” Symposium is being sponsored by DiCara Rubino Architects, Eastern Millwork, Inc., Harborside Sport and Spine, IUOE Local 825, Liberty Savings, MAST Construction Services, Inc., NK Architects, and SILVERMAN.
HCCC opened its new, state-of-the-art STEM building in 2017 to facilitate the growing demand for STEM studies and careers. Each of the top five floors is dedicated to a specific course of study: Chemistry and Organic Chemistry on the sixth floor; Biology, Microbiology and Histology on the fifth floor; Physics, Engineering and Electronics Engineering on the fourth floor; Geology and Environmental Studies on the third floor; and Mathematics on the second floor. HCCC STEM programs – including Computer Science A.S. - Cybersecurity Option, Biotechnology A.S., Computer Science A.S. - Bioinformatics Option, and Construction Management A.A.S. offerings – will allow HCCC students to prepare for careers that are in demand now and will remain so for decades to come.