WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The X-STEM Extreme STEM Symposium—sponsored by PwC, NBC4, and NCR—is a “TED-style” event geared toward middle and high school students. X-STEM kicks-off the 5th USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo, presented by Lockheed Martin. Being held on April 5th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in DC, X-STEM features talks by 25 of the nation's most noted STEM professionals representing top universities, corporations, non-profits, and governmental agencies.
“Awesome, engaging topics presented by science superstars make X-STEM the perfect kick-off to the Festival as we work to spur teens’ interest in STEM careers. To compete globally, we need to continue to bolster youth interest in STEM,” explained Marc Schulman, Festival Executive Director.
X-STEM features interactive presentations and workshops by an exclusive group of visionaries who aim to empower and inspire kids about STEM careers. Throughout the day, top STEM role models and industry leaders will ignite students’ curiosity through storytelling and live demonstrations. X-STEM runs from 9:30am-3pm and costs $20 per person. Space is limited to the first 3,000 registrants. Schools and individuals interested in attending should sign up at: https://usasciencefestival.org/attend/xstem-symposium/register/.
Sessions will cover a wide array of subject areas including space exploration, oceanography, computer science, robots, movie stunt science, and more that showcase how STEM Can Take You into the deep blue, into cyberspace, inside the human body, into nature, into outer space and beyond.
Here is a sampling of scheduled X-STEM speakers:
- Natalie Batalha, NASA Astrophysicist, addresses searching for life beyond the solar system
- Emily Calandrelli, host of Fox TV Xploration Outer Space and astronautics expert
- Dr. Howie Choset, CTO, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, and robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon University leads the development of snake robots
- José Resendiz, Vice President and Financial Services Leader, NCR Corporation, works to make it easier to interact with banks via ATMs and mobile devices
- Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, Meteorologist and Climate Scientist, University of Georgia, explores meteorology’s critical role in tracking, studying and monitoring monster storms
- Dr. Erich Jarvis, Neurobiologist, The Rockefeller University, studies neural and genetic mechanisms of spoken language using song-learning birds
- Steve Wolf, Stunt Scientist, Engineer and TV Producer, believes that Hollywood movie stunts and special effects can teach kids a lot about physics, chemistry and STEM overall
- Dr. Tierney Thys, a National Geographic Explorer, Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences, biologist and filmmaker, studies giant ocean sunfish worldwide
- Dr. Greg Gage, Neuroscientist and Backyard Brains Founder, studies how the brain works and creates fun science kits for kids demonstrating it
“X-STEM provides extreme and extremely fun learning opportunities about STEM. This symposium is a catalyst for getting more young people engaged in computer science. PwC is excited to support this program,” said Colleen Kipfstuhl, Director of Responsible Business Leadership at PwC.
The symposium is part of the USA Science & Engineering Festival, which culminates with the Festival Expo on April 7-8. The Festival Expo is a free, family-friendly event with over 3,000 hands-on activities and stage shows! The Festival Expo takes over the entire convention center and hosts 350,000 people, making it the Super Bowl of STEM. The USA Science & Engineering Festival is the nation’s largest science festival. Pre-registration is required. To learn more, visit www.USAScienceFestival.org.
