Building Omaha’s Future Leaders

June 2019

Celebrating STEM in Omaha

A STEM Professional You Should Know!

Elizabeth Mulkerrin

Dr. Elizabeth Mulkerrin’s love for both science and education is what drives her success as Vice President of Education at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. A Nebraska native, she received her Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her Doctorate in Education from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She credits her love for teaching to her Biology lab TA position at UNL, and says she fell in love with teaching students and adults about different conservation and ecological issues. Upon receiving her teaching certificate, she became a Biology teacher in the Omaha Public Schools District and stayed for six years before earning her title as VP of Education at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in 2000. She played a large part in the formation of the Zoo Academy High School in 1996, which has now blossomed to include nine different school districts, and assisted in the creation of the Omaha Zoo preschool, elementary and middle schools. The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s education program is nationally recognized and has multiple partnerships with businesses and STEM organizations in the Omaha Metro area, such as Collective for Youth, the Omaha Metro school districts and the Omaha STEM Ecosystem. Along with her work at the zoo, she enjoys spending time with her two children and scuba diving.  

Professional Development Committee Update 

June 4th

The Professional Development Committee is comprised of community members reflective of our community, including educators (formal and informal), business, non-profits and science centers. They have been hosting Community Conversations around prioritizing the critical skills that both education and business agree are essential for success in STEM professions. Following the April event, the committee has been working on developing options to bridge that gap and utilize best practices for business and education partnerships. Stay tuned for the next Community Conversation on Bridging the Gap in the STEM Workforce on August 27th at Gallup. 

For more information on the PDC, visit our website: omahaSTEM.com

Research and Advocacy Committee Update

June 4th

The Research and Advocacy Committee (RAC) is an amazing group of people from all levels of education, business industry, and the non profit sector. These individuals have worked incredibly hard over the past two years to establish this committee and set both short and long-term goals.

The current work of the RAC is to create a centralized location of information regarding the status of STEM in the greater Omaha area. By doing this, we will set the stage for education, business, and government to make well-informed decisions regarding STEM classes, jobs, incentives, and so forth.

For more information on the RAC, visit our website: OmahaSTEM.com

Greater Omaha Aviation STEM Day

June 8th

The Aviation STEM Day on June 8th, hosted at the Millard Airport, was an absolute blast! There were plane rides, pancakes, and paper airplanes, as well as booths from local colleges and aviation programs. These booths educated youth and young adults on the wide variety of careers and opportunities in the aviation field. It was a beautiful, sunny day with a great turnout. If you missed the event, check out the pictures below!

          Moms Everyday Interview 

May 23

Roll out the red carpet, folks! Our very own Omaha STEM Ecosystem Director Julie Sigmon was featured on the “Moms Everyday” Segment on WOWT to discuss the Omaha STEM Ecosystem and what we do. Check out the video below to see her in action!

 Mark your Calendars!

Nebraska Connections Elementary Educator Workshop: July 10-11 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. 

In this workshop, we will dissect the new Nebraska College and Career Ready Standards for Science (CCR-Science) adopted in September of 2017.  Specifically, we will focus on Nebraska Connections included in the standards, which aim to provide educators with relevant topics within our state to explore with students.  Using several Nebraska Connections, participants will engage in interactive lessons at Wildlife Safari Park.

Join us for one day or both!  On day 1, we will be exploring Nebraska Connections in the life science standards.  On day 2, we will be exploring earth science connections to Nebraska.

Life Science Nebraska Connections
Wednesday, July 10
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$20 (includes lunch)  

If you would like to register for both days, make sure to select each day on the registration screen.  If you choose to only register for one day, make sure to select the correct day/topic.  These workshops will be held at Wildlife Safari Park near Ashland, NE, I-80 Exit 426.

Nebraska Connections Secondary Educator Workshop: July 17-18 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.

In this workshop, we will dissect the new Nebraska College and Career Ready Standards for Science (CCR-Science) adopted in September of 2017.  Specifically, we will focus on Nebraska Connections included in the standards, which aim to provide educators with relevant topics within our state to explore with students.  Using several Nebraska Connections, participants will engage in interactive lessons at Wildlife Safari Park. This workshop is specifically for secondary science education teachers. 

Omaha SharePoint Saturday: August 3 from 7:30 am – 5:00 pm. 

Join SharePoint end users, power users, architects, developers, administrators, and other professionals who work with Microsoft’s SharePoint for the 7th annual SharePoint Saturday – Omaha on Saturday, August 3, 2019 at Mammel Hall on the University of  Nebraska – Omaha campus.

SharePoint Saturday will be an educational, informative, and lively day filled with sessions from respected SharePoint professionals covering a wide variety of SharePoint-oriented topics. SharePoint Saturday is FREE, open to the public, and is your local chance to immerse yourself in SharePoint!

We have 25 sessions planned in 5 tracks (IT Pro/Power User, Developer, End User/Business User, SharePoint 101 and Office 365) plus a keynote. There is also a vendor track for those interested in learning more about particular products.

UNO STEM TRAIL Center Launch Day: September 20

The UNO STEM TRAIL (Teaching, research, and inquiry-based learning) Center is UNO’s newest STEM center that seeks to actively engage youth in STEM activities. Friday, September 20th is the official launch day of the center. Join us for presentations, workshops, and demonstrations of resources and opportunities provided by the STEM TRAIL Center!

Stay tuned for the next newsletter in August and enjoy the rest of your summer!

We want to celebrate STEM professionals in the Greater Omaha area. Do you know of someone who has an awesome job using STEM applications in their everyday work?  We would love to highlight them in our newsletter.  Contact Julie Sigmon at:  Julie.sigmon@omahazoo.com