President Parker a Panelist at U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference
Delaware County Community College President Dr. Jerry Parker, shown with Dr. Cindy Miles, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, participates as a panelist at the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference in San Diego, California. Photo compliments of U.S. News & World Report.
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA • July 1, 2015)—Delaware County Community College President Dr. Jerry Parker was a panelist on June 30 at a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Solutions conference held by U.S. News & World Report in San Diego.
Dr. Parker participated in a breakout session titled, “Community Colleges: STEM’s Secret Weapon,” which was moderated by Christopher Roe, chief executive officer of the California STEM Learning Network. The panel also featured Dr. Cindy Miles, chancellor of Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, based in El Cajon, California, and Dr. Jean Hernandez, president, Edmonds Community College, based in Lynnwood, in the metropolitan area of Seattle, Washington. The U.S. News STEM Solutions conference is held annually and is the foremost national leadership summit for STEM Education and workforce development.
According to U.S. News & World Report, community colleges play an important role in the preparation of a STEM workforce, from tackling remediation to forging advanced, job-specific training partnerships with industry. Nearly 50 percent of Americans who received bachelor’s degrees in science or engineering attended community college at some point. Also, high percentages of Hispanics, African Americans, first-generation students, veterans and others attend community colleges making them a vital resource in paving the way for underrepresented populations to train for STEM careers.
Delaware County Community College offers a variety of STEM majors, including Advanced Technology, CNC Programming, Engineering, Mathematics/Natural Science and more. The College’s commitment to STEM education includes a state-of-the-art STEM Complex, comprised of the Advanced Technology and STEM Centers, that gives students access to the tools and technology they need to succeed. The Complex has more than 11 science laboratories and 12 specialized labs for customized education and training.
In partnership with several local companies and philanthropists, the College also has more than $100,000 in scholarship money available for students pursuing a STEM major. There are 20 different scholarships, including scholarships from leading companies like Boeing, JP Morgan Chase and Sunoco. To learn more, go to www.dccc.edu/stem-scholarships.
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