The Learners Will Inherit the Earth: NIWeek Day Three Keynote Recap

[JoelleP]

Young people must be motivated to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)– our future depends on it. At the third and final NIWeek morning keynote, Vice President of Product Marketing and Academic Relations Ray Almgren introduced students, educators, and leaders who are helping to make this happen.  “The problem is that somewhere along the way between dropping our kids off at kindergarten and sending them to college, we manage to extinguish their interest in science and engineering,” Almgren said.  If the so-called “math-science death march” is true, it means that Americans may not be able to provide solutions to problems facing us in the future--or compete with other countries who can.

Fortunately, there is hope. Students and educators from the University of Leeds, The University of Manchester, and Olin College took turns sharing stories of inspiring projects they’re currently developing using tools created by National Instruments:

• Dr. Martin Levesley and his students from the University of Leeds (winners of multiple awards at this year’s NIWeek) talked about their developments in healthcare technologies. One of their projects, the iVad, simulates heart conditions and can reduce the need for animal testing in labs.
• Dr. Danielle George and her students from The University of Manchester talked about their partnership with Rolls-Royce. Her students helped to create a sensor grid to test turbine engines. Additionally, since integrating more NI technology into their classrooms, the university has jumped from ranking 34 out of 36 to number one in the country.
• Dr. Dave Barrett and Drew Bennett and their students from Olin College created a fully automated sailboat, which took home second place in a national championship. Using LabVIEW, the students were able to test codes and reprogram their boat far before other teams even had their entries in the water.
  
  

If more educators encourage students to take this sort of hands-on approach in school, the rift that’s growing in manufacturing may shrink. Dr. Tom Kurfess, professor and BMW chair of manufacturing at Clemson University, saw this “valley of death” as the biggest threat to our future. More emphasis should be placed on raising a capable next-generation workforce. Not all of his message was urgent; Kurfess also shared a few projects he found inspiring, such as the Big Dog robot and “coBots,” robots with built-in sensors, which minimize on-the-job accidents.

“The key aspect is education,” Kurfess said. Manufacturing, from layered to additive, is and will be one of the most important fields in America. STEM initiatives, such as the FIRST program, get and keep kids involved in learning. “In times of change,” Kurfess said, quoting the writer Eric Hoffer, “the learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”