A Night to STEM-member

About the Event

Join us for an eye-opening night into the world of STEM. Designed to leave you more informed about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; and leave you inspired to solve problems you see everyday.

The demand for skilled employees in STEM is growing exponentially and is critical for driving our nation's innovation. There's a common perception that seeking a career in these fields is too hard or is out of reach and that perception couldn't be further from the truth! Understanding the breadth of opportunity that exists in STEM now can help shape the next few years of your life.

Speakers and Panelists from:

Why it Matters

Careers in STEM are growing at a much faster rate than other occupations and there are definitely more benefits to a STEM education than just a high salary. Having a deeper understanding of math and science will give you the building blocks to apply STEM-related concepts to your everyday life.

26% proficiency level

Only 26% of 12th grade students nationally scored at or above the proficient level on the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) math assessment.
Source

29% workforce is women

Women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but only 29% of the science and engineering workforce, only 7.9% of mechanical engineering, only 10.7% of electrical engineering, etc.
Source

24.4% employment growth

Employment in STEM grew much faster than employment in non-STEM over the last decade (24% vs. 4%, respectively) and it's going to keep growing.
Source

$87,570 national average

Wages for STEM occupations vary based on role and location, but the national average was $87,570 in 2015, nearly double the national average wage for non-STEM occupations ($45,700).
Source

Schedule

This event will take place on Thursday, January 25, 2018. There will be an industry panel answering questions about what it's like to work in STEM. Next, 3 speakers will give you insight into the amazing things they get to work on leaving you with advice on how to be successful and carve your own path in STEM. Following the speakers, Wayne Valley High School students will have projects on display that they've been working on for attendees to browse. We will end the night networking, enjoying some delicious treats, and announcing raffle winners. (P.S. We're working on getting a special guest speaker! Stay tuned.)

Check-in / Registration

3:00-3:30pm
Sign in at the registration table to get your name tag and swag bag.

Kickoff and STEM Industry Panel

3:30-4:45
Industry panel with representatives from science, tech, engineering, and mathematics.

"Pour your heart out" Speaker Sessions

4:45-6:00pm
We have some amazing speakers lined up. See below!

Reception, Student Project Display, Raffle

6:00-7:15pm
Browse amazing student projects, introduce yourself to our amazing panelists and speakers, browse company booths, enjoy the reception, and listen to see if you won one of our raffle prizes!

Meet our Panel

Science

Derek Spain

Gemologist, Jack of Diamonds Intl.

Derek received his B.S. in Geology from Georgia Southern University and his GG from GIA. He currently works at Jack of Diamonds, Intl. in the Diamond District in Manhattan where he's in charge of reporting diamond and gemstone quality to customers.

Technology

Yasmine El Garhi

User Experience (UX) Designer, IBM

Yasmine received her B.S. in HCI and 2nd B.S. in Management Information Systems from the NJIT in Newark, NJ. She currently works as a UX Designer at IBM, enhancing the pricing experience for new solutions on the mainframe.

Mechancial Engineering

Nick Benzoni

Mechanical Engineer, MakerBot

Nick received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA in 2015. He then got his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2017. His M.S. thesis work focused on the development of a Smart Feedback Device aimed at facilitating water conservation.

Software Engineering

Diana Kris Navarro

Computer Science, Rutgers University

Diana Kris Navarro is currently a senior majoring in Computer Science at Rutgers University. She's a founding sister of the non-profit organization Girls Who Code and has finished up internships at Qualcomm, Adobe, and Tumblr. Recently she was featured in Forbes for an article where she was interviewed by the CEO of AppNexus about women in technology. She's also a 2017 HackNY fellow and mentors Girls Who Code classes throughout the summers.

Mathematics

Allen Hoffmeyer

Derivatives Trader, Koch Supply & Trading

Allen received his PhD in Mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he specialized in probability theory and stochastic analysis. Currently employed at Koch Supply & Trading as a derivatives trader, he specializes in trading volatility. Prior to KS&T, he worked for a couple of years as a quant on the trading floor of a major, international investment bank based in Manhattan.

"Pour Your Heart Out" Sessions

Jennifer Strycharz

Systems Engineer, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

Jennifer received her B.E. in Chemical Engineering and M.E. in Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. She currently works as a Systems Engineer for Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. on their newest heavy lift helicopter, the CH-53K King Stallion.

Shaily Dalesandro

Computer Systems Compliance Manager, Covance

Shaily is a computer systems compliance professional with over fifteen years of experience including IT project management, process management, and business analysis. She received her B.S. in Information Systems from The College of NJ and her M.S. in Information Systems from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Victor Dibia

Research Staff Member, Human-Agent Collaboration Lab, IBM

Victor received his M.S in Information Networking from Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh and a PhD in Information Systems from City University of Hong Kong. He currently works as a Research Staff Member at IBM Research where some of his work involves developing maker kits that help people learn about cognitive technology.

Register Today

Space is limited! Sign up today to make sure you get a spot. This event is open to the entire community.

"[Science] is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves. It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world..."

President Barack Obama, March 23, 2015

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Event Organizers

Kara Celi

Kara is an 11th grader at Wayne Valley High School. She is interested in studying Biomedical Engineering when she graduates and sees first hand how many students do not fully understand the value of pursuing a career in STEM. With this event, she hopes to spread the importance of STEM education and inspire her peers to accomplish any goal they have.

Olivia Davis

Olivia is a UX Design Lead at IBM working with the IBM Cloud Sales team. She graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015 with a B.S. in Industrial Design and a minor in Computer Science. Olivia met Kara in a mentorship program through #BUILTBYGIRLS that connects high school students with professionals who share common interests.