January 2023
Happy New Year ! We hope you had an enjoyable holiday season with some downtime to get rejuvenated for 2023. This issue of the STEM-OPS Newsletter contains information about our latest podcast episode, blog posts, and partner news. We also have a new section with Job Opportunities, so make sure to check those out and share as appropriate. And don't forget to peruse our Events and Opportunities. |
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* Quick but Important * Special Feature: A Pledge for Human-Centered, Person-First Language *The sySTEM Impacted Podcast: Latest Episode *STEM-OPS Blog: Recent Posts |
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*STEM-OPS Partner Updates *STEM-OPS in the News *Upcoming Events and Opportunities *Resources Recommended by STEM-OPS Core Partners *Job Openings |
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We are in the process of hiring a director of the Executive Committee for the STEM-OPS work. This person will lead the next stage of our sustainability plan, in addition to expanding our network by reaching out to potential partners and funders. Be on the lookout for our announcement of this director soon! |
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We will be saying good-bye to our STEM-OPS and EDC colleague Terrell Blount in February. Terrell is in demand, and he feels he can do the most good if he focuses on his FICGN network and related speaking engagements. The Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network is a nonprofit organization that supports justice-involved individuals in obtaining quality higher-education credentials and career opportunities in reentry. Terrell, who recently received the Black Boy Influencer Award from The Academy 365 Inc., promises to continue being active in the STEM-OPS network in the future. We wish him the best in all of his future endeavors. |
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| SPECIAL FEATURE: A Pledge for Human-Centered, Person-First Language |
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The Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network created a pledge to use human-centered, person-first language for individuals, organizations, members of the media, corrections and law enforcement agencies, and practically anyone else to take.
As founder Terrell Blount’s LinkedIn post says, “The pledge is not something for you to simply say you signed—it is a public declaration and internal commitment to humanizing directly impacted people in your writing, speech, and treatment of such individuals and spreading the knowledge to others.”
STEM-OPS has supported and advocated for the use of human-centered, person-first language since its inception, and we took this pledge. We encourage all who support justice reform to do the same.
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| The sySTEM Impacted Podcast: Latest Episode |
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The sySTEM Impacted podcast, led by Chris Etienne (PTI) and Terrell Blount (EDC), shares stories of system-impacted people’s successes and struggles related to accessing STEM education and careers. Chris and Terrell share in these episodes a culture allowing people to recognize the power of their own voices and displaying the humanity in all of us.
In Episode 4, Perspectives from Justice Impacted Scholars and Professionals, Chris and Terrell dive into the stories of two formerly incarcerated Muslim American men—Majid Mohammed and Adham El-Sherbeini—who discuss their assimilation to American culture in school, the influences that prompted them to embark on their journeys from incarceration and education, their experiences studying and working in STEM, and what changes they believe can be made systemically to increase access to education in prison, and to education and career support in reentry. Listen to Episode 4 along with all of our previous episodes! |
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| STEM-OPS Blog: Recent Posts |
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Relive the 2022 Annual STEM-OPS convening through this November 22 blog post. This in-person convening, held on October 25–27 in St. Louis. MO, was dedicated to expanding access to STEM education and careers to people impacted by incarceration. The 3-day event brought many and varied stakeholders together; over 100 people and organizations attended. Read more ...
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Prison-to-Professionals (P2P) Prison-to-Professionals, Howard University, and Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) have just launched the Bridges to Baccalaureate Program (B2B). The program aims to change the face of the STEM workforce by supporting underrepresented minority students as they complete their associate’s degrees and transfer to four-year institutions to earn their Bachelor of Science degrees in STEM fields. Training grants offset the tuition, fees, and training-related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH support levels. Learn more …
P2P is proud to welcome our new director of research, Dr. Jacob Eikenberry (below, left) and deputy direct of research and evaluation, Tenaj Moody (below, right) . |
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The Womxn's Cohort: Connection to Community Through Sisterhoodis an extension of P2P's Womxn's Cohort in partnership with Light To Life. This cohort provides interactive activities, circles and challenges that are survivor-centered with healing justice approaches in the movement to support justice-impacted womxn and survivors of gender-based violence. Join the Online Tribe to ask questions, get feedback, and take on new challenges. See dates for the Womxn's Cohort 2023 Virtual Series under Events.
Princeton Teaching Initiative (PTI) The Princeton Teaching Initiative would like to announce their computational biology summer internship program, available to formerly incarcerated students from around the U.S. Read more about the internship opportunity.
Education Development Center (EDC) EDC recently published an article featuring STEM-OPS, titled “The Urgency of STEM Education in Prison. Check it out. |
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Mechanical Engineering Student Speaks at STEM-OPS Conference: Since transferring to the UW from Everett Community College in 2020, Raymond Haug (shown at right) has helped build a race car through the Formula Motorsports club and completed two engineering internships at SpaceX. As he gets ready to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, he’s adding more experiences to the list – specifically getting involved in STEM outreach and engagement for people impacted by incarceration. Read more ... |
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| Resources Recommended by STEM-OPS Core Partners |
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ARTICLES:
PODCASTS: Jessica Hicklin of Unlocked Labs was interviewed recently on two podcasts: |
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The STEM Community Alliance Program aims to provide pathways that broaden understanding and exchange between Youth-In-Custody and STEM communities. We partner with experts in science, the arts, and the humanities to increase awareness of, interest in, and the capacity to respond to STEM topics through various media. We want to expand student access to long-term conservation projects and increase our conservation efforts. This position will spearhead those efforts with the assistance of the STEMCAP associate director. Individuals impacted by criminal legal systems are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more ...
The University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Medicine has a new postdoctoral research fellowship focused on substance use recovery support services for emerging adults. The fellow will work directly with Dr. Kristyn Zajac, with opportunities for external mentorship from researchers at the Oregon Social Learning Center and the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine. Learn more ... |
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If you have any comments or questions about this newsletter, please email info@stem-ops.org. |
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