Duo helping expansive MSU STEAM curriculum community evolve, innovate, and grow

<p>In September of 2021, MSU cut the ribbon on its state-of-the art and now multiple award-winning <a href="https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2021/new-academic-building-officially-unveiled">STEM Teaching and Learning Facility</a>. Stephen and Julie talk about MSU's evolving STEM curriculum and about some of the things that go on inside the STEM building. </p><p>The goal for the position for a STEM dean at MSU initially wasn’t thought of to be for two people.</p><p>“So, if you read the job ad for the position, it's a very complex position,” <a href="https://twitter.com/GeoEdResearch">Libarkin</a> says. “Stephen and I were talking about it, and we both said that alone, neither one of us could do that job. But we realized that together, we really are sides of a multi-faceted die, and we have different communities we engage with. We have different strengths, and we collaborate well together. We've co-taught, we've had grants together, and we've created curriculum together. And so, we decided to ask if we could apply as a team. And they said we could, and we did. And I think they saw what we saw.”</p><p>We know that STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. Why have we heard so much about STEM in the last decade or so? Why is it so important to focus more in this area?</p><p>“There are multiple reasons,” <a href="https://twitter.com/craniumation">Thomas</a> says. “I think a lot of times when people talk about career preparation, a lot of the jobs that are available plug into those disciplines or those skill sets that those disciplines will train. And I think there's also a link to this desire for innovation. I feel like societally, we really are always focusing on this idea of innovation, and we see STEM as a pathway to getting that type of innovation.”</p><p>“I take a very expansive view of what STEM is,” continues Libarkin. “To me, it's this systematic investigation of solving of problems and understanding the world around us. That includes people and all the things that people do. The other t