The Globe Gazette – Paul Gibbins
“As a career educator who has spent most of my occupation teaching, I’ve seen how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) benefit students of all ages. I’ve helped educators develop curricula that helped students prepare to be successful STEM majors when they went to college. I’ve also seen my own children develop an interest and understanding in STEM through coaching their FIRST LEGO League team, which has qualified for state the past two years. After these experiences and others, working with the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is a natural fit for me. The STEM Council began in 2011 through a leadership mandate to raise awareness and interest in STEM education across the state and help keep our students competitive with peers around the world. To ensure students in every corner of Iowa are receiving a quality STEM education, the STEM Council created six STEM regions, each with a designated manager. As the new regional manager for the North Central STEM Region, I serve as a connector. While I’m based at Iowa State University’s Extension and Outreach, my job is to work with community partners, business and industry leaders, economic development, higher education and K-12 education across the region to create more opportunities for all students.”(more)