(October 20, 2020) --

In the past decade, the state of Alabama has emerged as a leader in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields such as aerospace, biotechnology, biomedicine, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing. To meet the growing demand for STEM-related careers in the state, Governor Kay Ivey established the Alabama STEM Council to improve access to and awareness of STEM-related education, career awareness, and workforce development. 

Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Discovery Hall Programs chair Dr. Tina Miller-Way was appointed by the Governor to hold a seat on the council. Miller-Way understands the importance of STEM-related education. Over the last decade, her team of marine educators has implemented a number of STEM-related classes, professional development workshops, and summer camps. 

"I am honored to be a part of Alabama’s inaugural STEM Council,” Dr. Miller-Way said. “By its nature, marine science is a STEM field and with the growing importance of the ocean in our lives, there is incredible potential for growth in ocean-related industries in Alabama and in the Gulf region. I look forward to working with others on the Council to increase the accessibility and quality of STEM experiences for all of Alabama’s students.”

The Alabama STEM Council was one of two dozen recommendations presented to the Governor by the Advisory Council on Excellence in STEM. The newly established council includes representatives from the STEM industry, elementary, middle, and secondary education, post-secondary training institutions, and informal STEM educational organizations. 

Governor Ivey appointed Dr. Neil Lamb, Vice President for Educational Outreach at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, as Chairman of the Council.

“Our great state is home to several quality STEM-focused education and workforce initiatives. However, we lack a common system to weave these initiatives together into a network that reaches all learners across the state and expands the workforce pipeline,” Dr. Neil Lamb was quoted in the Governor’s office press release.

Objectives of the Alabama STEM Council include identifying STEM opportunities offered across the state, identifying ways to improve STEM-based curricula and educational initiatives, and promoting and improving STEM education in a systematic and long-term manner. There will also be a focus on improving these programs in underrepresented communities. Their work will be crucial in developing a STEM pathway to connect K-12 education with higher education and beyond.

To read the Governor’s Executive Order establishing the Alabama STEM Council, click here.

Members of the council include:

Neil Lamb, Vice President for Educational Outreach, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Charles Nash, University of Alabama System
Terry Burkle, Baldwin County Education Foundation
Dawn Morrison, Alabama State Department of Education
Charisse Stokes, Montgomery Chamber of Commerce
Vicky Karolewics, President, Wallace State Community College
Sheila Holt, AMSTI Director, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Liz Huntley, Lightfoot, Franklin & White
RaSheda Workman, Stillman College
Eric Mackey, State Superintendent of Education
Barbara Cooper, Secretary, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education
Jimmy Baker, Chancellor, Alabama Community College System
Jim Purcell, Executive Director, Alabama Commission on Higher Education
Fitzgerald Washington, Secretary, Alabama Department of Labor
Greg Canfield, Secretary, Alabama Department of Commerce
Tim McCartney, Chairman, Alabama Workforce Council
George Clark, President, Manufacture Alabama
Ken Tucker, President, University of West Alabama
Kathryn Lanier, STEM Education Outreach Director, Southern Research
Tina Miller-Way, Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Amy Templeton, President and CEO, McWane Science Center
Kay Taylor, Director of Education, U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Mary Lou Ewald, Director of Outreach, Auburn University College of Sciences and Mathematics
Paul Morin, Alabama SMART Foundation
Adreinne Starks, Founder and CEO, STREAM Innovations
Calvin Briggs, Founder and Director, Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM
Josh Laney, Director, Alabama Office of Apprenticeship
Keith Phillips, Executive Director, Alabama Technology Network
Jimmy Hull, Career and Technical Education Director, Alabama State Department of Education
Sean Stevens, Career Coach, Alabama State Department of Education
Tina Watts, Community Investor, The Boeing Company
Daryl Taylor, Vice President and General Manager, Airbus America
Jimmy Parnell, President, Alabama Farmers Federation
Susan Currie, Stakeholder Relations Specialist, NASA
Ronald Davis, President, Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association
K-Rob Thomas, Power Delivery General Manager, Alabama Power
Lee Meadows, Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Tim Wick, Senior Associate Dean, School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Robin McGill, Director of Instruction, Alabama Commission on Higher Education
Elisabeth Davis, Assistant Superintendent of the Division of Teaching and Learning, Alabama State Board of Education
Jeff Gray, Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Alabama
Cynthia McCarty, District 6 Representative, Alabama State Board of Education
Andre Harrison, Vice President, Cognia
Brenda Terry, Executive Director, Alabama Mathematics, Science, Technology, and Engineering Coalition for Education
Tammy Dunn, Program Director, A+ Education Partnership