Seminar Series | Engineering Education as a Vehicle for Transforming STEM Identity: A Live Podcast

Abstract

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) identity has been defined as the way people make “the concept of belonging and participation within STEM fields, specifically, the way individuals engage to make ‘meaning of science experiences and the impacts of implicit  societal  structures on possible meanings’” (Carlone and Johnson 2007, Hughes et al. 2013, Hughes et al. 2021). In 2022, the PAST Foundation launched the STEM Identity Project, based on more than 20 years of research and implementation around how k12 students work their way from education to career.  Specifically, we are interested in impacting the way that students in STEM “think about themselves as STEM learners and develop an identity as someone who knows about, uses, and sometimes contributes to science” (Singer, 2020).  In this podcast, we will explore why engineering is the perfect vehicle to engage kids in the design and development of their own confidence and experiences that can lead them to the development of strong STEM identities which in turn will lead more students towards engineering careers.  Post secondary has specific opportunities in this space.  So let’s chat!

Biography

Dr. Annalies Corbin is the Chief Goddess, President & CEO of the PAST Foundation. In 2000, Dr. Corbin founded the PAST Foundation, an organization she envisioned could lead the way to connecting scientific research with classrooms, schools and communities. From 2000-2006, Annalies concurrently led the PAST Foundation and taught at East Carolina University’s Program in Maritime Studies. In 2005, when PAST opened its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, Annalies turned all efforts to building the PAST Foundation, assembling a team that could grow the reach and mission of linking learning to life.
From a single school partnership in 2006, she has grown PAST’s supporters across the nation, building a reputation for transforming both teaching and learning by understanding tomorrow’s educational needs. In 2015, Dr. Corbin’s commitment to transforming schools led to the development of the PAST Innovation Lab, a research and development prototyping facility that is unique in the landscape of teaching and learning. It is a place where community, K-12, post- secondary, & business and industry can come together to collaborate, imagine, ideate, and create a new world of teaching and learning. Connecting directly with teachers through online professional development courses, MAEd programs and on-site workshops, the PAST Innovation Lab impacts more classrooms and expands learning opportunities for teachers and students everywhere. In 21 years, PAST has impacted over 2,300,000 students and over 20,000 teachers across 42 states, hosting nearly 10,000 visitors at the Innovation Lab and building hundreds of partnerships.
In 2019, Dr. Corbin and PAST launched Learning Unboxed. This podcast series highlights industry experts and students talking about the changing needs in the world of teaching, learning, and the future of work and it challenges listeners to join the conversation of how we “unbox” education and create innovative solutions to better meet workforce needs. Dr. Corbin is also a sought after speaker on a variety of topics including STEM teaching and learning, education, innovation, and leadership. 
Dr. Corbin and the PAST Foundation have received multiple recognitions over the years. They include BizTech’s recognition of PAST in both 2018 and 2017 with the award for Outstanding Technology Team and their Nonprofit Service Award. In 2016 the White House Summit on High School Redesign recognized PAST Foundation’s innovative approaches and the U.S. Department of Education acknowledged PAST Foundation in STEM 2026, their vision for STEM education in the United States.
Dr. Corbin has also received many awards around her academic achievements, and in addition, she currently sits on the boards of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, the North Dakota EPSCR, the OAN, and the Advisory Council for Underwater Archaeology.
Annalies received her baccalaureate and master degrees in Anthropology and Maritime Archaeology from the Universities of South Dakota and East Carolina. The University of Idaho awarded her doctorates in Western History and Historical Archaeology.