It\u2019s probably safe to call Virginia Davis an outreach superstar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The alumni professor in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering joined the Department of Chemical Engineering in 2005 and immediately took a leading role in a wide array of university outreach initiatives. Her work with the Women in Engineering Camp, Science Olympiad, summer NanoDays, BEST Robotics and E-Day was more than enough to earn her 2016\u2019s Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach, Auburn University\u2019s highest honor for faculty whose outreach efforts inspire significant community engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s also made a habit of national recognition for research both in nanotechnology and materials engineering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Young Investigator Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers\u2019 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, Uncle Sam\u2019s most prestigious \u201cthank you\u201d to young career scholars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her latest accomplishment? Winning a $342,502 grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate the factors influencing the attitudes of minority youth in underserved communities toward science and engineering, something she plans to do using an unconventional approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to focus mostly on the community aspects of STEM,\u201d she said, \u201cnot the technological aspects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accordingly, Davis has partnered with Alabama STEM Education (ASE), a non-profit organization based in Bessemer, Alabama that aims to spark early interest in STEM by engaging local elementary, middle and high school students through activities in hands-on teaching environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking to see how involving community-minded kids in a STEM camp that focuses in part on making an impact in your community affects how they view STEM,\u201d Davis said. \u201cThe goal isn\u2019t to make them all engineers, but if they want to be politicians or community activists, the goal is to help them see how STEM can also affect their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daniela Marghitu, a faculty member in Auburn\u2019s Computer Science and Software Engineering Department, and one of Davis\u2019 co-principal investigators on the project, serves as an ASE co-chairman. Other co-principal investigators include Auburn assistant materials professor Edward Davis and Joni Lakin, an associate professor in Auburn\u2019s Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe just want to understand how a more community-focused offering vs. a more traditional STEM offering affects the professional identity development and career aspirations of those students,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Davis says the study\u2019s target demographic represents one of the largest untapped sources of future engineers in the south. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAuburn does a lot outreach in nearby communities like Loachapoka and Notasulga, which is great,\u201d Davis said. \u201cBut I think this will show that we are reaching out across the state. From our perspective as a land-grant university, helping people see their career options and helping build up communities is pretty important.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s probably safe to call Virginia Davis an outreach superstar. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":5881,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n