U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez to Headline U.S. News & World Report STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report is pleased to announce that Thomas E. Perez, U.S. Secretary of Labor, will headline its fourth annual STEM Solutions conference, taking place Monday, June 29 – Wednesday, July 1 in San Diego.

The theme of the 2015 conference is "Teach, Inspire, Hire: Discovering and Growing America's Diverse Talent Pool." The keynote and breakout sessions will focus on increasing the ranks of women, minorities, veterans and other underserved and underrepresented populations in STEM fields.

"To compete in the global economy of the 21^st century, we need a steady pipeline of skilled workers in STEM fields," says Secretary Perez. "Today, that pipeline has some leaks in it – leaks that we have to find and fix if we're going to maximize our nation's potential. We have to find better ways to engage students of ALL ages, including women and students of color, in math and other STEM disciplines and take those programs to scale across the country."

The U.S. News STEM Solutions event – which includes some 40 breakout sessions – highlights best practices, model programs, and promising initiatives making an impact across the nation. Topics include "Making the Business Case for a Diverse Workforce," "Focus on Minority Males," "High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools," "Improving Teacher Prep," "Community Colleges: STEM's Secret Weapon," and "Progress on the Gender Front in STEM."

Secretary Perez joins a distinguished group of keynote speakers, including Blake Irving, CEO, GoDaddy; Leland Melvin, Astronaut and Host of Lifetime's "Child Genius;" Francine Katsoudas, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Cisco; Ray King, President and CEO, Urban League of San Diego County; Blair Blackwell, Manager of Education and Corporate Programs, Chevron; Wanda Austin, President and CEO, Aerospace Corporation; Michael Lomax, President and CEO, UNCF; Antonio Flores; President and CEO, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; and Timothy White, Chancellor, California State University.

To date, more than 50 experts in STEM policy, industry, educaton and advocacy are confirmed to participate, including:

• Darryl S. Albertson, Ph.D., Vice President, Human Resources, Cubic Corporation
• Brian Alvara, STEM Outreach Coordinator, Navy Recruiting District San Diego
• Cynthia Bir, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
• Cass Conrad, Executive Director, School Support and Development, City University of New York
• Dianna Cowern, Creative Director, Physics Girl
• Patrick D'Amelio, Chief Executive Officer, Washington STEM
• Matthew Fasciano, Chief Operating Officer, Posse Foundation
• LaDoris "Dot" Harris, Director, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, U.S. Department of Energy
• JD Hoye, President, National Academy Foundation
• Okhee Lee, Ph.D., Professor of Childhood Education, New York University
• Suveen Mathaudhu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Riverside
• Cindy L. Miles, Ph. D., Chancellor, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, El Cajon, California
• Chris Minnich, Executive Director, Council of Chief State School Officers
• Saura Naderi, Staff Career Development Specialist, Qualcomm
• Christopher Roe, Chief Executive Officer, California STEM Learning Network
• Sandy Slivka, Ph.D., Statewide Navigator of Life Sciences/Biotechnology and Director of Southern California Biotechnology Center
• Thomas M. Smith, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside
• Michelle Sterling, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Qualcomm
• Deborah Stipek, Ph.D., I. James Quillen Dean and Judy Koch Professor of Education, Stanford Graduate School of Education
• Mark D. Vaughn, Ph.D., Technical Talent Pipelining Manager; Lead, Technology Community Office of STEM, Corning Incorporated
• Devin Vodicka, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, Vista Unified School District

For a full list of speakers and topics, please visit http://usnewsstemsolutions.com/.

U.S. News will release the second annual U.S. News/Raytheon STEM Index, the only comprehensive index of its kind that tracks key economic- and education-related STEM activity in the United States over time. Profiles of the speakers, sessions and solutions discussed at the event will be featured on the U.S. News STEM hub, www.usnews.com/STEM, alongside U.S. News' perennial STEM content, including the Best High Schools for STEM and the Best Jobs for STEM.

Members of the media interested in attending the conference or receiving embargoed information about the U.S. News/Raytheon STEM Index should contact U.S. News & World Report's Lucy Lyons ([email protected]). You can also follow the conversation on Twitter via @STEMSolutions, and by using the hashtag #STEMsolve.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-secretary-of-labor-thomas-e-perez-to-headline-us-news--world-report-stem-solutions-national-leadership-conference-300069891.html

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report

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