Iowa Lt. Governor and DuPont Pioneer President Lead Efforts to Further Science Education
(DES MOINES) - Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds today announced her role as Chair of the STEM Food & Ag Council, a global council focused on advancing STEM education to help meet the growing demand for food, feed, and renewable fuels, founded by STEMconnector®. The STEM Food & Ag Council will be announced by Lt. Gov. Reynolds on July 14th in Chicago at the annual meeting of The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) - a co-founder of the Council.
The STEM Food & Ag Council will assemble government, business and education leaders aimed at increasing collaboration and mobilizing resources to connect today's youth to the Food and Ag careers of tomorrow. Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds will serve as inaugural Chair of the Council, and also announced that DuPont Pioneer President, Paul E. Schickler, will serve as Vice-Chair.
"The STEM Food & Ag Council is a unique public-private partnership dedicated to driving education and career opportunities for the next generation of the food and agricultural workforce. We live in a knowledge-based, global economy and it is critical that our students are prepared for the jobs of the 21st century," said Lt. Governor Reynolds. "I look forward to working with Vice-Chair Paul Schickler and the members of the Council to create focused initiatives that enhance STEM skills in our students, heighten careers in food and agriculture, and provide solutions that address workforce needs."
"Advancements in modern agriculture are one of the greatest stories of scientific and technological achievement of our time," said Schickler. "However, to meet the increasing global demand for food will require the next generation of scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs. From listening to students around the world, we know they hear the call and STEM can ensure they have the tools needed to be part of the solution."
Current members of the Council include Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill, the National 4-H Council, the FFA Organization, PepsiCo, Sodexo and Wal-Mart. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) will serve as co-founder of the Council.
STEMconnector® is the leading communications platform driving collaboration between stakeholders in STEM education. Launched in 2011 with the mandate of identifying, informing and connecting stakeholders in STEM education, STEMconnector® has over 50 sponsoring organizations from the public, private and non-profit sectors.
The daily newsletter of STEMconnector® - STEMdaily® - reaches over 10,000 key thought leaders throughout the United States and world every day. In the past year, STEMconnector® has recognized leadership in STEM education through its 100 Women Leaders in STEM, in which Lt. Governor Reynolds was featured, and the recently released 100 CEO Leaders in STEM.
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