DOINews: BSEE Participates in STEM Education Event at Local High School

BSEE News Brief

March 24, 2014


Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement senior advisor Allyson Anderson participated in a panel discussion Thursday on future opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The panel was hosted by GE in partnership with the TransTech STEM Academy at the Francis L. Cardoza Senior High School in Washington, D.C. Anderson, a geologist by training, joined five other STEM professionals from government and the private sector for a one-hour discussion with 25 juniors and seniors at the Academy. The panel discussion covered the benefits of a STEM career, personal challenges and triumphs, and the importance of having strong mentors and role models.

“It's great to have this opportunity to speak with students about the challenges we faced and how we were able to succeed in STEM careers,” said Anderson. “It is important to show students that there are many exciting career paths - both in the private sector and working for the American public, and that there are a number of resources available to achieve that goal.”

At BSEE, Anderson advises the director on issues related to offshore energy exploration and development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Prior to joining BSEE she was a senior professional staff member on former Chairman Jeff Bingaman's Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and was a 2006-2007 American Geological Institute/American Association of Petroleum Geologists Congressional Science Fellow.

The TransTech STEM Academy was established in 1991 as the first transportation studies academy in the Washington metropolitan area. Since that time, more than 500 students have graduated. Over 85 percent were admitted to post-secondary institutions and have matriculated at two- and four-year colleges. In 2007, the Academy expanded its program to include a pre-engineering curriculum for high school students interested in transportation careers.

On Thursday, March 20, 2014, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell issued a Secretarial Order to engage the next generation in the Department of the Interior's mission to protect America's natural resources and heritage, honor our cultures and tribal communities, and supply the energy to power our future. Anderson's participation Thursday is part of an ongoing effort by BSEE to meet that challenge. The bureau will continue to engage youth and support STEM education initiatives to develop the next generation of STEM professionals while encouraging awareness of future opportunities offshore.

BSEE senior advisor Allyson Anderson (center), along with other STEM experts, takes part in a panel discussion at Francis L. Cardoza Senior High School in Washington, D.C. Photo by BSEE.