2020 STEM MONTH AWARDS WINNERSSTEM Advocate of the Year:
Patrice Scully, Practice Manager at IBMCelebrating a true spokesperson for STEM in New Jersey, this honor highlights an organization or individual who most effectively communicates the importance of STEM to New Jersey and its citizens. The NJSPN STEM Advocate of the Year is making big waves to ensure the Garden State continues to lead the nation in innovation and meaningful work. IBM’s Patrice Scully was selected for this award for her leadership and passion in bringing engineering education to students through IBM’s Discover Engineering program.
STEM Civic Leadership Award:
Arushi Aggarwal, Founder & CEO of Unknown16
Organization or individual who demonstrates extraordinary civic leadership in STEM in their community. This award will be provided to those who have sought to improve and enhance the quality of STEM in their community through initiatives that include volunteerism, mentorship, and/or training. Arushi was selected for this award for volunteering at local libraries teaching students STEM and building the app iBlum to connect communities, government and businesses and encouraging them to make positive community changes while acting socially responsible.
STEM Collaboration of the Year:
Sanofi, Students 2 Science & the Office of the Somerset County Superintendent of Schools
This award celebrates the individuals and/or organizations moving beyond silos to create a more connected in New Jersey. The STEM Collaborator develops partnerships and combines resources to provide outstanding STEM programming and establish clear career pathways in their community and beyond. To qualify, submissions must exhibit collaborations between three or more individuals or organizations. Sanofi, Students 2 Science (S2S) & the Office of the Somerset County Superintendent of Schools were selected for this award for a collaborative effort to bring authentic hands-on STEM programs to students and teachers in Somerset County at no cost to the districts.
STEM Corporate Champion of the Year:
Schneider Electric
An honor highlighting an organization that has demonstrated a deep commitment to supporting New Jersey’s STEM economy. Global energy specialist Schneider Electric, was selected for this award for ensuring that their commitment to their partnership with Delran High School in Burlington County remains strong by supporting their different programs and initiatives.
STEM Educator of the Year:
Dr. Vanashri Nargund-Joshi, Professor at New Jersey City UniversityAwarded to an individual or organization that has dedicated their time and energy to successfully improving STEM learning outcomes for students in New Jersey. The STEM Educator of the Year understands STEM as more than an acronym and promotes STEM as a way of thinking, developing a growth mindset and STEM identities in all learners. Dr. Nargund-Joshi was selected for this award because of her role in leading the Liberty STEM Alliance Ecosystem, conducting numerous parents and students workshops, and creating “The Parent Academy,” a platform for parents, families, caregivers and educators that focuses on increasing their scientific knowledge of learning and development to improve the lives of children.