Dr. Orlando McMeans
John Sammons
Vice President for Research and Public Service; Dean and Director of the Douglass Land-Grant Institute, West Virginia State University Charleston, WV
President, Appalachian Institute of Digital Evidence; Assistant Professor, Marshall University Huntington, WV
Challenge: Raising the graduation rate of West Virginia students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to adequately meet the work force demands of the state’s increasingly technology-driven economy. Solution: West Virginia must increase its investment in K-12 and baccalaureate STEM education programs. These efforts, both inside and outside of the classroom, place emphasis on improving youths’ skills sets and increasing their understanding of and interest in career opportunities connected to STEM. Initiatives should include innovative classroom teaching, after-school and special-interest topic sessions and immersion in programs such as camps, workshops and other experiential learning opportunities during the summer months. Additionally, West Virginia must invest in undergraduate internship programs that promote increased student-faculty interaction. Specifically, these efforts should include undergraduate research experiences in which students work in laboratories under skilled researchers and professors throughout the year. K-12 youths and undergraduate students who participate in these opportunities have already demonstrated an increased interest for and participation in STEM careers.
Deana Keener President, I-79 Development Council Fairmont, WV Challenge: Connecting the corridors of education to the technology industry. Solution: Among many leaders and institutions, there still remains a mindset of hiring practices and work force development from the past century. A more proactive and engaged collaboration and less apathetic approach will close the gap and align our institutions with the work force they need to dominate. A report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows that West Virginia has a grade of F in the four-year degree category of meeting labor market demand and a grade of D in the twoyear category. Getting our training providers and educational institutions properly aligned and engaged with industry needs is crucial. This will provide stability and strength to our economy and make us attractive for economic development.
Challenge: Meeting the 21st century needs for the effective administration of justice. Solution: West Virginia’s citizens, businesses and organizations are awash in digital information. A staggering amount of what we do and say leaves a digital footprint of some kind. These tracks can provide invaluable evidence in both criminal and civil litigation. To ensure that justice is done, this evidence must make its way into the legal system in a validated and reliable state. All the practitioners who deal with digital evidence (lawyers, judges, law enforcement, business owners and information technology professionals) must be educated on the fundamentals. The blinding speed for technological change demands regular updated training in this area. The West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure must also be updated to address this new, critical form of evidence.
Amy Flynn Operations Manager of Bioanalytical Services, Protea Biosciences Group, Inc. Morgantown, WV Challenge: Expanding West Virginia’s technology sector into tangible, citizen-oriented areas that will immediately benefit the state economically, culturally and educationally, ultimately bringing new business to our state. Solution: We need to make research and technology fun, emphasize creativity and define technological applications that utilize current, proven techniques while encouraging innovation. Current research and technology efforts statewide should be evaluated to determine three to five main sectors of growth, and those identified should be built on strategically. We need to work with industry leaders to determine best practices for management, ways to spur improvement and methods to build effective leadership into organizations. Fully funded pay-it-forward programs that provide necessary educational opportunities and job training to current and future employees would further encourage employee development and retention across technology sectors while eliminating the gap between education and employment. We should also incorporate economic milestones into technology projects and efforts such that the impact is felt immediately by revenue to the organization, region or state.
www.wvexecutive.com
fall 2012
41