Advanced Technological Education .

Welcome to the ATE Central Connection! Published the first Tuesday of each month, the ATE Central Connection is meant to disseminate information to and about ATE centers and projects, providing you with up-to-date ATE news, events, reminders, as well as highlighting new centers, projects, and resources. In addition, we will also highlight an educational topic with complementary resources found within ATE Central to help illustrate how ATE resources can be used in the classroom.

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In This Issue

Featured Resources: Bio and Chemical Technologies

From Partnership for Biotechnology and Genomics Education:

Basic Biotechnology Kit: Restriction Enzyme Analysis

ceprap.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/408/2016/10/Restriction-Enzyme-Analysis.pdf

Restriction mapping is a cornerstone of modern-day biotechnology. During this three-day exercise, students will digest samples of DNA with three different restriction enzymes. The DNA samples will be electrophoresed and the resulting fragments photographed under an ultraviolet transilluminator. Attached readings and activities will help explain the process of restriction enzyme analysis and how it is used in the DNA fingerprinting procedure. This 17-page pdf contains teacher information for presenting the activity, the complete procedure of the laboratory, and two student activities.

From Partnership for Biotechnology and Genomics Education:

Basic Biotechnology Kit: Micropipet Technique

ceprap.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/408/2016/10/Micropipet-Technique.pdf

Micropipettes are used in almost all biotechnology experiments. These precise instruments allow for the dispensing of extremely small volumes. This laboratory exercise will teach students to learn how to operate a micropipet, understand measuring volumes in microliters, and convert metric volumes. This seven-page pdf contains teacher information for conducting the lab, the laboratory exercise itself with complete instructions, and a student activity for them to complete as they work through the exercise.

From A Bridge to Bio-Link's Future:

Biotech Careers: Genomics

www.biotech-careers.org/job-areas/genomics

This page from Bio-Link's career website features information about the different jobs and opportunities in the genomics career area. This page includes a brief description of the genomics field, which "involves measuring everything about a genome and the changes between genomes." Links to related career areas, articles, alumni profiles, and videos are also included.

Community Connection

ATE Principal Investigators Conference: Celebrating 30 Years of Advancing Technological Education

Fall is here, and so is the 2023 ATE Principal Investigators Conference, from October 25th to October 27th, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. This year, the conference is back in-person.

For projects and centers old and new, the annual PI Conference offers a chance to share experiences, collaborate, learn, and meet other members of the ATE community. While you have probably been preparing already, now is an excellent time to double-check and ensure your project or center is ready for the big event.

This year's theme is Celebrating 30 Years of Advancing Technological Education. The conference will focus on critical issues related to advanced technological education across the United States.

The complete program is available on the conference schedule page. To view more information about the conference, check out the ATE PI conference website and FAQ. Also keep an eye out for the PI Meeting app, available in October.

ATE Success Tips: Websites

ATE Central's Microsite service

Having a website for your project or center is crucial to expanding outreach efforts and connecting to a wider audience. However, developing a website can be a time consuming (and sometimes expensive) process and, unless you have the support to do so, can be a difficult endeavor to get up and running.

ATE Central's Microsite Service helps address these issues through a tool that allows ATE projects and centers to very quickly and easily create their own mini website and use that site to share documents, publish curriculum materials, announce events and publications, and disseminate the products and progress of their grant. Are you interested in talking with ATE Central about how to set up a free microsite for your project or center? Email us at [email protected]! Also, check out the Microsite Service page on the ATE Central site for more information and to read our FAQs.

Did You Know?

An initiative from American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to increase the number of apprentices ended with over 22,000 participants by its conclusion. 39% of these apprentices occurred in the construction industry and 38% took place in advanced manufacturing programs. Read more about the initiative on the AACC's fact sheet.

Select STEM Education Resources

A few online STEM resources from outside of ATE, that you may find of interest:

The Foliage Network

www.foliagenetwork.com

Fall brings the transformation of many of the deciduous forests across the eastern half of the United States as the leaves turn a host of shades, ranging from a dark-hued purple to the glory of the shades of red and yellow that also abound. For those following these festive foliage changes, the Foliage Network website is a good way to keep track of these changes. Using a network of "trackers" from locations as diverse as northern Wisconsin to southern Maine, the Foliage Network provides foliage maps which are updated twice a week. The reports also give detailed information on where visitors may go to see the best foliage for that week. The site also offers information about what to see and do in each area, and various potential lodging options and so on. The site can be used to track seasonal changes across the nation.

Garage Demos: Physical Models of Biological Processes

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19487500

Professor Diane O'Dowd is known for the creative classroom techniques she uses in her introductory biology courses at the University of California, Irvine. One day she will show up with tennis balls designed to stand in for hydrogen ions or with her daughter's old Halloween wig, which stands in for a membrane vesicle. This website provides visitors with fabulous examples of her work, known as "Garage Demos." The name comes from the fact that the materials for the demonstrations come from Professor O'Dowd's garage. Currently, the site contains ten different demonstrations, including "Tennis Ball Buffer," "Garden Hose Plasmid," and "Styrofoam Blood Cells." The videos are all linked on YouTube, so visitors can even create their own playlist. The site is rounded out by demonstrations by Professor Richard Losik at Harvard and several other demonstrations dealing with sickle cell anemia and membrane fluidity.

Bat Conservation International

www.batcon.org

Founded in 1982, the mission of Bat Conservation International (BCI) is "to teach people the value of bats, to protect and conserve critical bat habitats, and to advance scientific knowledge through research". On their website, visitors will be able to learn about their advocacy and outreach efforts, along with learning more about these fascinating and important creatures. The "All About Bats" section is a fine place to start, as it has a number of illustrated essays that include a brief overview of the natural history of bats and suggestions on photographing bats as they fly through the air. Equally compelling is the section is the conservation programs area, which details the various programs BCI operates in various bat habitats, including bridges and caves. Finally, visitors can also elect to send one of a number of electronic bat postcards to friends or colleagues.

Do you have some great STEM resources you'd like to share with ATE Central? Email us with your ideas at [email protected].

ATE Events

Upcoming Events
Info What’s New in Global Mapper Pro v25? Online
Bio/Chem BioMADE Webinar Series — Strong Domestic Manufacturing of Advanced Probiotics Online
– Eng Droning On: Northwest Mountain Edition Greeley, CO
Info How to Boost Female Enrollment in your Cybersecurity Program, Finally! Webcast Online
– Eng Colorado Drone Airshow 2023 Fort Collins, CO
Gen 2023 ATE Conference Orientation Webinar Online
– Eng Engineering Technology Leaders Institute (ETLI) Washington, DC
– Eng Advanced Manufacturing Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN
– Gen AACC Future Presidents Institute Denver, CO
– Info UAS Summit & Expo Grand Forks, ND
– Eng OpenText World 2023 Las Vegas, NV
– Gen Inclusive Research Mentor-Manager Training Online
Mfg Ignite Your Future Hutchinson, MN
– Info GIS-Pro 2023 Columbus, OH
– Gen ITSS Summit Frisco, TX
– Eng NBAA-Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition Las Vegas, NV
Ag/Env 2023 Wisconsin Energy Efficient Expo Brookfield, WI
Info Accelerating Pathways to Employment for Students in Cybersecurity & Software Development Olympia, WA
– Gen Advancing Indigenous People in Stem (AiSES) National Conference Spokane, WA
– Ag/Env 2023 Wine Chemistry Workshop Ashtabula, OH
– Gen 16th Annual Mentoring Conference Albuquerque, NM
– Eng UTAC - Unmanned Tactical Application Conference Perry, GA
– Gen 2023 Annual ATE PI Conference Washington, DC
Info NCW Cybersecurity Summit - 2023 Wenatchee, WA
– Eng Mobilize Summit Long Beach, CA
– Eng Future Technologies Conference (FTC) San Francisco, CA
– Gen Kentucky Academy of Science Annual Meeting Highland Heights, KY
– Gen Accessing Higher Ground Conference Denver, CO
Info What’s New in Geographic Calculator 2023 SP1 and GeoCalc Online? Online
Bio/Chem BioMADE Member Workshop: New Bioindustrial Supply Chain Modeling Tool Online
Ag/Env IREC Vision Summit Minneapolis, MN
Mfg Rochester STEAM Summit Rochester, MN
Bio/Chem BioMADE Webinar Series — Accelerating Bioindustrial Manufacturing Workforce Readiness Online
Gen Assistive Technology for Reading Online
– Bio/Chem ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE) Phoenix, AZ
– Eng Underwater Intervention Conference New Orleans, LA
Gen Utilizing an Interview to Determine a “Good Fit” Online
Gen Assistive Technology for Writing Online
– Mfg Defense Manufacturing Conference 2023 Nashville, TN

For more events, please visit the ATE Central Events page or, if you have any upcoming events that you would like posted on ATE Central or in the ATE Central Connection, please submit them online.

News & Reminders

Upcoming Event: 2023 ATE Annual PI Conference

The 2023 ATE Conference: Reconnecting & Advancing the Skilled Technical Workforce will be held as an in-person event with the theme of "Celebrating 30 Years of Advancing Technological Education." The conference will bring together more than 850 NSF ATE grantees and their project partners to focus on the critical issues related to advanced technological education. PIs and staff from ATE projects and centers across the country will participate in this year's in-person event. Conference participants are primarily from community colleges, but there will also be attendees from business and industry, secondary school systems, and four-year colleges covering a wide variety of areas, including information technology, engineering technology, micro- and nanotechnologies, chemical technology, biotechnology, and others.

The conference will kick-off with pre-conference workshops starting at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 25th. The conference will be taking place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. on October 25-27, 2023. More information can be found on the ATE PI Conference website.

Newly Revamped ATE Outreach Kit Now Available

Whether you've already received funding from National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program or you're in the process of writing your first grant proposal, outreach and dissemination activities are critical to the work of your ATE project or center.

The newest version of the ATE Central Outreach Kit encourages you to walk through a process directly related to your outreach efforts - including pinpointing your primary audiences, considering the partners and resources that can support your work, and tackling issues like branding and messaging. You can use the provided Template & Table to record your answers, and use this information to develop a solid outreach plan. Go online to access all sections of the kit and download the accompanying Template & Table.

WomenTech Breaking Barriers Blog

Make sure to check out the WomenTech Breaking Barriers Blog by Donna Milgram. Milgram covers topics relating to empowering women to explore, enroll, and lead in STEM and CTE roles. The blogs aim to inspire women in STEM and educators to re-think the roles women can play in STEM and CTE occupations. Her latest blog post covers boosting female participation in STEM and cybersecurity roles. Find her blog at on the WomenTech Educators website.

New Tool - Calendar Feed

The ATE Central Calendar Feed is an easy to customize tool that enables calendar feeds from the ATE Central Events Calendar to quickly be added to either the Outlook or the Mac Calendar app, and will then automatically display upcoming events of interest based on the keywords you include. You can use the feed to populate your personal calendar or to add lists of upcoming events to your ATE center or project website. For WordPress-based sites, free plugins like ICS Calendar will allow you to use a calendar feed to display a list of upcoming events on your WordPress site. You'll need to sign in to your ATE Central account to create a feed - and it's easy to change your selection of keywords to add or subtract areas of interest over time. We look forward to hearing from you as you utilize this new service and as always, we'd love to get your feedback or comments. Don't hesitate to reach out to the team with any questions at [email protected].

ATE Impacts 2022-2023 Book Showcases Work of ATE Community

The ATE Impacts 2022-2023 book showcases the work of the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Community. This edition includes a foreword from United States President Joseph Biden. It features the work of 33 projects and 28 centers across the seven ATE areas, as well as applied research. By highlighting the ATE community's successful and innovative work, the book encourages broader participation in the ATE program by academic institutions, educators, and industry partners. Dissemination of the ATE Impacts book advances understanding of the importance of technician education and its role in supporting the high-tech industries that drive the United States' economy More information on the book can be found on the ATE Impacts website.

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