IEEE STEM Summit Keynote Speakers Preview!

The IEEE STEM Summit is coming soon! From 23-25 October 2024, we will explore new ways to spark school-aged children’s interest in STEM. We will also be joined by several notable guest speakers, including the three keynote speakers below. Make sure to save the date for the IEEE STEM Summit, and register today!

Barbara Morgan is a retired NASA astronaut and veteran educator. In 1985, she trained alongside the Challenger crew as the backup for Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe in NASA’s Teacher in Space Program. After teaching for 24 years in various locations, including California, Montana, Ecuador, and Idaho, Morgan was selected for NASA’s 1998 class of astronaut candidates. She flew on the space shuttle Endeavour in 2007, contributing to the construction of the International Space Station. In addition to spaceflight, Morgan worked in Mission Control, served in the Space Station Operations Branch and Robotics Branch, and retired from NASA to become a Distinguished Educator in Residence at Boise State University.

Dr. Eleftheria Kallinikou graduated from the Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Crete. She also received training in the Montessori pedagogic system while studying at the English-speaking University Hogeschool Rotterdam Omstreken. Her postgraduate studies focused on Social Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry at the University of Ioannina. Alongside her studies, she participated in the “Pythagoras” research program of the University of Ioannina. Dr. Kallinikou actively participates in research related to mental health services and has worked as a psychologist since 2002, providing counseling and psychotherapy to adults and children.

Dr. Stacy Klein-Gardner holds a BSE from Duke University, an M.S. from Drexel University, and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. Her career focuses on P-12 STEM education, particularly increasing interest and participation by females and underrepresented minorities. Dr. Klein-Gardner is the founding Executive Director of Engineering for US All, and also a founding member of Duke’s Women’s Impact Network. She serves as an Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where she provides educational evaluation for the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering’s NIH-funded T32 training grant.