Rebecca ‘Becky’ Strachan
Professor at Northumbria University, Newcastle
There is still a gender imbalance and lack of diversity in many of the disciplines areas (digital, engineering, physical sciences) related to IEEE. There have also been many different efforts to try and tackle this over the years in the UK and elsewhere. NUSTEM was founded nearly 10 years ago and takes a long-term holistic research-informed approach to tackling this complex issue. Using a Theory of Change and working with young people from early years to 18 years of age, NUSTEM works with over 60 schools and last year has over 12000 interactions with young people. This talk will highlight some of the lessons learned through the years from providing an inclusive approach to STEM outreach, and finding ways to reach hard-to-reach communities to evaluating the impact of STEM outreach interventions including unintended consequences.
Presenter’s bio
Becky Strachan is a Professor of Digital Technology and Education and the Head of the Digital Learning Lab at Northumbria University. An elected member of the IEEE Education Society Board, she has been a part of the team that developed their MOOCs on Open Education and Educational Robotics for All. A Women in Engineering (WIE) UK committee where she leads on school outreach and is the Faculty lead at Northumbria for NUSTEM, a major widening participation programme to engage more young people, particularly females, in STEM.
Principal Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy, she is a leading expert in the use of digital technology and education. With a keen interest in gender, diversity, and STEM, she supports equality of opportunities for all and is a panel member for the UK’s national Athena Swan awards and Race Equality Charter.