STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education has grown in importance in children’s education. The reason is that many of the most urgent problems facing the globe today, like food hunger and climate change, call on experts in STEM subjects to develop creative and practical solutions.
Despite numerous investments made in these regions to expand these sectors, more essential and valuable skills still need to be added to fill critical jobs. So, promoting STEM fields of study to young people is vital. Hence, whether a child chooses to pursue a formal career in STEM or merely has knowledge of these fields, their viewpoints and experience will enable them to make a positive and beneficial difference in the world.
Several experts in the sector can teach you the value of working in these fields, such as J. Daniel Boomer, a highly esteemed mathematician, computer scientist, educator, and futurist.
Boomer was born in Illinois, developed cerebral palsy as a child, and died from suffocation due to a lack of oxygen from the umbilical cord around his neck. The front temporal lobe on the left side of the brain, which controls movement and speech, was impacted. Boomer was tenacious and didn’t allow his impairment to interfere with his drive to realize his full potential. He graduated from Southern Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Boomer spent many years after graduation working with the Oregon State Planning Advisory Council for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, including four years as State Chairman, National Vice-President, and President.
Boomer also worked as the project coordinator for a contract between Sacramento State University and the Special Education Division of the California Department of Education, which involved analyzing and evaluating program and student-level data to determine the outcomes of special education students. Also, he worked with the University of Colorado at Denver’s Dean of the Department of Education to create an information system for administrative decision-making that resulted in better teacher preparation programs and procedures. Boomer’s additional responsibilities include serving as co-director of a three-year federal grant on self-determination at the University of Colorado at Denver on “Best Practices: A Study to Understand and Support Students Engaging in Transition Planning.”
Boomer also accepted a job as a full-time consultant with the California Department of Education’s Special Education Division after attending Sacramento State University and the University of Colorado at Denver. His duties included working on activities and providing educational leadership to the Workability; he projects a school-to-career initiative that helps students see special education as a viable career option. He also gathered and examined follow-up data one- and two years following graduation in California. The US Department of Education was then informed of these facts.
Boomer, now retired, focuses most of his time on studying and researching astrophysics and neurology. His work serves as an inspiration for many young people who want to pursue careers in STEM fields.
