What STEM Does to Your Way of Thinking… and Why You Should Let It
“I am the uber geek at Simon’s Rock,” said Simon's Rock Chemistry Professor Patty Dooley, Ph.D., Colonel of the Airborne, U.S. Army (Ret.) “And in our world here, that is a term of endearment.”
Having a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) — and
being unafraid to show it (i.e., being proud to be a geek) — was one of the key messages
Patty delivered in a keynote address recently at the closing ceremony of the Joint Science and Technology Institute, a “smart camp” run by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency for high school-aged students interested in STEM.
“For me personally, it was always being the new kid on the block that helped me to become very independent and allowed me to have the intestinal fortitude to be able to express the passion I have for science,” said Patty, “an Army brat” who taught at West Point before coming to Simon’s Rock. “What about you?” she asked.
Patty spoke to an audience of three-dozen student participants and their parents,
as well as scientists and uniformed service members. Her speech closed out the two-week
program, which culminated that morning in student presentations of the seven team
projects they had completed. 
Among the projects were a computer built with “littleBits” that could be used as a speaker, and a 3D printer that was used to print a miniature model of Mount Rushmore using the faces of four of the students. Another team tested the forensic use of clues to solve murders, and another used water sampling to determine the correlation between high phosphate and nitrogen levels and population sizes of clams, fish, crabs, and algae.
Patty was invited to speak by a former colleague she brought years ago to West Point to teach. Formerly a Nuclear and Counter Proliferation Officer and now a Major with the Department of Defense, Dale Taylor organized the workshop to expose students to scientific research through hands-on projects and increase student awareness of career opportunities in scientific fields.
Dale asked Patty to present because, as she explains simply, “I love talking about science.” According to Dale, “half of these students, like Patty, were military related, more than half were women, and all were big on STEM, so I thought of her immediately.”
Based on the positive response she received at the event, it could be assumed Dale’s choice was a good one.
To conclude her speech, What STEM Does to Your Way of Thinking… and Why You Should Let It, Patty told the students: “Science does four things, and you have been living breathing proof of these four things. First, science explains phenomena. There is no Harry Potter in the real world; you want magic, you have to go to Hogwarts. Second, science identifies the unknown. Welcome to CSI. Third, science devises new things. And fourth, science builds equipment, instruments, devices, and vessels to do the aforementioned three things. Look at yourselves: you built the 3D printer to print something in 3D.”
Then, she walked through the crowd, stopping to pass out Simon’s Rock brochures to parents and ask the students, “How are you going to go back to high school after this?” And some, Patty reports, replied, “How do I apply?”
To learn more about STEM , visit the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing.