This blog is the second of a four-part series to introduce the most recent Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Outreach Advocate of the Quarter awardees. You can find the first installment here (Link to Blog). I recommend you read it to learn about the DoD SAQ Award and Mr. Steven Corbin.  

This time it’s my privilege to introduce to you the FY20 Quarter 2 DoD SAQ awardee, Ms. Tiffany Owens!

Ms. Owens is a System Safety Engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).  Beyond this critically important career, Ms. Owens has demonstrated that she is extremely committed to STEM education and outreach. At a local church, she is the Young Engineers & Scientists STEM outreach group leader, a program that introduces K-12 students to STEM concepts and projects. Ms. Owens serves as a project screener and judge for the Metro Richmond Science Fair and has coached and mentored a For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Lego League (FLL) team for the August – November 2020 season. In addition to this work, Ms. Owens also volunteers at local schools to present STEM overviews, demonstrations and activities, and share information about her career as a STEM professional.

The work that Ms. Owens has done and continues to do is no doubt admirable. But, I'd like to highlight one of her accomplishments that is incredibly exceptional. She organized and facilitated the first STEM Youth Conference held as part of the 37^th Annual International System Safety Conference (ISSC) in August 2019. As the organizer, she recruited presenters and attendees and developed the conference program content and themes for youth STEM activities. Ms. Owens also submitted a conference abstract, "Implementing STEM Outreach Programming with System Safety," facilitated a STEM roundtable discussion on implementing STEM programming and best practices and shared STEM demonstrations and activity ideas to conference attendees.

Ms. Owens is certainly an exemplary STEM advocate! Her efforts and work are estimated to have reached over 475 students, parents and teachers - amazing!