Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson served as the Honorary Host of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Science and Technology Brain Trust during the 2014 Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C. This year’s Brain Trust was attended by over 300 guests, where much of the program was limited to “standing room only.” Event attendees included ALC registrants from around the country, and representatives from various governmental and non-governmental organizations, in addition to 150 students from Dallas, Houston and D.C. area schools.
The program was split into two separate panels with a demonstration from NASA’s robotic arm during intermission. Panel One titled “A Day in the Life,” designed to outline the life of a STEM professional from academia to professionalism, included participation from: Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014; Dr. Michael Drake, President of Ohio State University; The Honorable LaDoris Harris from the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the Department of Energy; and Dr. Craig Brown, Vice President of the Black Data Processors Association.
Panel Two titled “Diversifying Silicon Valley” included participation from: Dr. Johnny Taylor, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF); Aaron Moses, Community Engagement Manager at Facebook; Damien Hooper-Campbell, Diversity Strategist at Google; Stephanie Peters, Director of Federal Government Affairs at Microsoft; Stephanie Childs, Vice President of Cognizant; and Chanelle Hardy, Senior Vice President for Policy at the National Urban League
During the Q & A sessions, student attendees posed questions of competency and preparation for future generations of STEM students. One student from the Howard University Math and Science Middle School gave a statement on the importance of being “proactive,” encouraging adults and peers “to begin taking action for change rather than simply holding discussions.”
After the Q & A sessions ended, Congresswoman Johnson left student attendees with this message “You can do things to make others happy, but the most important thing is to do what makes yourself happy." These sentiments were echoed by panelists and attendees through a round of applause as the program came to its close.
