Forum Agenda

Guests arrive at COSI for Site Visits. Drinks and snacks provided. 

Attendees will travel to their designated site visit location. Transportation provided. 

1. Impact Community Action - Solar Innovation Lab
2. Center for Automotive Research + PAST Foundation
3. Columbus City Schools: Ft. Hayes
4. The Hilltop Farm - Mid Ohio Food Bank 
5. Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) at The Ohio State University

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Attendees will travel from site visits back to COSI. Transportation provided.

Start off the day with a full breakfast, coffee and tea while networking with fellow Forum attendees.

Ted Wells, President, STEMconnector and Heather Sherman, Director, STEMx National Network - Battelle, will welcome Forum attendees and introduce the Forum’s goals and key themes.

Begin your day with a welcoming orientation and inspiring remarks from Dr. Frederic Bertley, President and CEO, of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI).

Keynote provided by Gabe Meister, Ph.D., Senior Research Leader at Battelle Health.

AI is transforming education and work. This panel will explore AI's impact on STEM learning, teaching, and industry preparation. We'll discuss how AI reshapes pedagogy, its opportunities and risks for students, and whether we need to rethink curriculum in an AI-driven world.

Experts from education, research, industry, and policy will debate AI's promise and pitfalls in education, focusing on equity, workforce readiness, and ethical use. Attendees will gain insight into AI-enabled learning models, policy frameworks for responsible AI, and how AI can strengthen the STEM pipeline for future challenges and opportunities.

• Tara Chklovski, Founder, CEO, Technovation
• Dr. Mekka Smith, Deputy Chief of Strategic Partnerships and Community, Digital Promise
• Natalie Taitano, Senior Manager of Corporate Responsibility and Government Affairs, Qualcomm
• Dr. Holly Hansen-Thomas, Vice Provost for Research, Innovation, & Corporate Engagement, Texas Woman’s University (TWU) (moderator)

The STEMxcelerator Pitch Competition is a competitive grant program, funded by Battelle, designed to surface and support the next generation of transformative STEM education solutions. Finalists will present their ideas at the STEM Innovation Forum.

• Stacy Claessens, Global Manager, 3M Community Impact
• Lynn Schroetter, Manager, Talent Acquisition (STEM), Abbott
  
• Potoula Stavropoulos, Senior Director, Social Impact | Corporate Affairs, Regeneron
  
• Kathy Sutton, Workforce Development Human Resources Specialist, Electric Boat Corporation
  

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This panel will showcase Ohio’s blueprint for cultivating talent across the student journey—beginning with early exposure and inspiration, progressing through authentic engagement with industry, and culminating in credentialed, career-ready graduates. It highlights three interconnected programs: COSI’s STEM Hive Workforce Roadshow for early exposure, the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association’s Career Ambassador Program for student engagement, and Battelle’s Manufacturing Pathway Pilot Program for credentials and job placement.

With Ohio’s significant manufacturing sector needing talent, the discussion will offer insights into creating a unified system to strengthen talent pipelines, moving from individual programs to a scalable model.

• Kyle Fulton, Executive Director, Central Ohio Manufacturing Partnership
• Heather Sherman, Director, STEMx National Network, Battelle
• Stephen White, Chief Strategy Officer, Senior VP of Partnerships, Center of Science and Industry (COSI)
• Kevin Duff, Executive Vice President, Ohio Excels (moderator)