Emerging Fields in STEM

As technology increases, along with company and organizational growth, the demand for filling STEM jobs will see a direct correlation.  That is to say, the projected growth for STEM employment is expected to be around 13 percent between 2012 and 2022.  This is to exceed market expectations for other jobs during that time by about two percent (“STEM101: Intro to Tomorrow’s Jobs,” 2014).

Considering the potential impact these new STEM careers will have on the global economy is massive; these jobs will range from new variations on programming and engineering to an innovative take on data analysis and development.

One of the new fields emerging in STEM is robotic engineering (Pertit, n.d.).  While a student may elect to take the traditional route of mechanical or electrical engineering in college, the challenges awaiting in robotics are far from ordinary.  Typically, this area has been relegated to manufacturing (specifically needed to create programmable arms), but as robots continue to be modified and reinvented, their usefulness has now expanded to solving problems within the medical and agricultural fields.  Interestingly enough, those entering this field may also have the possibility to save lives in inventing robots to complete tasks that have historically proven “too hazardous to be performed by people” (“Robotics engineer,” n.d.).

However, robotic engineers are not the only ones that have the potential to save lives.  Bioengineers have been in the process of developing ways for those needing organ transplants to regenerate those organs using their own cells.  By doing this, not only will the wait time for organs be eliminated, but the tragedies associated with not finding donors in time will prospectively decrease.  This rising group of engineers is known as the “organ designers”.  In applying mathematical models and statistics, organ designers are able to build “organs, limbs, knees, hips, heart valves and dental implants to replace lost function; others are growing living tissues to replace failing organs” (“Designing a career in biomedical engineering,” 2003).  For students interested in this field, having a rich and varied background in both science (biology) and math is encouraged.

Another interesting, burgeoning field in the sciences is related to water conservation.  Because “only 2% of the world’s water is fresh” (coupled with climate changes and shifting weather patterns), the possibility of limited access to fresh water is very real (Scott, 2014).  With this in mind, water harvesters endeavor to find new, dynamic ways of automating filtering, which can provide for an accelerated conversion process.  This ongoing effort to improve automation holds significant value in the face of natural disasters.  Water harvesters typically have a strong understanding of environmental science and safe environmental practices (Peritt).

Meeting the demands of these challenges continues to be of critical importance.  From finding ways to improve our quality of life to building systems that alleviate global problems, the capacity of STEM-related careers will only be known as history unfolds.  PCS Edventures offers a wide variety of curriculum and products that enables students to understand how to approach these concerns.  In equipping students with the basic understanding of concepts foundational to STEM, they can have an early start in creating and imagining the future solutions to today’s problems.

References:

STEM 101: intro to tomorrow’s jobs. (2014). Retrieved September 24, 2015, from http://www.stemedcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/BLS-STEM-Jobs-report-spring-2014.pdf

Pertit, S. (n.d.). 5 STEM careers that don’t exist yet, and how you can prepare for them. Retrieved September 24, 2015, from http://stemjobs.com/5-stem-careers-that-dont-exist-yet-and-how-you-can-prepare-for-them/2/

Robotics engineer. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2015, from http://www.princetonreview.com/careers/139/robotics-engineer

Designing a career in biomedical engineering. (2003). Retrieved September 24, 2015, from http://www.embs.org/docs/careerguide.pdf

Scott, G. (2014, May 1). Atmospheric water harvester could be your future job. Retrieved September 24, 2015, from http://www.seriouswonder.com/atmospheric-water-harvester-could-be-your-future-job/

By: Lindsay Reeves