For four exciting days in November 2019, Gulf Coast Diplomacy hosted a group of nine professionals from Austria, Costa Rica, Fiji, Mongolia, Namibia, Sweden, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. Department of State invited these visitors to participate in an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) which was arranged at the national level by the Institute of International Education and at the local level by Gulf Coast Diplomacy. The professional aims of the itinerary included reviewing “the advancement of women in scientific research in America,” exploring “the policies of organizations…that champion the interest of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics),” sharing “best practices for fostering ‘hidden talent,’” and examining “public/private partnerships to accelerate student learning in STEM, especially for girls from diverse backgrounds.”
The group arrived in the region on the weekend and started its time with a cultural activity, exploring nature via a dolphin-watching tour of Pensacola Bay. That evening, volunteer hosts Andrea & Allan Ford, Rachel Hendrix, Karen & Mike Jurkowich, and Jeremy Ochoa invited them to their homes for dinner and a glimpse of life on the Gulf Coast.
The group’s professional activities began with meeting Principal Sheena Payne and her team at the West Florida High School of Advanced Technology where they met faculty and students to gain an understanding of how the school’s challenging curriculum prepares students for entry into their chosen career fields. School visits are always an IVLP highlight and seeing science classes in progress was a great addition to the group’s itinerary.
The visitors then traveled to the University of West Florida (UWF) for lunch at the school commons. Their first afternoon appointment was with the UWF Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Dr. Mohammad Khabou led a discussion highlighting how UWF supports the BEST Robotics Competition and how it inspires middle and high school students to pursue their dreams. Later that same afternoon, UWF STEM Coaching Specialist Laura Swann spoke to the visitors along with Dr. Jonathan Hall and Katie Vaccaro-Garska. The focus on their conversation was on university strategies for recruitment and retention of STEM students.
At the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Associate Director Dr. Sharon Heise highlighted the institute’s work at the forefront of artificial intelligence, robotics, machine-learning, and human-machine interaction. The group explored the dynamics of women in STEM and took a site visit of the robotics lab where they met Valkyrie, NASA’s humanoid robot.
At the Pensacola MESS Hall, Founder & Executive Director Dr. Megan Pratt invited the group to explore the museum and opened the floor for a discussion on hands-on campaigns to encourage aspiring scientists and critical thinkers. The MESS Hall also served as the venue for an evening reception featuring the IVLP participants as part of the cultural extravaganza known as Foo Foo Fest 2019.
Pensacola City Council Member Sherri Myers added to the project by welcoming the group officially to the City of Five Flags. She provided insight into the region’s history, current demographics, and major challenges. Before their departure, Council Member Myers gave each participant and their liaison officer a certificate of honorary citizenship with the city.
