Celebrating International STEM/STEAM Day at UVA

Ken Ono is the STEM Advisor to the Provost, Fellow of the Shannon Center for Advanced Studies, and the Marvin Rosenblum Professor of Mathematics at UVA. He hosts a podcast called HOOS in STEM, and maintains his website https://uva.theopenscholar.com/ken-ono/.

Hello, UVA community, alumni, students, faculty, and staff! I’m Ken Ono, your STEM Advisor to the Provost and host of the biweekly podcast HOOS IN STEM. My job is to showcase the cornucopia of STEM here at UVA, the wonderful world of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics that makes our university shine. With International STEM/STEAM Day on November 8, what better time to share why this work is so exciting and to celebrate the amazing momentum happening across Grounds! 

What is STEM and why add the A for STEAM?
STEM brings together science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to understand our world and craft innovative solutions. We go beyond by practicing STEAM, incorporating arts to ignite creativity, design thinking, and human-centered innovation. Our programs span biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, computing, data science, AI, cybersecurity, mathematics, and various engineering fields.

Why STEM matters, Here and Everywhere
STEM research and education drive economic growth and foster high-impact careers in health, energy, transportation, finance, and climate. They prepare us to address urgent challenges such as climate resilience, public health, food and water security, and digital trust and security. STEM supports daily life, from clean water and medical imaging to logistics and smartphones. It also enhances national competitiveness, security, and builds data literacy that benefits all professions. Core skills in STEM and STEAM include analytical and quantitative reasoning, experimentation and evidence-based thinking, computational thinking and coding, design and systems thinking, prototyping, teamwork, communication, and ethics. Our education priorities focus on hands-on learning in labs, studios, projects, maker spaces, and internships, along with strong foundations in math and the scientific method, inclusion and access for learners from all backgrounds, and clear pathways through apprenticeships, and lifelong learning.

UVA Highlights Worth Celebrating
Recent years have marked remarkable progress at UVA. The Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology was launched with a transformational gift, propelling advancements in cell and gene therapies. In December 2023, groundbreaking ceremonies celebrated a new era. The School of Data Science opened in April 2024 along the Emmet Ivy Corridor, initiating UVA’s first Bachelor of Science in Data Science starting Fall 2024, expanding pathways into the booming data and AI economy.

Through the Grand Challenges program, UVA invests heavily in Neuroscience, including Alzheimer’s, autism, focused ultrasound, and brain mapping, and in Climate, fostering environmental resilience and community-centered sustainability initiatives. The Strategic Research Infrastructure Initiative bolsters research staff, core facilities, and data systems, serving as the backbone for large-scale discovery. Other STEM initiatives are driving cross-university collaborations in AI, Alzheimer’s research, astronomy, autonomous race cars, black hole physics, chemical discoveries, contagion science, climate research (from local to global), focused ultrasound inventions, quantum computing and many more. The new Contemplative Commons connects arts, nature, technology, and active learning as a STEAM hub. UVA’s strategic investments are shaping the future of innovation and community impact.

HOOS IN STEM, Stories that Inspire Action
Every two weeks on HOOS IN STEM, I sit down with UVA faculty, students, and alumni who are designing, discovering, and building things that matter. The purpose is simple, celebrate people, connect disciplines, and invite listeners of every background to hear for themselves about our work in STEM and STEAM. If you have not tuned in yet, I hope you will listen, share an episode with a friend, and tell us who we should feature next.

A Community Call to Action

STEM’s momentum isn’t guaranteed; when participation narrows and research funding wavers, discoveries slow. International STEM/STEAM Day is our cue to widen the doorway and steady the support. Students, dive into labs, studios, and maker spaces. Try a coding workshop or design sprint or join a project team solving real problems. Faculty and staff, keep forging cross-school partnerships and keep up the good work! UVA’s tradition of mentoring changes lives. Alumni and friends, partner with us on internships, capstones, scholarships, and research collaborations, as your support opens doors and accelerates impact. Today, let’s commit to a UVA where discovery is hands-on and mission-driven, where the rigor of science and math meets the imagination of the arts to deliver healthier people, a safer planet, and opportunity for all.

Go STEM! Go UVA!