Episode 237: STEM: Bridging Gaps, Building Futures

Dan serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board for the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and has more than 25 years of engineering experience in the software, electrical, and mechanical fields. The REC Foundation's mission is to provide educators with competition, education, and workforce readiness programs to increase student engagement in science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science.

While being on the front lines of working with over 1M students through the years with the VEX Robotics programs, Dan helps young learners from around the world gain critical skills and hands-on learning to ignite curiosity and passion for innovation.

Born and raised and El Paso Texas and a certified Elementary School teacher. I was introduced to robotics during student teaching when asked to volunteer for a TAG after school program. I would teach basic robotics for an hour after school with an EV3 until I met my wife who on our first date introduced me to VEX. I started coaching VEX IQ and a year later started coaching VRC and now I also do drones. I got my bachelors at University of Texas El Paso and I have a masters in instructional design from UNT. I am in my 6th year teaching and five of those years have been here in Dallas.

My name is Patricia Cortez. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and am a proud product of Dallas ISD. After my journey through the Dallas ISD school system as a student, I attended The University of Texas at Arlington and received my Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Bilingual Education Certification in Early Childhood through 6th grade. After teaching for a couple of years I decided I wanted to continue my education and attended Texas Tech University where I received my Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Graduate Certificate in Personalized Learning Methods. I have been an elementary math and science teacher for the past 10 years and currently serve as a middle school social studies teacher. I became a robotics coach about six years ago when a colleague asked me if we wanted to try this new initiative our district was encouraging. I absolutely fell in love with the VEX ecosystem! Three years ago, I had two little girls ask me to begin our own team with all girls, one where girls wouldn't be afraid to take lead roles and try new things and that is where the journey of my all girls team, the LadyBots, began. After seeing what the GirlPowered initiative did for us, we were set to spread the word that girls do indeed have a place in STEM.