Monday - Sept 30
STEAM Speaker Series
Periods 1-7 | Theater
The STEAM Speaker Series takes place throughout the school day. Watch guest speakers during periods 1-7 in the theater or via the live stream.
The STEAM Speaker Series features scientists, mathematicians, artists, and technologists from local companies and universities sharing their personal and professional experiences with Mountain View High School students.
Presentations take place in the Spartan Theater for 300+ students. Speakers discuss their background in STEAM, the types of projects they work on, and the latest research and challenges of their profession.
We are grateful for our speakers' participation and willingness to share their stories with MVHS students to inspire the next generation of STEAM professionals. Stop by the theater to watch if you have a free period!
Period 1
Three Cheers for Structural Engineers
Dr. Megan Vandervort
Period 2
A Journey in Atmospheric Science and Field Research. What I wish I could've told my younger self
Jay Tomlin & Arwen Dave
Period 3
The mathematics of blue whales and basking sharks
Dave Cade
Period 4
Introduction to digital infrastructure
Jodie Lin, Kevin Imboden, Scott Brookshire, and Lucy Yeh
Period 5
Physics: from career opportunities to lifelong fulfillment
Frank Cascarano
Period 6
Ignite your Journey: Practical Tips for Success
Lizzie Sargeant
Period 7
My Lessons in Chemistry (Biotech Research & Development)
Natasha Popovich
Period 1
Megan Vandervort
Professional Engineer - Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers
After graduating from UC Berkeley with her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in civil engineering with a structural emphasis, Megan (she/her) began working as a structural, consulting engineer. For the past 3 years, she has been designing new buildings and working on seismic retrofits of existing buildings in Martin/Martin's Bay Area office. Megan is involved in the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). When not working, you can find her playing soccer, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and cats.
Period 2
Jay Tomlin
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - NASA Ames Research Center
Jay Tomlin earned his B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Physics from Rowan University in 2017 and completed his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at Purdue University in 2022. His doctoral research focused on the airborne measurement of greenhouse gases and aerosols and their impacts on climate. He employed X-ray spectromicroscopy to investigate the properties of individual atmospheric particles and their environmental effects. Jay also studied greenhouse gas emissions from large cities across the East Coast through airborne fieldwork, using mass balance and eddy covariance techniques, combined with large-scale model analysis.
Period 2
Arwen Dave
Flight Systems Engineer - NASA Ames Research Center
Grew up on Sonoma farm, earned bachelor's degree in New York, worked on Space Station, Mars life search, and lunar rover projects.
Period 3
David Cade
Biologist - Stanford University/Hopkins Marine Station
Dr. Cade's research is at the intersection of oceanography, ecology and engineering. His work uses video, sound, and tags that log animal movement to investigate the energetics and biomechanics of filter-feeding marine animals like baleen whales and some sharks. Trained as an educator, he spent 6 years guiding wilderness trips and 6 years teaching high school math before going to grad school to study oceanography and biology. He earned his PhD in 2019 and now works as a research biologist at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station.
Period 4
Jodie Lin
Advisor - Nomad Futurist Foundation
Jodie Lin is a member of the Nomad Futurist Foundation helping to identify and cultivate the next generation of leaders in the infrastructure technology industry. A proud product of an international family with Taiwanese roots, her many travels and several years living abroad have installed a deep-rooted commitment to serving others and advocating for diversity and inclusion. She has first hand expertise to operate with the utmost confidence and transparency that her partners have come to rely upon. An authentic personality with a genuine warmth towards the importance of nurturing the younger generation.
Period 4
Kevin Imboden
Global Director - EdgeConneX
Kevin Imboden joined EdgeConneX in 2022 after a decade and a half of study of the commercial real estate market for both the data provider and brokerage realms. He has produced a variety of research in primary and emerging markets, conducted both local and international market analyses, and appeared on many podcasts and at speaking engagements worldwide. Kevin has a strong knowledge of the global data center industry along with international capital flows and macroeconomics, and frequently deciphers both local and global market trends current and future. He is proudly co-chair of the DIEB (Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, Belonging) Committee at EdgeConneX and has a combined degree in Business Management and Economics from UCSC.
Period 4
Scott Brookshire
Chief Technology Officer - OpenColo
Scott has over 20 years experience working inside and out of the datacenter space. He drives and develops OpenColo’s technical strategy and provides technical direction while managing to emphasize developing long lasting relationships with customers, vendors and partners and is continually striving for win-win opportunities.
Period 4
Lucy Yeh
Sr. Director, Account Management & Customer Success Management at PacketFabric
Lucy Yeh, who currently serves as the Senior Director of Account Management and Customer Success at PacketFabric, is a sales leader with over 25 years of experience in the technology industry. She is known for her passion for building strong teams and exceeding expectations in B2B partnerships, account management, and sales leadership. Throughout her career, she has played a key role in the growth of numerous digital platforms and services, contributing to the success of many digital-centric companies by developing effective strategies to enhance their online presence.
Period 5
Frank Cascarano
Physics Professor - Foothill College
I have been teaching Physics at Foothill College since Fall 2003. Prior to that I worked for ten years as a Process Engineer and Manager in the semiconductor industry. Process Engineers optimize chemical reactions that are used in manufacturing computer chips. One of the things I enjoyed about Process Engineering is that it is very inter-disiplinary, involving physics, chemistry, and materials science. Outside of work, my interests include cooking, woodworking, home improvement projects, and watching my sons play hockey (even now that they are both adults).
Period 6
Lizzie Sargeant
Engineering Director - Lockheed Martin
Lizzie Sargeant is the Engineering Program Director for Strategic & Missile Defense Systems at Lockheed Martin Space. In this role, she is responsible for engineering execution of a portfolio of programs for a variety of customers within the Department of Defense. Prior to this, Ms. Sargeant was the Chief Engineer for the THAAD Weapon System, where she led a team of 600 engineers to continue to develop, produce, & sustain this critical capability for our nation. Throughout her 23 years of experience, Lizzie has worked in a variety of roles on both missile and satellite programs, including engineering, project management, functional management, & talent strategy. Ms. Sargeant holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. She is a graduate of the Lockheed Martin Executive Development & Growth Enhancement Program.
Period 7
Natasha Popovich
Sr Director, Research & Development - Sciex
Natasha has been focused on the innovation at the biology/device interface over her 20+ years in the biotech industry. She has worked on products ranging from biosensors to DNA sequencers, and capillary electrophoresis/MS tools for biopharma industry/drug development. She has worked in companies with less than 10 people, all the way to the current role at Danaher (>60k associates globally). She is an Analytical Chemist by training, specializing primarily in Surface Chemistry. She currently leads a Fremont-based R&D division of the Global R&D organization for SCIEX.
Attend
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Learn
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Participate
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