As Pennsylvania continues to grow as an economic powerhouse, STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — are leading the way. More specifically, industries are emphasizing energy, artificial intelligence, the environment and manufacturing.

To continue to grow in these areas, we need to increase our workforce and one way to do this is through high-quality education that is affordable and accessible. STEM fields are often extremely technical and require strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This requires solid foundational knowledge specific not only to the discipline, but also to the supporting STEM fields.

For example, a civil engineer requires an in-depth understanding of physics and mathematics because to build a bridge or any other structure you must have a basic understanding of topics such as balancing forces and material properties. This foundational knowledge is essential to innovation and making evidence-based decisions that lead to creative solutions.

Higher education provides opportunities for hands-on experiences that are invaluable in STEM and necessary to enter the workforce. It is one thing to learn theory, but it is a whole other experience to apply that theory.

Real-world application is neither as clear nor as simple as it may seem in a textbook.

Too often, the scientific process is taught as a linear process where you start with a problem and end up with a solution, but it is actually a reiterative process that regularly changes as you continue to learn with every step.

Effective STEM training requires strong observational skills and the ability to accurately measure and assess outcomes, skills that can be practiced in laboratory classes. That is why the majority of STEM classes often have some type of laboratory experience associated with them. Students can test code in a computer lab, analyze the impacts of genetic mutations in a biology lab, carry out synthetic reactions in a chemistry lab or build and test a trebuchet in an engineering lab.

In higher education, learning is not limited to the classroom. Many students pursue internship opportunities where they work for a company and learn directly from experience and apply their lessons from the classroom for greater understanding.

When institutions and employers align around a shared purpose, interns move beyond menial tasks to contribute to meaningful, real-world work.

Depending on the internship and the student’s interest, students have worked on cataloging geologic samples, programming innovative quality assurance solutions or analyzing elements.

There are also students who choose to work on novel research projects under the mentorship of faculty in their research labs.

At Slippery Rock University, students have been involved with a breadth of projects, whether it be improving ways to increase the efficiency of storing gas in land reservoirs or studying ways to reduce heat stress in organisms. The impact is transformative, reshaping how students think critically and tackle complex challenges.

Foundational knowledge and technical skills are critical for those interested in pursuing a career in STEM, but the need for strong written and oral communication skills cannot be overstated. As dean of the College of Engineering and Science at SRU, I often speak with industry partners who highly value these skills

Within a liberal education setting, students practice these skills in classes throughout their academic career, whether it be in general education, major courses, at internship sites or at professional conferences.

Within STEM careers, there is a need to clearly and accurately convey information, but due to the technical nature of STEM, this can be particularly challenging. It is a challenge, however, that we must overcome. Without a strong commitment to a well-rounded education, valuable knowledge will go unshared, and costly mistakes will happen.

An education in STEM can open up a world of opportunities. STEM encompasses many disciplines — including biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental geosciences, engineering, mathematics and physics — offering a wide range of career opportunities. While professions such as physicians or meteorologist are highly visible, countless other rewarding careers often go unnoticed — from hydrologists and cybersecurity analysts to biomedical engineers and industrial designers.

STEM education provides exposure to a breadth of options with meaningful growth and exploration throughout the learning process, while also achieving one of many career outcomes.

When a student graduates, this learning does not end, but the foundational knowledge and technical skills that they have gained are important for their ability to adapt to ever-changing fields. Rapid developments and emerging technologies makes careers in STEM particularly exciting.

By investing in STEM education today, we are not only preparing students for fulfilling careers, but we are also preparing the workforce needed to move Pennsylvania into the future.

Dr. Nicole Dafoe earned her Ph.D. in biology at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. She then worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture before starting at Slippery Rock University in 2012, first as a faculty member in the Biology Department and now as the dean for the College of Engineering and Science.