Dr. Jason Treadway
Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Oct. 5, 2017
(DALLAS) — Dr. Jason Treadway, former lead educator for applied science at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and — most recently — director of education for the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, will serve as the new director of the Dallas County Community College District’s STEM Institute, effective Oct. 12, 2017. Treadway’s appointment was approved by members of DCCCD’s board of trustees during their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
“The Dallas County Community College District is excited to welcome Dr. Jason Treadway as the new director of our STEM Institute,” said Dr. Joe May, the district’s chancellor. “Dr. Treadway’s background and hands-on experience in education — particularly in science and education — will enhance programs offered by the DCCCD STEM Institute, which plays a critical role in preparing our students for STEM careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
"I am honored to join DCCCD and very excited about being at the helm of the STEM Institute. As a life-long learner with advanced degrees in STEM, I am passionate about STEM education and the importance of filling the gap of skilled workers entering STEM careers,” said Treadway. “I feel the key to this success is developing dynamic and innovative programs that meet students’ needs both academically and by engaging professional opportunities. Programs like the DCCCD STEM Institute have the power to change lives, and I am thrilled to be a part of the transformative process."
The DCCCD STEM Institute was established in 2009 to provide students — STEM Scholars — with a transformative experience as they pursue their education at the district’s seven colleges. The institute’s program prepares them to transfer to a four-year university and to fill a critical workforce need in STEM fields. DCCCD’s STEM Institute has served more than 600 students since it was created.
The DCCCD STEM Institute currently is undergoing a transition. “Previously, the STEM Institute provided scholarships and extracurricular programming for approximately 100 STEM Scholars each year plus mentors through a group of faculty Fellows,” said Dr. Mary Brumbach, the district’s chief strategy officer. “The new model is a regional network which includes partnerships with area universities and employers. It also includes a new website which provides exceptional resources for secondary and post-secondary students, faculty, employers and associations as well as an association of teaching and learning centers.”
DCCCD’s STEM Institute was developed with support from the Dallas/North Texas STEM Degree Accelerator Project, which is funded by a grant from the Helmsley Foundation; administered by Educate Texas; and led by DCCCD. In its new form, the DCCCD STEM Institute’s goal remains the same: to increase the number of highly skilled STEM professionals in the DFW area but also to impact thousands of students in career and technical education and transfer programs, said Brumbach.
The STEM Institute, under Treadway’s direction, will continue to offer professional skills workshops and an annual STEM Summit, featuring speakers who represent the cutting edge of STEM research and innovation. The DCCCD STEM Institute now includes
four integrated components (PDF – 879KB):
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Dallas and North Texas STEM Accelerator (regional STEM collaborative effort among individuals, groups, companies and institutions to engage more students in STEM programs);
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DCCCD STEM League (a student-based STEM organization to assist with information about STEM scholarships/applications, events, networking, coaching);
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DCCCD STEM Network (a collaborative network among DCCCD’s colleges to assist STEM students and faculty);
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STEM INSIGHT (a new website for all things STEM in Dallas and North Texas at
steminsight.org).
Treadway’s background in aerospace, academia and museum education spans 20 years. He spent his early career in aerospace, serving as an engineer at AVIALL, Dallas Aerospace and Chromalloy, where he worked on gas turbine engines. During his time at Chromalloy, he became interested in materials engineering and decided to pursue a master’s degree in materials science and engineering.
While Treadway was a graduate student at the University of Texas at Arlington, he was the founding chair for the American Society of Materials UTA student chapter and served as camp director for the inaugural Materials Camp for middle- and high-school students.
After he completed his master’s degree at UTA, DCCCD’s new STEM Institute director began working full time on his doctoral degree in structural engineering. After Treadway was awarded his doctorate, he returned to Dallas and began his career in informal education at the Museum of Nature and Science at later at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. In 2014, he joined the Frontiers of Flight Museum as its director of education, where his career came full circle — where he returned to aviation and also embraced his passion for informal education.
Treadway is actively involved in his daughter’s school and his church community. He also is a member of several professional organizations, serves on a number of civic boards and presents regularly at educational conferences.
Treadway earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University-Commerce); his master’s degree in materials science and engineering from UTA; and his doctorate in structural engineering from Imperial College London.
For more information, contact Dr. Mary Brumbach, DCCCD’s chief strategy officer, at
mbrumbach@dcccd.edu or at 214-378-1549.
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