WVII interviews Musavi about importance of STEM education

Mohamad Musavi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maine and associate dean of the College of Engineering, spoke with WVII (Channel 7) for a report about the importance of STEM education for today’s high school students. In 2014, Musavi started UMaine’s Stormwater Management Research Team (SMART) program, which provides high school students with opportunities to be involved in engineering innovative solutions to stormwater problems. Musavi said he was interested in increasing the pathway to engineering education for high school students. Students in the SMART program engage in engineering design, data acquisition, analysis and visualization, chemistry, environmental science, biology, and information technology. Dedicated mentors support SMART students as they research water issues within their local watersheds, and connect students with professionals working in water and engineering in government, private firms and nonprofits. “We have tried to break this barrier by integrating and bringing some of the students in high school to the university environment and having them work with the professors,” Musavi said.