NC Museum of Natural Sciences plans virtual STEM career showcase for students with disabilities

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is taking its STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities virtual this year. The eighth annual event is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17.

The program is free for students in sixth to 12th grade. During the event, they'll get to hear from professionals with disabilities who have thriving careers in STEM fields (that stands for science, technology, engineering and math).

This year's showcase will feature keynote speaker Gina-Maria Pomann, a statistical research scientist and the director of the Duke Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design Core. Ed Summers, a blind software engineer and an accessibility specialist who is director of accessibility at SAS, will serve as moderator of a panel discussion.

As part of the event, students will have the opportunity to learn about how the panelists’ lived experiences and diverse perspectives shaped their unique approaches to navigating and pushing boundaries in their fields, according to the museum. There also will be time for questions.