STEAM Spark - Think STEAM Careers, Podcast with Dr. Olufade
STEAM Spark: Think STEAM Careers Podcast with Dr. Olufade. Welcome to STEAM Sparks: The Think STEAM Career Podcast, hosted by Dr. Ayo Olufade. Our mission is to raise awareness about the importance of pursuing college and careers in STEAM fields and the positive impact they can have on BIPOC communities.
Dr. Ayo's journey, fueled by his passion for STEAM education, lies at the heart of this podcast. His experiences and meaningful conversations with guests from STEM and STEAM backgrounds inspire us to highlight the significance of STEM education and careers as sources of empowerment. We aim to better position the next generation for success.
By sharing personal stories and experiences, we hope to inspire and encourage our audience to consider STEAM careers. We are committed to promoting diversity and representation of BIPOC communities in the STEM field, breaking stereotypes, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone's unique perspective is valued.
Join us as we explore the endless possibilities and opportunities in STEAM fields. With your participation and support, let's work together to shape a brighter future for all.
#ThinkSTEAMCareers #BeInspired #BeAnInspiration
It is time to innovate!
Dr. Ayo Olufade, Host STEAM Sparks: Think STEAM Careers Podcast with Dr. Olufade
STEAM Spark - Think STEAM Careers, Podcast with Dr. Olufade
We Pause To Celebrate The Woman Whose Calculations Power Your Maps, Weather Apps, And ATMs
A single life can quietly reshape the world. We pause to honor Dr. Gladys West, the pioneering mathematician whose precision turned satellite signals into the GPS foundation that powers maps, weather tracking, logistics, finance, and emergency response. From a Virginia tobacco farm to the halls of military research and recognition, her journey embodies resilience, rigor, and the transformative power of math done well.
We share how West’s geodetic modeling refined our understanding of Earth’s shape and gravity, enabling accurate position, navigation, and timing. That accuracy keeps airplanes on course, ships on schedule, and data networks synchronized. It guides rideshares to your doorstep, helps first responders reach the right address, and lets farmers and scientists depend on trustworthy coordinates. By tracing these everyday links, we reveal the infrastructure of innovation that most of us never see but rely on every hour.
Along the way, we confront the habit of underestimating women in science and elevate the unglamorous work that makes technology reliable. West’s legacy invites students to chase precision, leaders to value credit and craft, and communities to celebrate the builders behind our tools. This tribute blends remembrance with a call to keep the spark alive: honor the quiet architects, teach their stories, and invest in the math that makes the modern world run.
If this story moved you, share it with someone who loves science, mentorship, or the hidden gears of technology. Subscribe for more conversations that spotlight the people and ideas powering real progress, and leave a review to help others find the show.
Welcome to Steam Spark Podcast. I am Dr. Ayo Lufade. Today we are not just talking about innovation in our community. Today, I decided to come and to honor one of the giants in our community. It is very important that when a giant in a community passed on to Grace, that we should recognize that individual. This week we lost a giant, Dr. Glydes West, at the age of 95. If you have ever used a map on your phone, check the weather map or weather app or even use an ATM. Let's say, for example, today, probably some of you did want to use your ATM today. You have touched on her legacy. As a scientist and as an educator, I've often said, stop underestimating women. And Dr. West is the ultimate proof of why. She was a mathematician who saw the spark in the numbers when others only saw data. She worked in the shadow of history for decades, only for her work to be eventually or to eventually guide the entire world. It doesn't matter wherever you are in the world, whether you are in the West, whether you are in the United States of America, you are in Africa, you are in Asia, you are in Europe. The work of Dr. West was a foundation for many things that we take for granted. Whether it is in telecommunication, whether it is in defense, whether it is in commerce or shipping, our work laid the foundation for the success that we all enjoy today. Today we celebrate the life of Resilient from the tobacco firm of Virginia to the halls of Air Force Base and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame. Rest in grace, Dr. West. We will keep the Spark alive. Thank you for all that you did. My deepest condolences to Dr. West's family and our friends. Thank you, everyone. This is Dr. Ayo Olufari Steam Spark podcast.
