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Tag: STEM

Aiken will be the home of the ‘greatest single investment’ for the SC National Guard

By Carl Dawson, originally published May 27, 2025 by Aiken Standard

AIKEN — Ground was ceremonially broken May 27 on the campus of USC Aiken for the S.C. National Guard Cyber Integration Center and Readiness Center, two facilities costing a total of nearly $45 million.

Maj. Gen. Robin Stillwell, adjutant general of the S.C. National Guard, called it “the greatest single investment in one location in the history of the South Carolina National Guard.”

“That’s a big deal, but really the biggest deal about all of this is the investment that we are making with our collaborators and our partners here today,” Stillwell said, listing local, state and federal authorities, members of the Department of Defense and other federal entities, USCA and other academic institutions.

“This project promises to be a platform for human and technological advancement focused on education, workforce development and prototyping. It also promises to be a platform into the future, nested in national security priorities,” he said.

“We are very excited across the river that this extension of the energy across the CSRA is happening,” said Maj. Gen. Ryan Janovic, commanding officer of Fort Eisenhower in Augusta and of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence located there. He said $1.4 billion in construction is underway at Fort Eisenhower.

“Never do we think about the building as something unto itself. It’s always about the team within it. The building and its network and team and the innovative spirit that happens within the walls of these types of facilities are the magic,” Janovic said.

He called the cross-border collaboration “something unique and something that is significantly contributing to our national security.”

The CSRA is rapidly emerging as a hub for cybersecurity and STEM development, with Aiken and USC Aiken playing an integral role in this transformation through “leveraging the power of proximity” with its centralized location bridging cyber assets in Georgia, to the midlands, the upstate and the coast of South Carolina, said Dr. Daniel Heimmermann, chancellor of USC Aiken.

“As we know, the menace of cyberattacks is undeterred by state boundaries or geographical features like rivers, or the gates of a university or college,” he said. “As is true of the mission of this university, the South Carolina National Guard facilities that we celebrate today are truly regional and national assets that will be a service to us all.”

He said the projects are the culmination of more than a decade of work and collaboration between the S.C. National Guard, USC Aiken, political leaders and others, and that more than $145 million was being invested in regional cybersecurity assets.

“The goals that have inspired the key partnerships between USC Aiken and the S.C. National Guard and the Savannah River National Laboratory and others very much align with the national priorities in areas such as advanced manufacturing, cyber protection of our critical infrastructure, AI, energy resilience and grid protection,” Heimmermann said.

“USCA’s partnership with the guard’s Cyber Integration Center will synergize the opportunity for accelerated economic growth, educational opportunities and workforce development,” he said.

“The governor and I … are very excited to see what is happening here. Thank you to all our partners in the statehouse for seeing how critical this all is,” said S.C. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.

“The governor and I have been very forward focused on looking at what is going to be the workforce of tomorrow, and how do we continue to inspire young minds to know that these are the careers that we need?” she said.

Evette called the project “another example of how here in South Carolina we communicate, we collaborate, and we cooperate together to get great things done.”

S.C. Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, said teamwork by the legislative delegation and the leadership of Aiken County government leadership secured the funding for the project in June 2022.

“Our delegation is so proud that we could be part of this game-changing investment that will bring cyber security opportunities and workforce development to generations of South Carolinians and people in this region for years to come,” Young said.

“This cyber issue couldn’t be more important. We recognize now that sadly we are in a war that we did not choose,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C. “We have to face it.”

“With this in mind, for peace through strength, this command is going to be so important,” Wilson said.

“We live in an idyllic community, but Aiken is not immune,” said S.C. Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, listing the Savannah River Site, the Savannah River National Lab, the SRS Plutonium Pit Production Facility, Meta and AGY as likely targets of cyberattack.

“Thankfully, the South Carolina National Guard Cyber Integration Center will help protect our nation, our state, the critical infrastructure and all of the businesses that I just talked about,” Taylor said “The partnership and the collaboration with USC Aiken, SRS and the business community will pay dividends for decades to come.”

Comprehensive cancer treatment now an option with Augusta Oncology opening in North Augusta

By Elizabeth Hustad. Originally posted on 5/19/2025 in The Post & Courier North Augusta Star

NORTH AUGUSTA — May 12 marked the official opening of Augusta Oncology Multispecialty Clinic in North Augusta, the $30 million project capturing every facet of cancer treatment in one facility, a first for the Central Savannah River Area.

Augusta Oncology sees around 3,000 patients a day across its five area treatment centers, and health officials are estimating that North Augusta alone will serve close to 400 patients a day.

“It has been quite a venture to get here,” AO Multispecialty Chief Operating Officer Robert Hendricks said.

Though only a year between Augusta Oncology announcing its expansion into North Augusta and the start of treatments here in mid-February, the front-end work took place in Columbia, at the General Assembly, where Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette this week said the state’s lawmakers had been “really listening to the medical world saying ‘we need more outlets for treating our patients.’”

South Carolina’s repeal of the Certificate of Need — the bureaucratic red tape that had until mid-2023 bound medical providers to stringent requirements before building new hospitals or larger-scale clinics. Even expansions in medical equipment and telemedicine were subject to licensing.

“Certificate of Need was stifling so many clinics like this that could open up and do great things for every sector of our state,” Evette said.

“Our goal has always been to remove barriers to care and make the cancer journey easier for our patients and their families,” Traci Duffie, CEO of AO Multispecialty, said.

Comprehensive care

The facility, located at 150 Bluff Ave., is intended to maximize not only treatment capacity but treatment quality, John Kowal said.

Kowal, president of Siemens Healthineers for the Americas, said the clinic’s layered convenience — a 30,000-square-foot medical oncology suite above a 15,000 square-feet of radiation center — is paramount in making sure no one has to travel “miles and miles, hours and hours” to get full treatment.

Part of that treatment might come from one of two linear accelerators, ensconced in a pair of concrete vaults and picked out as top-of-the line technology, a qualifier affirmed by a radiation therapist of 26 years.

“This is state of the art. You won’t get this anywhere in this area, and especially not this combination,” Linda Jainniney said, gesturing to one of the “Linacs.”

Augusta Oncology is able to re-plan patient treatments in real time, while the patient is on the treatment table, she said. No delay, no need to “re-simulate,” she said, if the tumor shrinks more rapidly than expected or if the patient loses weight unexpectedly.

“The whole goal here is to have the highest quality imaging to make sure that you very clearly can see the target where it is today and to be able to carve around it, make sure that we end up ablating that tumor and minimizing the impact, in a non-invasive environment,” Siemens’ Kowal summarized.

Radiation treatments might go on every day for six weeks. That can translate into a patient having to make some hard decisions during an already stressful time — the tugs between personal needs and health needs, Jainniney said.

But in North Augusta, “They can get the care that they need while they’re right here with their family and not have to make that choice,” she said. “Traveling is a huge thing, especially when prognoses can be very different, so you have to weigh — you know, do I want to spend that time away from my family? They don’t have to make that choice.”

Nancy Kitchens attested to the level of care she received from Augusta Oncology after being diagnosed with breast cancer during the buildout of the North Augusta facility.

Now in radiation, the treatment offered by those Linacs has been pain-free, she said, a little awed still — she admitted that she hadn’t quite believed the doctors when they said it would be.

“This place has your back in the biggest way; they want to save your life,” she said.

From an underutilized building to one of life-saving work, North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams said the massive transformation of the former Medac building, half-vacant for years and seeing only the 50 or so employees each day, into Augusta Oncology and its revolving doors of patients and doctors was needed density for economic activity and a needed link between the city’s downtown and its once-again developing Riverside Village.

Not on the list for why Augusta Oncology came here, Williams laughed, but still, “that’s a serendipity for us.”

South Carolina skilled trades: A call for hands-on talent

By Destiny Kennedy, originally published by WMBF on May 7, 2025

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) -Local leaders and organizers highlight the growing need for skilled workforce in the trades industry.

Join us as we speak with the Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association about the importance of getting people involved in the skilled trades.

South Carolina Lieutenant Governor, Pamela Evette stopped by to discuss the rising demand for skilled trades and the steps the state is taking to support workforce development.

We even spoke with Horry Georgetown Technical College and BELFOR about their hands-on training programs that are preparing students for careers in trades.

If your interested in a career in skilled trades, visit Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association’s website here.

Grand Strand Today airs weekdays at 11 am on WMBF News.

South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette Announces STEM Funding for the Palmetto Academy for Motor Sports

PALM to receive funding as part of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) Lt. Governors’ STEM Scholarship Program

CONWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA – South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette has announced that Palmetto Academy for Motor Sports is an award recipient of the 2025 NLGA Lt. Governors STEM Scholarship Program!  NLGA will award the school $500 as part of a national call for applications for funding STEM programming and curriculum in schools.

“STEM opportunities are essential for students across all ages, disciplines, and career paths,” said Lt. Governor Evette. “South Carolina stands as a national leader in the automotive, manufacturing, and motorsports industries. Through supporting STEM education at PALM, the NLGA funding is advancing the education and development of South Carolina’s future S.C. workforce.”

PALM is a vocational high school dedicated to preparing students for careers in the motorsports industry. The STEM Scholarship will provide funding for microscopes, enabling students to incorporate microscopy into subjects like biology and chemistry, and to enhance their academic experience through a robust, competency-based curriculum.

NLGA opened the application period for the STEM Scholarship Program in January 2025. The application process was competitive, with NLGA receiving more than 125 requests for STEM funding from schools in 32 states and territories. Twelve schools in 12 states and territories were awarded $500 – $1,000 for STEM-related expenses.

“As the seconds-in-command in state and territorial government, lieutenant governors are uniquely poised to lead on STEM education,” said NLGA Executive Director Kellie Rittershausen. “By supporting STEM-related activities in schools across the country, we can encourage a long-term interest and passion in STEM education in America’s youth.”

The Scholarship Program is administered by NLGA, the nonpartisan, nonprofit association for the nation’s seconds-in-command, and sponsored by ACT, the education and career readiness nonprofit.

“ACT is proud to have been the sponsor of the NLGA STEM scholarship program since its inception and to see its growth and impact over the past 4 years,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said. “STEM education is crucial for our country’s future workforce which will be increasingly reliant on the critical thinking and problem-solving skills it fosters, regardless of a student’s college or career pathway.  ACT is uniquely poised to meet this moment, and working alongside NLGA, we are committed to ensuring that all students leave high school prepared to enter a world of evolving postsecondary and work opportunities, including those for which a high-quality STEM education are essential.”

Public, private, and tribal schools serving pre-K – 12th grade students in the 50 states and five U.S. territories were invited to apply for funding to support STEM-related activities, programming, curriculum, equipment, and other expenses. Funding will be provided to all winning schools in May.

Additional information on the STEM Scholarship Program can be found at https://nlga.us/state-strategies-in-stem/.

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The National Lieutenant Governors Association donates 100 STEM toys to the YMCA of Coastal Carolina

Originally published April 25, 2024 by the YMCA of Coastal Carolina

The YMCA of Coastal Carolina was the proud recipient of the NLGA STEM Service Project donations at the National Lieutenant Governors Association Spring Meeting.  

David Byrd, Chief Executive Officer for the YMCA of Coastal Carolina thanked the NLGA participants and said, “STEM is a big part of our future. Our YMCAs across the United States and particularly here in South Carolina, focus heavily on STEM. I see it everyday with our kids and our families. We are honored today to receive this gift of 100 STEM toys.” 

Sponsored by BMW Manufacturing Co, NLGA Members wrapped and donated 100 STEM-related toys to the YMCA of Coastal Carolina to give to kids in our programs.  As of April 1, 2024, more than 450 youth in six states or territories have STEM opportunity as a direct result of NLGA Members meeting and working together.

“Getting our kids involved and engaged with STEM is so important to developing the workforce of tomorrow” said Lt. Governor Pamela Evette. “We are thankful to BMW for their support and the YMCA of Coastal Carolina for providing hands-on learning experiences throughout the school year and during the summers — allowing parents to get to work and helping our kids to thrive.”

YMCA Afterschool and Summer Camp programs incorporate STEM, literacy, academic support, and physical activity into the daily schedules. Evidence shows that providing out-of-school time (OST) learning directly impacts what is possible to learn inside classrooms — just as what happens in classrooms impacts OST learning.

Hatton Gravely, Chief Development Officer for the YMCA of Coastal Carolina, adds, “Kids learn through play, and these STEM toys will enhance what the kids are learning in school and at the Y in programs. We are so grateful to be selected by the NLGA for this wonderful gift!”

SC lieutenant governor promotes STEM education as key to attracting tech industry

by Michael Owen – originally published by WPDE on September 14, 2023

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — South Carolina is pushing to be an attractive destination for tech companies, and our state’s Lieutenant Governor said the key is being a national leader in stem education.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette visited the Grand Strand today to speak at a tech conference.

She was the host speaker Wednesday at the SC Decoded Conference in North Myrtle Beach.

She said that having these types of jobs and education resources available is crucial to our area if we want the younger generations to stay here.

The Lieutenant Governor also said that while Myrtle Beach has always been routed in hospitality, it’s now expanding into a new industry.

“With DC Blox announcing they’re coming to Myrtle Beach, basically bringing transatlantic fiber in here and being a data center. So, what that’s saying is this is the area you want to be in if you’re going to be in the cyber computer science arena,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

In order to keep attracting those companies and providing future generations with jobs, Evette said education is the key.

“We have an opportunity. There are great choices in this field, and we as a state, want our kids to stay here. We’re looking out into the future that we are educating our kids for the jobs of the future,” she said.

In 2018, just 43% of all high schools in South Carolina offered computer science courses. Now 93% offer them, which is number two in the country.

She said we need to introduce kids to stem fields at earlier ages.

“It’s never too young. You know I first learned here in Myrtle Beach about STEM and STEAM doing robotics. They start them out very young with Legos getting the dexterity to put things together to create and build and they continue to ramp that up each year,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

The leader of FIRST Robotics competitions in South Carolina tells me they have kids as young as four years old participating.

“When you go look at kids, they’re using technology. They’re using their iPads. They’re using all these resources and sometimes it’s just to have an environment they can relax in. What we try to do is flip that brain the other way and say how can we actually show the kids how to build that app,” said Chris Cortez, FIRST South Carolina. He added, “They’re using encoding skills that we teach them to build those apps. So they can actually understand at a fundamental level of actually how this comes to be.”

Cortez said FIRST wants to give all kids the opportunity to be introduced to STEM fields and have mentors to be able to help guide them in the industry.

“We also want to empower the students that are in our programs, and future members of our programs to stay in the state of South Carolina. There are great opportunities here and we are going to help build that economic boom of those STEM leaders with our programs,” said Cortez. He went on to add, “When they say there’s great jobs here, we want to be a part of that and say we’re helping build those opportunities for those kids to be successful for those businesses. So those businesses can come here and say ‘You know what there is a great workforce here.’ ”

The Lieutenant Governor agrees that equipping students with the right resources will be crucial to continued expansions into STEM careers for South Carolina. It’s not just kids she wants to be educated either. She also wants to see more veterans use scholarship opportunities to live in South Carolina and enter the STEM field. 

“We know that cyber is the future, technology is the future, and we want to make sure that we equip all South Carolina students with the knowledge that they need for these amazing careers,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

Many tech companies were on hand for the meet and greet style event with speakers on topics like A.I. and cyber security.