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16 STUFF • 2 0 2 0 | STUFFMadeInCT.com the possibilities in STEM fields and see themselves pursuing them," Caranno's team said in an email. Fairfield University's School of Engineering has also held a TEDx event in which a past engineering student has been featured, and throughout the years various other STEM centered events and workshops have been held. "The student clubs in the School of Engineering also host many STEM-related events during National Engineers Week in February every year " the office of the dean said. "As well as two on-site workshops for Girl Scouts in the Fall and Spring semester," Embracing neurodiverse students UConn Engineering is developing an inclusive learning environment for neurodiverse students with the help of a $2-million grant from the National Science Foundation's Revolutionizing Engineering Departments program. "According to the statistics, only 3% of college students with ADHD study engineering," Lejuez said. "And while 34% of college students on the autism spectrum were enrolled in a STEM-related field, only 5% were enrolled in engineering programs." Lejuez said these students are being left behind and schools are not working on ways to figure out how to help them find success. UConn wants to change that. "Our program will be working over the next several years to build curriculums that leave no student behind," Lejuez said, "offer support systems for these students, and eventually build a model that can be replicated across the country." What job outlook should STEM graduates expect? Within the age of the coronavirus pandemic, the job outlook for graduates is fairly different this year, but what can STEM graduates expect? Lejuez sees opportunity for STEM graduates with crucial and important roles during the pandemic. "For some employers, this has meant they have fewer career openings," Lejuez said. "But for many other employers, this presents opportunities, as STEM fields are working on many of the solutions we need right now. We take UConn's role in workforce development and economic growth seriously." Thermer also sees a bright outlook for STEM students even within the unique circumstances the pandemic presents. "I would say students that are learning manufacturing, that are learning programming, that $62,683 Average annual salary of an entry-level technical education school teacher in Connecticut Continued from page 15 Goodwin University students and instructors in a STEM program P H O T O | C O U RT E S Y O F G O O D W I N U N I V E R S I T Y