Pictured above – Regional leaders celebrate the launch of STEMOVATE in Putnam County. From left: Trent Jones (UT Extension Putnam County), Bridget Waller (Director of Communications, UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute), Alison Melton (UT-Battelle/Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Natalie Fahhoum (Oak Ridge Innovation Institute), Assistant Professor Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech), Shannon Auberson (Algood Middle School Librarian), Brynn Voy (Education Director, UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute), Rusty Darley (Algood Middle Principal), David Sholl (Executive Director and Vice Provost, UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute).
STEM experiences open students’ eyes to the world beyond
A group of Tennessee Tech University alumni is helping bring the power of STEM education to Putnam County through the launch of STEMOVATE, a statewide initiative designed to prepare Tennessee’s next generation of innovators.
STEMOVATE – developed through a partnership with Tennessee 4-H, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and other stakeholders — is reaching 6,000 sixth graders across 22 counties this year.
The program delivers hands-on lessons in nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, engineering design and agriculture — topics aligned with Tennessee standards and areas critical to the state’s future workforce. On a Friday in late November, regional leaders joined sixth graders at Algood Middle School to launch STEMOVATE in Putnam County.
For Tech alumni Trent Jones (’07 agriculture) and Shannon Auberson (’99 multidisciplinary studies and ’03 M.A.), both longtime local educators, STEMOVATE is more than a curriculum. It is an opportunity to inspire students the way Tech once inspired them.
Jones, a third-generation Tech graduate, serves as a 4-H Extension agent with UT Extension in Putnam County. He grew up immersed in 4-H — his mother spent 30 years as a 4-H leader — and credits the program with broadening his world and shaping his future.
“I was born into 4-H,” Jones said. “It gave me opportunities I never would have had otherwise — travel, contests, meeting people from all over. When I interned here, I saw what a 4-H agent really does, and that’s what led me into this career. I’ve been doing this for 18 years.”
Jones now meets with nearly 2,000 students across the county each year, leading STEM-focused programming and club activities. With a schedule that leaves little time for developing new lessons, the ready-made, research-based STEMOVATE curriculum has been a game-changer.
At Algood Middle School, Auberson, now the school’s librarian, has transformed her library into a STEM-rich learning hub. With more than 20 years in Putnam County schools, she is passionate about showing students that libraries are centers of exploration — not just checkout desks.
“STEM has been a huge part of our library,” she said. “The STEM thread pulls through everything we do — science, math, English and research. We want students to know the library is where you go to learn how to find answers.”
Auberson’s love of STEM was sparked during her time at Tech. Influenced by educators such as Elinor Ross, Betty Rowe, Carl Owens, James Akenson and STEM pioneer Maggie Phelps, she discovered how technology could transform classrooms.
“We traveled to rural counties and trained teachers on emerging technology like flex cams and projectors — tools that completely changed classrooms,” Auberson said. “That experience showed me what STEM really is: taking something and asking how it can make life better. That foundation has shaped my entire career.”
Both Jones and Auberson say Tech prepared them exceptionally well for STEM-centered careers.
Jones credits Tech’s School of Agriculture with giving him the STEM foundation he now teaches to local students.
“Tech really prepared me across the board,” he said. “Chemistry wasn’t my favorite in high school, but at Tech, I found a passion for it. Those classes taught me how STEM applies directly to animal science, genetics and real-world problem-solving — things I now teach.”
Auberson said Tech’s strong science requirements and tight-knit faculty gave her the confidence and skills to lead STEM instruction in schools.
“I took chemistry, biology, geology – hard classes, but I’ve used every one of them as a teacher and librarian,” she said. “There is never a day I don’t think about the STEM lessons I learned while I was at Tech.”
Alongside Jones and Auberson, fellow Tech alumni, including Kelly Moore (’01 secondary education), now an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in Tech’s College of Education and Human Sciences and Rusty Darley (’00 M.A. and ’12 Ed.S.), now the principal of Algood Middle School, helped bring the STEMOVATE program to fruition.
The alums say STEM education is essential for today’s students – no matter their future paths.
“STEM affects every part of life and every career,” Jones said. “Whether these students go to college or straight into the workforce, STEM gives students the chance to practice real skills — problem-solving, teamwork, communication and citizenship.”
Auberson agrees, saying STEM experiences open students’ eyes to the world beyond their classroom.
“These lessons help them understand their community and the world,” she said. “From nuclear energy to agriculture, STEM teaches them how the world works – and how they can shape it.”
Photo by Susan Luna-Hazlewood.
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