PROGRAM

Join us for the opening plenary session of the 2025 ATE Conference as we gather to share insights and strengthen our collective efforts to advance the skilled technical workforce. The session will feature remarks from Dr. DeRionne Pollard, President and CEO, AACC, and Dr. Victor McCrary, Chair of the National Science Board, to offer a national perspective on the critical role of community colleges in STEM technician education and workforce development.

We will also honor Dr. V. Celeste Carter, who recently retired after many years of distinguished service as the lead program director for NSF’s ATE program. Her leadership has profoundly shaped the program’s growth and impact, and this session provides an opportunity to honor her and to recognize her many accomplishments.

In addition, NSF leadership will offer welcome remarks to set the tone for the days ahead—building community and opening opportunities to exchange knowledge, spark innovation, and strengthen collaboration. 
 

Inquiry-based learning engages students in investigating questions and problems to build knowledge and critical thinking. Especially effective in technician and career programs, it mirrors real-world troubleshooting while strengthening teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. This demo introduces a guided, team-based ideation method to help students generate relevant technical problems as the foundation for inquiry projects, giving participants a practical framework to adapt in their own classrooms.

Sustaining a grant and its deliverables requires more than meeting immediate project goals; it demands alignment with long-term institutional priorities, cross-disciplinary adaptability, and meaningful industry buy-in. This countdown-style analysis identifies ten key factors that strengthen grant sustainability, beginning with tactical considerations such as broad discipline integration and concluding with strategic imperatives like institutional commitment. Learn how to turn your grant-funded work into enduring institutional and sector-wide impact.

The ATE Future Leaders Fellows program equips two-year college professionals with leadership skills and ambassador roles to advance STEM technician education. This countdown session presents five key takeaways from the program, with reflections on participating in AACC’s John E. Roueche Future Leaders Institute. Participants will gain insights into the Fellows’ responsibilities, impact, and application guidance for the 2026–2027 cohort, opening March 2026.

This interactive workshop is designed for ATE PIs and Co-PIs entering the second or third year of their grants who could use assistance and guidance in elements of grant award management. The workshop will guide PIs through the development of a practical Project Management Plan tailored to their own projects. Participants will explore key elements of successful project management, including setting measurable objectives, engaging stakeholders, tracking progress with timelines and budgets, anticipating risks, using evaluation for continuous improvement, and planning for sustainability. Common challenges such as implementing budget and personnel changes; engaging administrators in support of your efforts; navigating grant guidelines and documents; preparing annual reports; and understanding NSF expectations for ATE awards will be discussed. With hands-on templates and peer discussion, you will leave the session with a customized draft plan and concrete next steps to support your project’s success. (Advance Registration & Ticket Required)

Come explore how convergence is rapidly advancing manufacturing to prepare the next generation technician workforce. The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (NCNGM) will be joined by experts from the National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium (NAAIC), Resource Collaborative for Immersive Technologies (RECITE), InnovATEBIO, the National Cybersecurity Training & Education Center (NCYTE) and Weld-ED. The ATE Convergence Lab provides an opportunity for projects and centers to connect with other community members, share ideas, exchange knowledge, and get a chance to explore new and exciting technologies during this one-day hands-on interactive event organized by ATE Central.

Is it possible to detect something without ever touching it—not even with a single particle of light? While that might sound impossible, quantum physics says otherwise. In this session, we will explore the concept of interaction-free measurement, where information can be gathered without direct contact. Through a simple experiment using mirrors and laser light, we will demonstrate how observing a system can change what happens. This surprising behavior challenges our everyday understanding of how the world works, and it forms the basis for many of today’s emerging quantum technologies. These technologies are no longer just theoretical—they are beginning to shape the future of secure communication, advanced computing, and national security. As the field expands, it is also opening up exciting career paths for students and professionals across science, engineering, and beyond.