Southern Research STEM Lab
Deep Dives
Deep Dives are free site visits to selected nonprofit organizations that serve critical socioeconomic needs in Alabama. The CEO describes the work of the organization, its history, challenges, and needs. A tour of the facility provides a deeper understanding. Participants may optionally use a provided checklist to make observations and discuss what they observed and learned. Recommendations can be sent to the CEO. This Deep Dive is limited to 25 participants. Please send an email to our Events Chair to reserve your seat and you will receive a confirmation and checklist by reply by email to: John Whitman.
The Organization
As part of Southern Research’s increased efforts to attract more Alabama students to careers in STEM, the organization opened a new state-of-the-art STEM Education Outreach Center in July of 2018. The STEM Center occupies nearly the entire second floor of the library and can accommodate about 50 students. The innovative space is a hybrid lab that supports an interdisciplinary approach. It is currently outfitted with equipment and supplies to conduct both physical and life science experiments in a fully-functioning lab setting. In the coming months, it will also feature 3D printers, robotics equipment, coding software, and more to form a true maker space. Southern Research’s investment in the lab is an important milestone in its efforts to shape the next generation of STEM professionals in Alabama. It is a space where students learn new lessons, make interesting discoveries, and perhaps start dreaming of careers they never considered before.
Southern Research’s STEM Education Outreach program is involved in a wide variety of programs that impact students and teachers in Alabama. The mission of SR’s STEM program is to enhance 6th – 12th grade STEM education by drawing upon the expertise and scholarly contributions of the Southern Research community. We aim to define and exemplify effective STEM education to maximize students’ readiness to excel in a rapidly changing world. We are working to achieve our education mission by engaging students and teachers in STEM activities through summer learning programs, field trips, after-school programing, STEM competitions and science fairs, internships, and professional development workshops for STEM educators. Our primary objective is to embolden students who possess a passion for innovation and discovery to pursue their interests and strengthen the STEM community. Southern Research is committed to fostering creativity and impacting the future generation.
In addition to the STEM initiative, we will also explore MedTech, an initiative to develop new medical devices to improve healthcare around the world. SR's Medical Technology program combines the research and discovery expertise of Southern Research scientists and engineers with entrepreneurs and clinicians. Together they take a patient-centric approach to medical technology development in diverse areas, including rehabilitation engineering, othopedics, trauma, ophthalmology, and cardiology.
The Dive Leader
Watson Donald is responsible for governmental relations at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as marketing, public relations, philanthropic development, and STEM education outreach. Previously, he served as a senior associate for Roberts, Raheb, and Gradler LLC, a strategic advisory and advocacy firm in Washington, D.C. His clients included large international corporations, mid-sized firms, and start-up companies seeking guidance on the federal level. Prior to joining the private sector, Donald served nine years as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill to Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and Congressman Jo Bonner (R-AL). He primarily focused on defense, NASA, and foreign affairs during his time as a staffer, but also gained experience in both the healthcare and agriculture issue areas.
Donald currently serves as a member of the board of directors for several nonprofit organizations with statewide impact: Smile-A-Mile, Alabama’s year-round program for children with cancer; Business Council of Alabama, where he is co-chair of the Federal Affairs Committee; and is an executive committee member of the state of Alabama’s BIO affiliate, BioAlabama. Donald also serves as immediate past chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee for the Birmingham Business Alliance. In 2013, he participated in the Children’s of Alabama Committee for the Future, and in 2017, was named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40.
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Donald earned a Bachelor of Science in business management from Birmingham-Southern College.
Kathryn Lanier, Ph.D., is the STEM Education Outreach Director.
Please park in the Visitor Lot located on 9th Ave S directly across the street from the Martin Building. If you use Google Maps on your phone it will bring you to the right location. Some other apps (Apple Maps, Waze, etc) will sometimes take folks to another location about a block away.