Esty, NASA astronaut discuss STEM issues with Waterbury business, education officials

WATERBURY -- Col. Randolph J. Bresnik earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics, but says he didn't realize at first just how far that would take him.

Such as all the way to the International Space Station.

"NASA is in desperate need of smart, educated people who know how to solve problems," said Bresnik, a Marine Corps aviator and NASA astronaut who also earned a master's in aviation systems.

The need for problem-solvers "expands beyond NASA and the space program to the commercial companies" that build space systems and equipment, he said Monday during a visit to City Hall

Bresnik, 46 and a native of Fort Knox, Ky., completed his first shuttle flight in 2009 and has spent more than 259 hours in space. He was the guest of Rep. Elizabeth H. Esty, D-5th District, who conducted an hour-long STEM/Manufacturing roundtable discussion with local manufacturers, business leaders, and government and education officials Monday morning in Veterans Hall. The event attracted about 35 people, including Dennis Murphy, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Labor.

Esty opened the discussion by explaining she serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and has introduced two bills related to STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math -- issues: the STEM Jobs Act and the First STEP Act.

The first seeks to enhance professional development programs for teachers in STEM fields, while the second seeks to ensure that students in technical high schools, community colleges, and apprenticeship programs can earn nationally recognized credentials. Both bills have been referred to committees.

Esty amplified Bresnik's comments, saying problem-solving is the "basis of the conversation" about STEM education.

"If something doesn't work, you try something else. And if that doesn't work, you try something else," she said. "That's the approach we want our children to have."