STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. These professions have great job outlooks for the 21st century. And there are plenty of examples of successful Scouts setting examples in many of these fields.
Lee Berger
Dr. Lee Berger made history discovering hominins in a cave in South Africa. His team discovered over 1150 pre-human bones and there may be more.
This and his previous discoveries have made him a superstar in the field of paleoarcheaology. Lee is an Eagle Scout. He discussed his work at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree just days before his team made their momentous discovery.
Guthrie’s Own – Tommy Pace
Troop 850 has an archaeology / anthropology connection – Tommy Pace. Old timers may remember him as Tommy Jeanquart while he was growing up.
Tommy’s research today continues its focus on Roman technology in it’s use of metallurgy, the use of iron and the social issues involved with security and policing. The locks and keys are the physical evidence that helps reveal one aspect of how Roman society functioned thousands of years ago.
His thesis was titled “A Typology of Roman Locks and Keys” It’s 115 pages long – typical for a scientific paper which goes into great detail.
He has added his expertise as a consultant in Israel for the Temple Mount Sifting Project and in Italy for locks and keys discovered in Pompeii and Herculaneum. He has taught at an archaeological field school on the Island of Cyprus, training French and American undergraduates and graduate students in archaeological excavation methods and theory.
I asked Tommy how Scouting helped. He noted,
“Scouting prepared me for archaeology by introducing me to the world around me- a love for the outdoors, exploration, and high-adventure are all necessities for being an archaeologist, and I acquired that appreciation first as a young man in scouting.”
Back in Oklahoma now, Tommy works on archaeological projects in the state. Here he is using a soil-sifter.
and another “STEM – setter”
His brother, Danny (another Troop 850 Eagle), is a lead programmer and information technology director in healthcare in the south Oklahoma City area.
These two brothers from Guthrie with an 850 connection have made successful careers in STEM.
Indiana Jones
Did you know the most famous fictional archaeologist was a Scout?
Just like Tommy, the character of Indiana Jones was a scout. Indy appears in uniform at the rank of a Life Scout in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” This movie scene later developed into the TV series “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.”
Here’s Indy’s introduction to his first archaeology adventure as a Scout from the movie.