Building Leaders to Advance Science and Technology (BLAST), sponsored by Old Dominion University and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, is a three-day, hands-on intensive overnight summer program for 80 rising 9th & 10th graders and eight science teacher chaperones from across the Commonwealth of Virginia. This uniquely designed STEM program exposes students to multiple disciplines under the overarching theme of resilience, learning to survive and thrive in the context of climate change and sea level rise.

Cynthia Tomovic, Ph.D., is a Professor who joined the Department of STEM Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University in the fall of 2008, where she teaches courses in organizational supervision, technology and society, and global leadership. She has been a member of the ODURC Steering Committee. Dr. Tomovic served as Director of ODU BLAST from 2016-2018. Before joining ODU, she served as Professor and Department Head in the Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision at Purdue University. While at Purdue, she was active as a social scientist in the Climate Change Research Center and the Center for Product Lifecycle Management.

Vukica Jovanović, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology at Old Dominion University. She teaches classes in the areas of mechatronics and digital manufacturing. Her research is focused on digital thread, cyber-physical systems, broadening participation, and engineering education. She is a Director of Mechatronics and the Digital Manufacturing Lab at ODU and a lead of Area of Specialization Mechatronics Systems Design. Since 2016, she has been a member of the ODU Broadening Participation Task Force. Her research in broadening participation efforts of underrepresented students in STEM is funded by the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium.

CCPO Innovation Research Park Building I 4111 Monarch Way, 3rd Floor Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 23508 757-683-4940