Event Recap: Mississippi State University Athlete Engineering Summit

by Courtney Power, Deputy Director of Workforce Development

Courtney Power – Deputy Director of Workforce Development, NextFlex – presents at Mississippi State University’s inaugural Athlete Engineering Summit.

I had the honor of presenting at the Mississippi State University Athlete Engineering Summit on May 11-12, 2022. In attendance at the Athlete Engineering Summit were representatives from athletics, industry, and academia to discuss the key aspects of creative collaborations that drive innovations in the measurement and assessment of human performance. I shared with attendees how NextFlex is building the next-generation STEM workforce through our outreach and awareness building program, FlexFactor^®. FlexFactor introduces students to flexible hybrid electronics, asks them to identify a problem they care about, conceptualize an advanced hardware solution to that problem, create a business model and then pitch their product and plan to a panel of representatives. During my talk, I highlighted the successes that have resulted from NextFlex’s partnerships with East Mississippi Community College and other community-serving organizations nationwide to build interest and engagement around advanced manufacturing careers and education pathways.

Truly, the driver of innovation is human performance. The work that our Workforce Development team has done through our suite of learning programs, including Flexfactor, seeks to engage our greatest asset and most dynamic need – human talent. If you are looking to engage the next generation of STEM talent, visit https://www.nextflex.us/learning-portfolio/

About Me

I am the Deputy Director of Workforce Development at NextFlex. In this role, I am responsible for the strategic implementation and expansion of FlexFactor, Flex2Future, and FlexMil Seminar as well as the development of new programming to address the needs of the workforce of the future. I graduated with a Bachelors in Biochemistry from the United States Air Force Academy and subsequently earned my Masters in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. After serving the Air Force on Active Duty, I transitioned to working in education, encouraging underserved students to consider STEM careers and pathways. I am passionate about providing equitable opportunities to all students, especially those who are military-connected.

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