Shirley McCall to Receive the 2016 Brewer Trophy
Shirley McCall has been selected as the recipient of the Frank G. Brewer Trophy. The trophy was established in 1943 to honor “… significant contributions of enduring value to aerospace education in the United States.”
Ms. McCall is being recognized for
“… dedicating 42 years to educating, leading, and inspiring students to pursue careers in aerospace through the formation of the TransSTEM Academy.”
As an educator with the District of Columbia Public School system, Ms. McCall founded the TransTECH Academy (currently known as the TransSTEM Academy) at the Francis L. Cardozo Education Campus in 1991. The Academy was the first transportation studies program of its kind in the Washington metropolitan area and exposed students to various aerospace education programs and real-world experiences. The program’s curriculum is also integrated with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Over 750 students have graduated from the Academy since its inception and over 85% go on to two/four year colleges and universities.
The TransSTEM Academy, under Ms. McCall’s leadership, has expanded in unimaginable ways including a unique partnership with the United States Department of Defense to transform an ordinary classroom into a FLEX Lab Aviation Classroom Experience (FLEX-ACE), where students are engaged in complex science, math, and technology curriculum. The FLEX-ACE classroom has three dual-pilot flight simulators, an air traffic control tower, and nine remotely piloted vehicle stations. The system lets students role-play in real-world missions that take place at test ranges across the country and in local air space. The creation of this lab would not have been possible without the perseverance and commitment of Ms. McCall.
On June 21, 2016, the TransSTEM Academy celebrated its 25 th Anniversary. This day also marked the retirement of Ms. McCall.
The Brewer Trophy will be presented at NAA’s Fall Awards Dinner on December 8th at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia
