This week in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) news, one researcher believes brain type and not gender is pushing more men into STEM studies.

Small Research Study Indicates Brain Type Might Be Driving Factor for Males in STEM

Researcher Katie Klavenes new small study indicates " that it is a brain type rather than a gender issue that encourages males into STEM fields,” says Phys.org.

"Rather than seeing gender per se as being the dividing factor, Klavenes sees that it's one's ability to empathise and systemise that attracts or repels people from entering into STEM subjects and embarking on careers in this domain,” the article says.

Women are more likely to be empathizers while men systematizers, which makes all the difference when each respectively chooses a profession, Klavenes says.

Read the full story. 

National Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day to Be Celebrated This Week 

On that note, many organizations and individuals still try different methods of getting girls to study STEM.

This week, on Thursday Feb. 25, Capitol Hill will celebrate the 15th annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.

"The briefing honors the 15th annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, a day dedicated to empowering and engaging girls in the engineering field. The day is packed with workshops, lab tours, on-line discussions and interactive, hands-on activities at businesses, universities, libraries and other venues across the country, providing engagement and mentoring to as many as one million girls.”

Speakers will include a variety of women in the field who will offer advice and wisdom from their experience.

U.S. News & World Report Presents 2016 STEM Leadership Awards

U.S. News & World Report has inducted five new members in its STEM Leadership Hall of Fame.

"The honorees were selected for their leadership, guidance, and commitment to improving science, technology, engineering and math education and advancing workforce development. U.S. News also valued innovators and visionaries whose initiatives collectively act as a blueprint for solving the STEM crisis,” U.S. News said.

See the list of winners here.

Record Number of Incentives for STEM Majors, Humanities Students Fend for Themselves

A report from the New York Times looks at how different governments are incentivizing students who study STEM subjects and forcing students who take up humanities to fend for themselves.

" Several Republicans have portrayed a liberal arts education as an expendable, sometimes frivolous luxury that taxpayers should not be expected to pay for. The Republican presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio, for example, has called for more welders and fewer philosophers. Gov. Rick Scott of Florida criticized anthropologists, and Mr. McCrory belittled gender studies,” the Times said.

And while Democrats have not come out to denounce humanities as bluntly, they have argued in support of “education and training should be better aligned with the job market.”

The Times article argues against incentivizing some majors over others as most jobs look for a broad range of skills rather than a specific major on a degree.

Read the full story.