John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design since June 2008, thinks innovation is the answer to the U.S.’ economic woes and that art plays an integral role in that equation.

What’s the difference between an ordinary MP3 player and an iPod? Art and design, he says.

That’s why Maeda, U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, along with other local organizations, are fighting to add an “A” to the science, engineering, technology and mathematics federal agenda – STEM to STEAM.

Maeda will turn up the spotlight on the initiative in March at the SXSWedu conference in Austin, Texas. His panel “Turning STEM to STEAM in Modern Curriculum” was recently selected for the second annual conference by popular vote and is slated to include R.I. Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist as a speaker.