A national leader and expert in STEM learning, Ron Ottinger is known for his expertise in informal and out-of-school time STEM education and in building collaborations among schools, science centers, communities and afterschool programs that increase STEM learning opportunities for young people. Ron is Executive Director of STEM Next Opportunity Fund. Under Ron’s leadership, STEM Next leads the Million Girls Moonshot, a national movement to empower one million girls with an engineering mindset. Ron served as the founding co-chair of the STEM Funders Network and the National STEM Learning Ecosystem Initiative. As the Executive Editor of STEM Ready America, Ron convened the nation’s leading STEM experts presenting bold and persuasive evidence—as well as real-world examples of effective practices, programs, and partnerships on how science, technology, engineering and mathematics knowledge and skills are preparing young people to be successful in school today and the workforce tomorrow. During Ron’s tenure with the Noyce Foundation prior to its sunset in 2015, he led the Foundation’s investment in afterschool and summer learning to help young people become curious, thoughtful, and engaged learners. Prior to joining Noyce, Ron served for fourteen years as National Associate Director of the non-profit AVID Center. He was elected to three terms on the San Diego City Schools’ Board of Education from 1992-2004, during a period of major reform of the school system, and was the longest running board president.
