SAN DIEGO, CA – The University of San Diego (USD) today received a $12 million gift from the Noyce Foundation to advance a national initiative —STEM Next— aimed at inspiring and preparing more young people, especially girls and those from underserved areas, for careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
“We are deeply grateful to the Noyce Foundation and the Noyce family for their generosity, and for putting their trust in us to carry out this important mission,” said USD President Dr. James T. Harris III. “Working together in communities throughout the country, we will cultivate and support the next generation of scientists and engineers and encourage them to go out and change the world just as Dr. Noyce did.”
The Noyce Foundation was created to honor the work of Dr. Robert Noyce, co-founder of technology giant Intel and inventor of the integrated circuit, which fueled the personal computer revolution and gave Silicon Valley its name.
The $12 million gift, the largest ever received by the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES), will fund STEM Next, a multi-faceted initiative to expand STEM learning opportunities for more students by helping communities develop quality programs and improving those that already exist. The Center for Education Policy and Law (CEPAL), housed within SOLES, will oversee the work of STEM Next. STEM Next does not fund programs directly, but rather the systems and supports they need:
- STEM Next will strengthen STEM learning by improving teacher training.
- STEM Next will help develop web-based tools used in STEM learning.
- STEM Next will bolster STEM learning with investments in quality curriculum, in before- and after-school programs.
- STEM Next will convene the best thinkers in the private and public sectors to share best practices, pursue funding and influence how that funding is used.
- STEM Next cultivates collaboration across sectors building systems of support in states and communities.
The need for expanded STEM learning is critical. In the future, nearly 80 percent of careers will require at least some STEM skills with STEM job creation outpacing non-STEM jobs significantly. STEM Next focuses on engaging young minds early in STEM learning to ensure a ready workforce for decades to come.
“This historic investment will enable us to dramatically expand our work and impact, giving more young people across the country greater access to STEM education,” said Scott Himelstein, Director of CEPAL. “Possessing such knowledge will be vital not only in their careers, but also in every day life where science and technology will play an ever-increasing role.”
“Today, too few students are pursuing educational paths that lead to careers in science, engineering and technology,” said Dr. Nicholas Ladany, Dean of SOLES. “Working with CEPAL, we will give young students the resources and support they need to prepare them for the full spectrum of STEM careers – from microbiology to architecture to computer programming.”
STEM Next will further SOLES’s mission of creating educators and education practices that are responsive to the needs of our students and society. Through SOLES’s departments and centers, the school marshals academic expertise from across the disciplinary spectrum to produce research and programming of contemporary social relevance.
Through STEM Next, SOLES is once again leading the path for education practices and experiences that truly shift learning to match the needs of today’s students.
Much of STEM Next’s focus will be on nurturing the talent of girls, African-Americans and Latinos, who are vastly underrepresented in STEM-related careers and in obtaining STEM-related degrees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 12 percent of engineers are women – approximately the same amount as 15 years ago. And African-Americans and Latinos receive only 19 percent of computing bachelor’s degrees despite making up one-third of the college-aged population.
If women were fully represented in the engineering and computer sciences workforces, there would be about 1.2 million more engineers and 1.8 million more computer scientists. If people of color were equally represented, there would be hundreds of thousands more, according to the Census Bureau.
Representing the Noyce Foundation at today’s announcement was Dr. Robert Noyce’s daughter, Dr. Pendred Noyce, co-founding trustee of the foundation. “For 25 years the Noyce Foundation has been helping young people become curious, thoughtful and engaged learners,” said Dr. Noyce. “Now, as the foundation sunsets its operations, we are so pleased that the informal science work that we have supported to grow the field will continue under the leadership of Ron Ottinger at USD.”
Dr. Robert Noyce co-founded Intel in 1968 with Gordon Moore. A Silicon Valley pioneer, Intel grew to become one of the world’s largest computer chipmakers, powering millions of computers around the world.
Dr. Noyce’s work also helped make possible pocket calculators, programmable coffeemakers, microwave ovens and computerized flight plans for commercial and military aircraft. Referred to as the “Mayor of Silicon Valley,” Dr. Noyce was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, and the National Medal of Technology from President Ronald Reagan in 1987.
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About the University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a Catholic institution of higher learning committed to teaching, the liberal arts, the formation of values and the creation of ethical leaders. Chartered in 1949, the school enrolls approximately 8,300 undergraduate and graduate full-time equivalent students. The University of San Diego has a long history of public service and is recognized as a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka, the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. The university’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, The School of Business Administration, The Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, The School of Law, The School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences, The Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education.