SUNY Helps Launch First National STEM Network

Dallas, TX – State University of New York Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Education Pipeline Johanna Duncan-Poitier today joined Battelle and 13 state STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education networks to officially launch STEMx at the U.S. News STEM Solutions Summit in Dallas, Texas. 

“SUNY is thrilled to be a part of the STEMx launch and proud to be building upon our Empire State STEM Learning Network partnership with Battelle as we seek to advance teaching and learning in the STEM disciplines and position today’s students to serve as tomorrow’s innovators and workforce leaders,” said Duncan-Poitier. “With 2.4 million STEM job openings anticipated before 2018, our work in our home states and as a national collective is absolutely critical.”

One year in the making and sponsored by Battelle, STEMx connects state networks and partners to accelerate the growth of policies, practices and partnerships that are needed to expand the number of STEM teachers, increase achievement in STEM and grow tomorrow’s innovators. Today’s launch served as the kick-off event for the three-day U.S. News STEM Solutions Summit, which convened more than 1,200 stakeholders for the largest leadership conference ever held to advance STEM.

Guided by the principles that diverse multi-sector partnerships significantly enhance the student learning experience and that the greatest power to transform STEM teaching and learning exists at the state-level, STEMx connects states and their stakeholders from across K-12 and higher education, business, government, philanthropy, and the community to impact STEM education and workforce development.

The Network’s core work of education, engagement, and exchange will be propelled by an accessible technology platform enabling states to share, analyze and disseminate quality STEM education ideas, tools, and practices. Through this process, STEMx will amplify innovative and transformative work already underway in member states.

“We are proud to support STEMx - a game-changer in education,” said Eric Fingerhut, Vice President for Education & STEM Learning at Battelle. “STEMx is uniquely positioned to impact STEM teaching and learning at a grassroots level through the sharing of STEM-specific resources and tools across the United States. The Network’s objective to transform and advance STEM education and workforce development deeply resonates with Battelle’s core education mission and our work in STEM education to date.”

STEMx member states at launch are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.

In New York, SUNY operates the Empire State STEM Learning Network, a state-wide network of community-led collaboratives advancing STEM education to prepare students across New York State for success in school, work, and life. The Network, which is operated in partnership with Battelle, supports SUNY’s strategic vision for a seamless education pipeline and initiatives to transform teacher education, develop early college high school partnerships, expand cooperative education, improve remediation at community colleges, and build cradle-to-career networks across the state.

STEM hubs are launched and operating in five of the state’s 10 regional economic development regions:  the Capital District, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Long Island, and the Southern Tier. Hubs are under development in the Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley, New York City, North Country, and Western New York.

Duncan-Poitier was part of the marquee, talk show style launch panel that also featured Global Cultural Ambassador Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; Brad Smith, general counsel & executive vice president of Microsoft Corporation, Jeffrey Wadsworth, PhD, CEO of Battelle Memorial Institute; The Honorable Joyce Beatty, former democratic leader of the Ohio House of Representatives; and Steve Zipkes, founding principal of Manor New Technology High School. 

The afternoon will conclude with 10 breakout sessions on subjects including educational innovation, public policy, public-private partnerships and community engagement. Each session will feature a cross-section of representatives from the eleven initial STEMx member states, showcasing the collaborative work STEMx states have engaged in over the last few years.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 468,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with nearly 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.