Dow Science and Sustainability Education Center in collaboration with SVSU aims to prepare competitive STEM workforce
MIDLAND, MI — Manufacturing in America is at a turning point, and the recently announced Dow Science and Sustainability Education Center in collaboration with Saginaw Valley State University is what the Dow Chemical Co. says it needs to prepare a competitive workforce in a science, technology, engineering and math world.
Dow Chairman, President and CEO Andrew Liveris announced the new centerduring Saginaw Valley State University’s 50th Anniversary Economic Summit on Oct. 25. He said he hopes the STEM center inspires students to make science their life's work.
“Today’s manufacturing is fast becoming unrecognizable to the generation that I represent,” Liveris told the crowd. “...Today, making things cannot be separated from the work of inventing them and improving them and (being) creative with them and developing a next generation of them.”
He said students at all levels must be re-skilled, creating workers the economy needs.
The Dow Science and Sustainability Education Center will include a research center and a mobile science lab.
View full sizeJeff Martin
Dow and SVSU officials continue to meet to discuss the details of the program, a portion of which is expected to begin in the spring, said Jeff Martin, community relations leader for Dow. The program is expected to be fully implemented by 2015.
According to a prepared statement from Martin, the program will provide “an educational experience for students and teachers that provides exposure to modern methods of research, analysis and inspiration for students to study science at the college level.
“The Education Center goes beyond undergraduate research and includes a broad educational outreach, focusing not just on college students, but also on high school students and teachers, through a summer internship program.”
Why is Dow choosing to make this investment now?
“Manufacturing in America is at a turning point, and to be able to sustain a manufacturing renaissance, we need to prepare a workforce with advance skills in STEM fields that can compete globally," Martin said. "There is a historically strong connection between Saginaw Valley State University and Dow, and we see great value in having the education center located in the region, offering Dow the ability to be directly involved in engaging students, teachers and the community in the fields of STEM.”
J.J. Boehm, director of media and community relations for SVSU, said the university looks forward to this continued partnership with the Midland-based chemical company.
“SVSU is very grateful for this generous commitment from Dow. STEM education is vitally important to our region, our state and our nation, and through these types of collaborative relationships, we can make our region a leader in these fields," Boehm said in an email. "We look forward to working with Dow to finalize plans to nurture interest in and understanding of the STEM fields among our region's primary, high school and college students.”
According to Martin, the program will prepare students for STEM careers in a variety of ways, including by preparing future teachers to approach science in the classroom, supporting the ongoing education of teachers and providing them with the tools they need to provide the best science education, creating opportunities for research and data collection, and inspiring students' interest in STEM fields.
“Dow recognizes that advances in STEM education will drive the economic strength of America and are critical to the nations’ prosperity and security in a global economy," Martin said.
"Success in improving STEM education, changing youths' perception of these careers and increasing the number of students choosing STEM majors are imperative for the continued prosperity of the U.S. and our manufacturing sector. In addition to the potential impact STEM can have on the U.S. economy, the Great Lakes Bay Region will offer many of these STEM opportunities as the region continues to be a manufacturing hub.”
The broader community will be engaged in the program via the mobile science lab, through which schools and residents will have opportunities to participate in scientific studies of the Saginaw Bay Watershed, Martin said.
— Heather Jordan covers business for MLive/The Saginaw News/The Bay City Times. She can be reached at 989-450-2652 or hjordan@mlive.com. For more business news, follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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