WE'VE BEEN HEARING for the past few years that our nation's students lag behind others when it comes to math and science achievement. According to recent assessment scores, the U.S. ranks 21st in science literacy and 25th in math literacy when compared with 30 of the world's wealthiest and most technologically advanced nations.
Disturbing news? Yes, since our country’s technical innovation that drives economic growth depends on a solid knowledge base in science, technology, engineering,
and math—more commonly referred to as STEM.
By getting involved and giving back, each of us can help to cultivate the technical and scientific talent needed to sustain our nation’s economic leadership.
I credit my own success to the technical education
I received at the University of Minnesota. Shortly
after graduation, I put my bachelor’s degree in computer engineering to work. During the next nine years, I worked hard to help get two start-up companies
off the ground, including growing one business from three employees to more than 1,000. My own investment in the STEM subjects had paid off.
Feeling a need to give back, I began to think about the organizations and people who had helped me along the way, and decided to get involved in the Twin Cities technical community, volunteering wherever I could. I wasn’t entirely sure how I could help, but I resolved to figure it out as I went along.
Initially, I attended local user group meetings related
to software engineering, software object orientation,
software design patterns, Java, or anything else I was working on, had an interest in, or with whom I had an established vendor relationship. Although
extremely educational, the meetings lacked the “giving back” feeling I was seeking.
My journey also led me to national- and international-based engineering organizations that were relevant to my interests, but I still did not find that deep community connection.
It was when I returned to the U of M for a master’s degree in 2001 that I found what I had been looking for. Through my classes and the relationships I had built with my professors, I became reconnected to the University where I discovered a plethora of volunteer
opportunities within the Electrical and Computer
Engineering Department, many specific to my area of expertise and interest.
These opportunities ultimately led me to the Institute
of Technology Alumni Society (ITAS) four years ago. Ever since then, I have felt a deeper connection
to our local technology community through the work that ITAS does.
ITAS, comprised of alumni who care deeply about the University and the technical community, has a unique understanding of investing in important, relevant, and timely projects. The organization provides
insightful, thought-provoking leadership initiatives
before the masses recognize them as real issues. One example is the K-12 Education Committee
that works to advance STEM education. This committee was formed in the early 1990s, a decade before the American Electronics Association (AeA) published its report in early 2005, urging the federal government to take action on increasing the science and math literacy of America’s youth.
You may be on the same journey I have taken, wondering how you can apply your specific talents to help foster advances in the Twin Cities technical community. I encourage you to explore the possibilities.
Try connecting back to the University of Minnesota’s
Institute of Technology where you can jump right into an existing volunteer program to take advantage
of the infrastructure that will allow you to personalize your efforts in keeping Minnesota globally
competitive.
IT hosts homecoming event
Institute of Technology alumnus Paul Lane (Physics ’58, M.S. ’61) and his wife, Eva, cheer on the University of Minnesota 2008 Homecoming parade on Nov. 1. They were among more than 350 alumni who attended a special Institute of Technology Homecoming event that featured breakfast, games, the solar vehicle, and formula car project teams, University of Minnesota Railroad Club display, and a performance by the Physics Force. To see more photos from the event, visit www.it.umn.edu/homecoming.
Alumni experience Santa Fe sites
For four days, 24 Institute of Technology alumni experienced the sites of Santa Fe, N.M., in the first-ever Institute of Technology Alumni Field trip hosted by W. Richard (ChemE Ph.D. ’65) and Jacqueline Schmeal. Institute of Technology Dean Steven Crouch and Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science head Professor Frank Bates represented the college. Here the group takes a break after visiting New Mexico’s Pecos Monument, the site of a Pueblo Indian trading center. In addition to visiting
Pecos, the trip included a downtown tour of historic Santa Fe; guided tours of Los Alamos, the center for nuclear research since 1942; the San Ildefonso Pueblo, one of New Mexico’s best known “living” pueblos; and a ride to the old Taos High Road.
Become an advocate for the University
NO MATTER HOW YOU want to support the University, the legislative
network has something that fits your interests.
The network’s mission is to help its members be effective advocates
for the University in their communities and among Minnesota’s
elected officials.
As a member you will receive timely updates about University and legislative issues, periodic calls to action, and invitations to the legislative briefing, Support the U Day, district meetings, and town hall meetings in your area. By learning about the University’s
top issues, you can take action
on behalf of the U of M community
by telling your University stories to friends, neighbors, and civic leaders. Your voice, combined with others across the state, can have a powerful impact.
GRADUATES IN THE CLASS OF 1959 are invited to reconnect, reminisce,
and socialize at a University of Minnesota reunion celebrating 50 years on May 7-8, 2009.
As part of the reunion activities, the class of 1959 alumni will be invited to join the academic procession
during the 2009 Institute of Technology commencement ceremony.
Watch for further information in your mailbox in February or March 2009. More information will also be available on our Web site at www.it.umn.edu/alumni as details become
available.
Institute of Technology alumnus Paul Lane (Physics ’58, M.S. ’61) and his wife, Eva, cheer on the University of Minnesota 2008 Homecoming parade on Nov. 1. They were among more than 350 alumni who attended a special Institute of Technology Homecoming event that featured breakfast, games, the solar vehicle, and formula car project teams, University of Minnesota Railroad Club display, and a performance by the Physics Force. To see more photos from the event, visit 
For four days, 24 Institute of Technology alumni experienced the sites of Santa Fe, N.M., in the first-ever Institute of Technology Alumni Field trip hosted by W. Richard (ChemE Ph.D. ’65) and Jacqueline Schmeal. Institute of Technology Dean Steven Crouch and Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science head Professor Frank Bates represented the college. Here the group takes a break after visiting New Mexico’s Pecos Monument, the site of a Pueblo Indian trading center. In addition to visiting
Pecos, the trip included a downtown tour of historic Santa Fe; guided tours of Los Alamos, the center for nuclear research since 1942; the San Ildefonso Pueblo, one of New Mexico’s best known “living” pueblos; and a ride to the old Taos High Road.