BUILDING OUR FUTURE
CMU's investment in STEM plants seeds for the future
Nearly 15 years ago, the College of Science and Technology's founding dean voiced the need for Central Michigan University to continue its commitment to research in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Last week, the university officially broke ground on the new 169,000 square-foot Biosciences Building and marked the next chapter of the journey.
By the time the building officially opens its door, which officials say will be January 2017, classrooms will be filled with cutting edge technology that will help put students ahead of the innovation curve.
The building will include a vivarium, a molecular biology core, an isotope laboratory, a herbarium and electron microscopes, according to CMU’s website. It will also house an imaging center for scanning and transmission as well as a staging and processing storage area for ecological fieldwork.
We believe the project exemplifies CMU’s commitment to STEM learning, and it is a necessary decision for our future.
But at a time when our nation is struggling to produce competitive aptitude scores in mathematics and science, and job prospects are uncertain, the mission to promote STEM will undoubtedly face challenges.
The United States ranks 52 in quality of mathematics and science education worldwide and continues to decline in overall global competitiveness, according to the World Economic Forum. Some educators have attributed the decline to a nation that has become increasingly apathetic while resting on its merits and achievements of the past.
Some news reports claim the demand for workers in STEM fields will increase in response to President Obama’s fiscal year 2015 budget proposal. The proposal includes $170 million in new funding for the next generation of innovators, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The move would curb the dramatic decline in federal research grant funding.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that 74 percent of those with a STEM-related bachelor's degree do not work in STEM fields.
At CMU, there has been a 23 percent increase in STEM majors and 38 percent increase in undergraduate STEM degrees.
The university has also invested in the Dow Science Center, with projects like the Active Learning Classrooms, but the future of STEM at CMU will be in the Biosciences Building.
Channeling our resources and energy into building a reputable medical program, attracting more international students and expanding STEM research on campus are all efforts to put CMU on the same stage as bigger universities.
CMU President George Ross said in the 2013 State of the University address, “This facility (the Biosciences Building) – CMU’s largest capital construction project ever – will propel our faculty and students far into the 21st century, with teaching, learning and research that has far-reaching impact across our state and indeed, our globe.”
We hope the increased focus on STEM learning will attract more students and leading researchers to CMU in the future and help Ross’s plan come to fruition.
CMU’s decision to invest in the STEM program is aligned with our nation’s drive to once again become the leader of STEM fields. The success of STEM at CMU relies on the government fulfilling its obligations of funding research, expanding the job market and ultimately putting our nation back at the forefront of innovation.
CMU’s commitment to STEM could place our university at the forefront of that movement.
