(SPARKILL, N.Y. —Thursday, July 21, 2022) St. Thomas Aquinas College is pleased to announce that Veolia has awarded a generous grant to the College to fund its upcoming STEM Exploration Summer Program. The program will be held at the College for a week beginning on July 24. STAC launched its new STEM school on Earth Day 2021 and has been adding new faculty, academic programs, experiential learning opportunities, and strategic STEM partnerships this past year. The STEM Exploration Summer Program is a one-week, overnight learning experience for rising junior and senior high school students. It serves to immerse students in core STEM fields, while demonstrating how they can all work together to solve some of the world’s most complicated problems.
“We are thrilled to have Veoila’s support for this mission-critical program,” said Ken Daly, President of St. Thomas Aquinas College. “Our students have a proven passion for environmental sustainability, and we know that our students will be the leaders needed to create a cleaner, greener future. As part of our world-class “STEM@STAC,” this innovative program will ignite the passion within these high school stars and we look forward to welcoming them as part of our transformative learning community.”
The theme and focus of the STEM Exploration Summer Program is ecological transformation – protecting our planet’s resources is one of the biggest challenges we face this century. This transformation is dependent on advancements and partnerships across STEM fields.
“We are excited to partner with St. Thomas Aquinas College on this terrific summer program,” said Bill Madden’s Veolia’s Director of Communications and Government Affairs in New York. “The future of innovation is rooted in STEM-centered programs and the encouragement of students pursuing careers that make their communities more sustainable. Increasing STEM awareness in schools is strongly supported by Veolia across the country.”
Program participants will take college classes in biology, math, computer science, science fiction, environmental studies and more. Students will also tour a Veolia facility, participate in a career panel discussion, and engage with the STEM@STAC Advisory Board.
“A key facet of this program’s mission is to break down barriers that are often faced by groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields, by providing access to a truly immersive STEM experience, expert professors, innovative tools, and college credits, all at no cost to the student,” said Dr. Bianca Wentzell, Dean of the School of STEM at St. Thomas Aquinas College. “Applications were up this year for the program and the acceptance process was rigorous. We are so grateful to Veolia for making this program possible.”
A subsidiary of Veolia Group, Veolia North America (VNA) offers a full spectrum of water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. VNA helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Mass. Veolia North America has more than 7,000 employees working at more than 250 locations across the continent.
St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 72 acres in Rockland County, NY, which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s approximately 2,000 full and part-time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual-degree programs across four Schools: Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Education, and STEM. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a Top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as a Military Friendly School®. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is a candidate for accreditation by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and its School of Business is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.