RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – December 3, 2019 – STEM RTP, the STEM education initiative of Research Triangle Park, received an award at the first annual Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC) meeting and Cleantech Innovation Awards Ceremony. The awards celebrated organizations and individuals pushing innovation in cleantech.
STEM RTP was presented with the Cleantech Talent Initiative Award, sponsored by SAS. The award was designed to honor a program or initiative that supports or develops individuals entering the cleantech industry. By leveraging the large pool of talented STEM professionals in the Triangle, STEM RTP introduces historically underserved student populations to career opportunities in STEM.
In this way, STEM RTP embodies the mission of reaching those who will bolster the future cleantech workforce in North Carolina. Within the award category, STEM RTP was also highlighted for partnering with many RTCC organizations, including RTI International, the US EPA, Duke Energy, Cisco, NCSU and SAS Institute, in the 2018-2019 calendar year.
“Our children want to live in a world with clean energy, clean water and clean transportation. At SAS, we believe that data and analytics can make lives better through new ideas and new opportunities. We congratulate STEM RTP on fostering a more diverse workforce that brings fresh perspectives to the challenges facing our communities,” stated Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS Institute.
“This award showcases our goal of bringing cutting-edge STEM technology, hands-on STEM activities, and career awareness to low resourced students in the area,” said Dr. Sarah Windsor, director of STEM RTP.
The ceremony was held at Market Hall in downtown Raleigh’s Historic City Market. RTCC opened the event with an update on its recent work. Following this was a conversation with Rushad Nanavatty, principal at the Rocky Mountain Institute, and Coleen Northeim, senior director of sustainability and resource management at RTI International, about cleantech and the impact of technology on the environment.
Awards were presented by James Amato, strategy and business development manager from WRAL TechWire. The event concluded with a call to action by Gary Rackliffe, VP of smart grids at ABB. He called on all members of RTCC to get involved, and to keep pushing cleantech and a more ecologically conscious world forward.
About STEM RTP
STEM RTP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that aims to open the world of STEM to local students and educators. Launched in 2014, STEM RTP has impacted over 10,500 students and engaged over 400 partners and 2,630 volunteers for a total of 15,898 hours of service. Through their model of uniting schools, higher education institutions and corporations, they aim to create a community where every child has the chance to explore a career in STEM.
STEM RTP Media Contact
Anita Kamwendo
kamwendo@rtp.org
919.433.1676