For Release:Immediate – May 11, 2015

Contact:Jerry Gretzinger, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Public Relations ­

(518) 956-7359 | jgretzinger@sunycnse.com

SUNY POLY PARTNERS WITH NAZARETH COLLEGE TO DEVELOP SUMMER STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMMING FOR ROCHESTER AREA YOUTH

Agreement Will Provide STEM Learning Opportunities Through Hands-On Summer Camps

CANANDAIGUA, NY – In furtherance of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s education-driven economic development strategy, SUNY Polytechnic Institute today announced a multi-year agreement to host the annual SUNY Poly Summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Camp at Nazareth College.  Under the terms of the agreement, SUNY Poly and Nazareth will collaborate on developing new curriculum and programming focused on STEM education.  Additionally, both partners will seek opportunities to provide scholarships for economically disadvantaged youth to attend the SUNY Poly Summer STEM Camp.

“Today’s announcement builds upon Governor Cuomo’s commitment to encourage young innovators and introduce them to the STEM based skills that are in increasingly high demand in New York State’s 21^st century nanotechnology-enabled economy,” said Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, President and CEO of SUNY Polytechnic Institute.  “Through these kinds of early learning programs, SUNY Poly and partners like Nazareth College are leading the way in kick-starting youth interest in STEM education while setting the stage for meeting New York’s growing needs for a highly skilled workforce.”

Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College said, “Nazareth is committed to meeting the educational needs of the Rochester community, and offerings such as SUNY Poly’s Summer STEM Camp play a very important role in generating early interest in the scientific fields that hold tremendous promise for the continued growth of our region and State. We look forward to our partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and the opportunities it will create to deliver world-class STEM education throughout our community.”

For over twelve years, SUNY Poly’s Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center (STC), in partnership with Nazareth, has delivered a wide range of STEM-based educational programs throughout the region.  Each summer, SUNY Poly STC and Nazareth host hundreds of students, ages 6-14, on Nazareth’s campus, providing science camps based on topics including nano- and micro-technology, energy, space exploration, chemistry, physics, forensic sciences, and wellness.  Last year, the partnership launched additional offerings at the Carter Street Recreation Center in Rochester to provide hands-on experiential STEM programming to disadvantaged youth.

“After 12 successful years of offering STEM education to youth in our region, we are excited that our partnership with Nazareth will continue to grow.  I am particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to extend the reach of our STEM initiatives to an even greater number of students in the greater Rochester area,” said Paul Tolley, SUNY Poly CNSE Vice President for Disruptive Technologies and Executive Director of the Smart Systems Technology and Commercialization Center and Trusted Foundry.

For registration information, visit:  http://www.summersciencecamp.org/register.html

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts more than $20 billion in high-tech investments, over 300 corporate partners, and maintains a statewide footprint. The 1.3 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 3,500 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, faculty, and staff, in addition to Tech Valley High School. SUNY Poly operates the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester, and the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua. SUNY Poly founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at its Utica location and also manages the $500 million New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium, with nodes in Albany and Rochester, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Buffalo Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information visit  www.sunycnse.com and  www.sunypoly.edu.

Nazareth College.  Nazareth College's academic strengths cross an unusually broad spectrum of 60 majors, including education, health and human services, management, the fine arts, music, theater, math and science, foreign languages, and the liberal arts. The coeducational, religiously independent, classic campus in a charming suburb of Rochester, N.Y. challenges and supports 2,000 undergrads and 800 graduate students. Nazareth is recognized nationally for its Fulbright global student scholars and commitment to civic engagement. Rigorous programs, an uncommon core, experiential learning, career skills, and a global focus prepare graduates for not just one job, but for their life's work. For information visit  www.naz.edu.