For Release:              Immediate – January 27, 2016

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

                           (518) 956-7359 | jgretzinger@sunypoly.edu

New Entity to Retain CMOST Name and Deliver Expanded Educational Opportunities in Upstate NY

Albany, NY - In support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s commitment to providing New York students with world class educational opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), SUNY Polytechnic Institute today announced the merger of its Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) with the Scotia-Glenville Children's Museum (SGCM).  The merger will leverage the combined resources and expertise of both entities to maintain and expand current programming and further inspire today’s youth to pursue the high tech careers of New York’s 21^st century economy.

“This merger presents an opportunity to bolster Governor Cuomo’s education pipeline supporting New York State’s flourishing technology corridor, which today stretches from Albany to Buffalo. Together, CMOST and SGCM can engage an even greater number of young innovators and start them on a lifelong path of scientific learning and discovery,” said Pradeep Haldar, SUNY Poly Dean of Nanoscale Engineering and Technology Innovation and CMOST Board Chair.  “The true beneficiaries of this merger will be the children and families we serve.  My congratulations and thanks to the board members of both museums who realized the value of coming together.”

“Merging CMOST and the Scotia-Glenville Children's Museum makes so much sense.  Both organizations have a long history of instilling a sense of wonder and discovery in young minds while encouraging the exploration of science and technology.  By joining forces we can improve our current offerings, create new programming and make it available to more children than ever before,” said Catherine Gilbert, Vice President of CMOST.  “The merger received unanimous support from both boards and there is tremendous excitement about the potential this holds for the museum and its young friends.”

“We are incredibly excited about combining SGCM’s unique educational and cultural opportunities with the innovation and optimism that are such strong elements of the SUNY Poly and CMOST culture,” said Annette Trapini, SGCM Board President.  “Through our collaborative efforts, we can extend the breadth and reach of the traveling ‘museum without walls’ to inspire more of our youngest citizens.”

With a combined 98 years experience providing educational opportunities throughout the Capital Region, the name of the newly merged entity will be the SUNY Poly Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Administrative offices will be located at the existing CMOST location at 250 Jordan Road, Troy, NY. All current CMOST and SGCM programs and activities will be maintained with existing staff and personnel.

Founded in 1978 to offer unique educational and cultural opportunities, SGCM served as an all-traveling museum bringing exhibits to upstate New York communities. A non-profit organization, the SGCM met the rigorous guidelines necessary to hold a permanent charter from the NYS Regents and offered a wide range of programs developed to enhance NYS Learning Standards and the Common Core Curriculum, with a recent focus placed on STEM studies.

First founded as the Junior Museum in 1954, SUNY Poly CMOST was named one of the Top 20 science centers in the nation by Parents Magazine, and is the only place in New York’s Tech Valley region specifically designed for children and their families to explore, discover, and imagine the worlds of science and technology together in an exciting hands on environment. CMOST is currently located in Troy but will soon be moving to a completely redesigned state of the art facility at SUNY Poly’s Albany NanoTech complex. Members of the SGCM Board of Trustees will continue to serve as an advisory board to the existing CMOST board to enable a seamless transition of services.

The respective Boards of CMOST and SGCM have approved the merger, and the merger is expected to close immediately after obtaining approval from the New York State Education Department.

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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 $43 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 4,000 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 Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) in Troy, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua, and the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester where SUNY Poly also leads the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics. 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.