This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 3 (Summer 2013)
Excitement.
That’s the word used by Karla Fox, special assistant to the Provost and professor emeritus, to describe the overall feeling around the university after legislative approval of Next Generation Connecticut – an impressive $1.5 billion investment to significantly expand educational opportunities, research, and innovation in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines at UConn over the next decade.
“With the previous support of UConn 2000 and 21st Century UConn, UConn has undergone a major transformation in the last 20 years – and Next Generation Connecticut (NextGenCT) is another step in significantly elevating our reputation,” says Karla Fox, who helped to develop and advance the initiative.
A large part of NextGenCT includes building new scientific laboratories, purchasing advanced equipment, constructing new classrooms, and adding housing. Another facet of the plan calls for increasing operating funds to hire hundreds of new faculty and to expand the student body in STEM fields.
“This critical funding is one of the most ambitious state investments in economic development, higher education and research in the nation,” says UConn’s vice president for economic development, Mary Holz-Clause.” Next Generation Connecticut expands the university’s critical STEM activities that drive innovation, enhance job creation and economic growth state-wide.”
STEM Investment
In the past decade, STEM jobs grew three times faster than non-STEM jobs, a trend that is expected to continue in the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, previous investments only brought UConn facilities up to date and, at best, on par with other leading institutions. UConn faculty members are still at a significant disadvantage both in competing for major research grants and effectively teaching students. Therefore, the targeted, strategic investment in UConn facilities, faculty and students in STEM disciplines is vital to ensuring Connecticut’s competitive position in the future.
“Next Generation is a game-changer for our state in that it provides long-term funding to bring together state-of-the-art equipment, expertise and the necessary facilities to fuel Connecticut’s economy with new technologies, highly skilled graduates, new companies, patents, licenses, and high-wage STEM jobs,” says Holz-Clause.
The Business of STEM
“Connecticut’s investment in science, technology, engineering, and math is critical and appropriate,” says John A. Elliott, dean of the School of Business. “But if that investment doesn’t generate goods, services, companies, or jobs, then it has failed in its purpose to provide a return to the investor. That’s where business comes into play.”
The business school’s involvement in NextGenCT goes well beyond facilitating the success of traditional STEM disciplines though. The information age has generated the need for high capacity computing, often referred to as “big data.” Though already tackling the issue, the Operations & Information Management (OPIM) department is poised to play a greater role in the field, given essential resources.
Additionally, the convergence of digital arts, science, technology and business has driven a major shift in how information is now conceived, produced, delivered and consumed. Along with the Schools of Fine Arts and Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of Business is heavily involved in digital media as it rapidly transforms fields such as data analysis and marketing.
NextGenCT: Economic Impact
The overall excitement goes beyond the initiative’s impact at UConn. “NextGenCT is critical due to its focus on economic development,” shares Fox. “What we’re hoping for is that, through its contribution, UConn continues to be a strategic partner of and beneficial asset to the state.”
