Center for Excellence in Education Builds Critical STEM Talent Pipeline Through Decades of Impact

The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) has established itself as a critical pipeline for STEM talent, nurturing high school and university scholars toward careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Founded in 1983 by Joanne DiGennaro and Admiral H.G. Rickover, the nonprofit organization addresses what Admiral Rickover identified as failures in the American education system, focusing on preparing future generations to maintain global leadership through innovation.

STEM education is crucial for solving global challenges including disease, energy, environment, and technology issues. The disciplines emphasize inquiry, evidence, and logical reasoning, teaching students to analyze complex problems, test solutions, and adapt—skills that transfer to any career. STEM fields fuel nearly every major innovation from medical breakthroughs to artificial intelligence and climate solutions, while providing access to high-paying careers for underrepresented groups including women, minorities, and first-generation students.

CEE's flagship program, the Research Science Institute (RSI), launched in 1984 in collaboration with MIT, offers a six-week research experience that has produced notable alumni. These include Diane Tang, a Google Fellow; Dr. Lauren Ancel Meyers, a pioneer in network epidemiology; Aaron Kesselheim, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Ben Silbermann, co-founder and CEO of Pinterest; and Feng Zhang, PhD, a pioneer of CRISPR gene-editing technology.

The organization's graduates have advanced to prestigious universities including Harvard, MIT, Cal-Tech, Princeton, Stanford, UCLA, and Yale, and careers at leading companies such as Apple, BCG, Cisco, Citadel Securities, Goldman Sachs, Google, Meta, McKinsey & Co., Microsoft, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Oracle, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, SpaceX, and the U.S. Department of Defense. This track record makes CEE a go-to source for STEM talent, supported by firms in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, technology, financial, and foundation sectors including Akamai Technologies, Citadel Securities, Jane Street Capital, Lockheed Martin, Regeneron, and TC Energy Foundation.

More information about CEE's programs and impact can be found at https://www.cee.org. The organization continues its mission to equip individuals with skills for modern jobs, boost innovation, and prepare society to tackle urgent challenges while expanding economic opportunity through STEM education.