National Math and Science Initiative Appoints O’Donnell Foundation Executive to Board of Directors
DALLAS– The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) has announced the appointment of Carolyn Bacon Dickson, Executive Director of the O’Donnell Foundation in Dallas, as the newest member of its Board of Directors. Ms. Dickson joined the board upon the completion of the recent merger between NMSI and Laying the Foundation, a teacher training program that was founded by the O’Donnell Foundation.
“NMSI will benefit immensely from the education expertise that Ms. Dickson brings to this organization,” said Tom Luce, Chairman of the Board and former CEO of NMSI. “The O’Donnell Foundation has been a pioneer in dramatically improving math and science education here in Texas and across the nation and has been the genesis of much of NMSI’s work. Its focus on improving student performance and training a stronger corps of math and science teachers – hallmarks of NMSI programs – will pay lasting dividends in this country.”
NMSI was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to reverse the United States’ troubling decline in math and science education.
“It is an honor to join this distinguished group on the NMSI board, all of whom are committed to fostering excellence in education, especially in STEM fields which are critical to the economic well-being of our country,” said Dickson.
In addition to Mr. Luce and Ms. Dickson, NMSI’s board of directors comprises a prestigious list of influential industry and education leaders. They include Norman R. Augustine, former chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation; Dr. Bernard Harris, president and founder of the Harris Foundation, Inc., and as a NASA Astronaut was the first African-American to walk in space; Dr. Sally Ride, president and CEO of Sally Ride Science and as a NASA astronaut was the first woman in space; and Dr. Charles M. Vest, president of the National Academy of Engineering and president emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
About Carolyn Bacon Dickson: Carolyn Dickson is Executive Director of the O’Donnell Foundation in Dallas. Its mission is to strengthen public education in math, science, engineering, and the arts, with special emphasis on an excellent teacher corps to inspire and educate our next generation of engineers, scientists and artists.
Ms. Dickson has held both federal and state appointments dealing with education reform, including serving on the White House Education Policy and Advisory Council, Vice Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a six-year term on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and chairman of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund of Texas.
Current board memberships include the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, and the Statewide Clinical Trials Network of Texas, the first statewide network that brings together the best medical and scientific talent in Texas to more rapidly advance the field of personalized care for cancer patients.
About the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI): NMSI was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to reverse the United States’ troubling decline in math and science education. NMSI is focused on improving the American public school system by replicating programs nationally that have documented success: the AP Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) to expand the number high school students mastering college-level Advanced Placement* courses, and UTeach, a program to recruit and prepare college students to become qualified math, science and computer science teachers. The APTIP approach currently is being implemented in 340 high schools in nine states. Additionally, 55 high schools in 15 states serving large populations of students in military families will be implementing the APTIP model through the Initiative for Military Families by fall 2012. The UTeach program is being implemented by 29 universities across the United States, with an estimated enrollment of more than 5,500 students.
NMSI has received major funding support for its groundbreaking national initiatives from Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, with additional support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Lockheed Martin Corporation. For more information, please visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.
Contact: Rena Pederson, NMSI Communications Director at (214) 665-2523 or rpederson@nationalmathandscience.org.
