Universities Space Research Association Receives $25,000 Donation for STEM Workforce Development Programs

News provided by

Universities Space Research Association

Oct 17, 2019, 11:00 ET

COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Universities Space Research Association (USRA) today announced a donation of $25,000 from JastinTech-Luxrobo to support the delivery of STEM workforce development programs at USRA's STEMaction Center. The gift will help ensure USRA's ability to deliver robotics competitions, conduct 3D printing workshops, host classes to build computers, and provide opportunities to launch small-scale experiments into space for students.

The donation was announced at an event at USRA's STEMaction Center promoting the upcoming launch of a workshop to teach computer coding using MODI robotics and automation elements invented by Korean start-up company Luxrobo.

"Sparking curiosity and a desire for exploration in science and technology at the earliest ages is the first step toward improving the pipeline of students that will ultimately pursue STEM careers," said Dr. Jeffrey A. Isaacson, President and CEO of USRA. "This generous gift from JastinTech will enable USRA to continue providing these activities to ensure they are accessible to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds."

"As a company that relies on a highly-skilled STEM workforce, we want to help ensure all employers in Howard County and across the region have the talent pool to draw from," said Soo Park, JastinTech VP of Federal Sales. "JastinTech is committed to inspiring students to pursue STEM careers and is proud to partner with USRA in this effort."

The Washington, DC-Baltimore region is a national leader in the cyber security industry, home to major research instructions, and leading manufacturing, biotech, information technology, and health care organizations placing STEM professionals in high demand. USRA delivers a portfolio of hands-on K-12 STEM programs to inspire, engage, and develop the next generation science and technology workforce.

The intuitive design and ease of use of the MODI elements combined with Luxrobo's proprietary MODI Studio coding platform facilities differentiated content development for students at all skill levels – from beginner to robotics and programming expert.

The event was attended by Howard County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball, USRA President & CEO Dr. Jeffrey Isaacson, JastinTech Director of Education and Luxrobo CEO Dr. Sanghun Oh, and Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) CEO Lawrence Twele.

About USRA

The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering. USRA was founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government. It operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs, under Federal funding from NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Department of Energy, and other agencies. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house technical leadership and project management expertise. The governance of USRA is grounded in 111 major research universities. USRA is located in Columbia, Maryland. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.

PR Contact:
Suraiya Farukhi
Universities Space Research Association
[email protected]
410-740-6224 (O); 443-812-6945 (Cell)

SOURCE Universities Space Research Association