SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Universal Technical Institute‘s (UTI) Jerry Ellner, national director of high school development, was recently named to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Education Coalition Leadership Council. The STEM Education Coalition represents a broad, yet unified voice in advocating for policies to improve STEM education at all levels. As an alliance of more than 500 business, professional and education organizations, the Coalition works together to raise awareness in Congress, the Administration, and other organizations about the critical role that STEM education plays in enabling the U.S. to remain this century’s economic and technological leader of the global marketplace.
Ellner and a team of nearly 150 UTI admissions representatives deliver STEM workshops to more than 10,000 high schools in 33 states, helping students and teachers understand what qualifies as STEM. This tireless commitment garnered a mention at the US News STEM Solutions National Conference, which led to an invitation for Ellner to interview for a notable position on the STEM Education Coalition Leadership Council. As the 36th member of the Leadership Council, Ellner and UTI are prepared to continue to lead the charge in STEM education advocacy, he says.
"UTI has been taking a leadership role in educating students and teachers alike in what STEM is, and equally as important, what it’s not," said Ellner. "For our work to be recognized by an organization as prestigious as the STEM Education Coalition is truly an honor. STEM is a part of so much of what we teach at UTI, whether it’s spark plugs or highly computerized diagnostic equipment."
Ellner’s membership on the Leadership Council comes at a pivotal time, as NASCAR joins UTI’s STEM education efforts by serving as a partner for the 2013-’14 school year. The joint effort will continue UTI’s workshops at high schools on defining what STEM is, but use actual NASCAR race footage and other resources to demonstrate real-life decision making and problem-solving.
"Many people don’t realize that STEM is central to a lot of what makes working on cars so exciting," said Ellner. "We all like hearing the roar of the engine, but few stop to think about what actually makes the engine roar. UTI is ready to explain to people why it’s important to stop and think about it."
Ellner will attend his first Leadership Council meeting this month in Washington, D.C.
