Director, STEM Next
A national leader and expert in STEM learning, Ron Ottinger is known for his expertise in informal and out-of-school time STEM education and in building collaborations among schools, science centers, communities and afterschool programs that increase STEM learning opportunities for young people. Currently Ron serves as co-chair of the national STEM Funders Network. At the University of San Diego, Ron is the director of STEM Next and continues the work he began as executive director of the Noyce Foundation. For the past nine years, he led the foundation’s strategies and initiatives in informal and out-of-school-time science, focusing on field-building efforts that are marrying afterschool and science. Prior to joining Noyce, Ron served for fourteen years as National Associate Director of the non-profit AVID Center, which disseminates AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), the nationally acclaimed college preparation program for low-income students. He was elected to three terms on the San Diego City Schools’ Board of Education from 1992-2004, during a period of major reform of the school system, and was the longest running board president.