August/September 2023

IMSA Alumni Supports Investment in STEM for All and Helps Advance the Human Condition

Matthew Gietl ‘12 believes that “continued investment in STEM education and science literacy across all communities is critical to continuing human advancement.” As a supporter of IMSA’s Promise Program, we asked Matthew to share some details about his life, his time at IMSA, and his thoughts about the challenges we currently face, not only at IMSA, but in the world today.

What was the trajectory of your career once you left IMSA?

After IMSA, I went to undergrad at the University of Arizona studying math and computer science. During undergrad, I started interning in the trading industry at TransMarket Group in Chicago, where I still work today as an Algorithmic Trader.

Your donation to PROMISE will help create academic opportunities to support youth from underserved communities and diverse backgrounds. How does it feel to be able to provide support to these programs that help develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills to middle schoolers to help ignite their passions in STEM?

Right now, we’re experiencing increasing inequality, just as higher educational institutions have fewer levers they can use to give talented students from all backgrounds a fair shot. Programs like PROMISE that give students from underserved communities a chance to explore and develop a passion for STEM- maybe even learn if IMSA is right for them- helps to shift things in a positive direction.

How did attending IMSA make an impact on your life? Are there any specific lessons or stories from your time at IMSA that have served you well since graduating?

Before attending IMSA, I didn’t feel challenged and hadn’t learned to work hard to achieve academic success. IMSA taught me to push myself, grow, and deal with failing to meet my expectations. I forged bonds with peers from different backgrounds and perspectives than mine, many of whom remain my closest friends today. I truly consider attending IMSA my most formative experience and pivotal life decision.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing IMSA, STEM education, and the world today?

As the country has gotten more polarized, it seems large portions of the nation can’t agree upon the principles of science and question its merit, resulting in very real consequences. Healing some of those rifts will take time. Still, continued investment in STEM education and science literacy across all communities is critical to continuing human advancement and potentially restoring some shared notion of truth.

Similarly, suppose we do not invest in public education. In that case, we will fail to educate the next generation equitably to enable them to succeed in our rapidly changing world and attain social mobility.

Lastly, what are your hopes for IMSA over your lifetime? What kind of legacy would you like to see IMSA have?

I want to see IMSA continue to serve as a place where students from all over the state can meet people they never would have otherwise met, grow and build a community together, find their passions, and unlock their potential. I want IMSA’s legacy to not just be of shaping minds that make great advancements for humanity, but of shaping humans that make their communities better for being a part of them.

Thanks to Matthew for his passion for IMSA and willingness to support programs such as PROMISE!

Meet IMSA Senior, Anirudh Chari

Anirudh Chari '24 was selected as one of only 21 students nationwide to receive a 2023 Davidson Fellows Scholarship. The Davidson Institute awards college scholarships to gifted high school students, allowing them to pursue their passions and positively impact the world. Anirudh's project, “Space-Time Conflict Spheres for Constrained Multi-Agent Motion Planning,” includes the first algorithm to provide theoretical safety guarantees for motion planning among dynamic obstacles for autonomous driving vehicles, creating a safer experience for drivers and pedestrians.

Anirudh also presented his research at the 2023 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Intelligent Vehicles Symposium in Anchorage, Alaska earlier this summer. Regarding his research, Anirudh states "I’m incredibly grateful to be recognized as a 2023 Davidson Fellow. This achievement serves as further motivation for me to conduct scientific research that advances the human condition, and to inspire others to do the same."

Learn more about Anirudh and the Davidson Institute.

30 Years and Counting: The Creation and Evolution of IMSA’s PROMISE Programs

Fall 1993 marked the creation of a new type of program at IMSA meant to serve culturally, linguistically, and economically disadvantaged (CLED) students with talent and interest in math and science. The first iteration of IMSA’s PROMISE programs was originally designed for 9th graders close to becoming eligible to attend IMSA and addressed the challenges CLED students faced in pursuing STEM education. The program was an immediate success that created and developed a culturally rich and inclusive environment that helped affirm and celebrate individual differences in our students.

30 years later, the PROMISE programs have continued to evolve and have expanded to include fall and spring sessions for 7th-9th graders and a 10-day summer residential program for rising high school freshmen. Students participate in math, science, and humanities activities taught by IMSA faculty and former PROMISE participants and receive highly valued life experience learning leadership skill development and residential life participation. IMSA also provides PROMISE and Excel Extension Programs (PEEP) designed to support current IMSA students who have gone through the PROMISE programs by providing mentoring and tutoring opportunities, often with older students who have gone through the programs themselves. Furthermore, we were excited to announce the launch of PROMISE 2.0 during the summer of 2023, in which 26 rising juniors and seniors, most of whom identified as CLED students, provided scientific research through the SIR program. 18 students participated in drug discovery research on campus, and the other 8 students worked with faculty on various physics, computer science, and material science projects at Western Illinois University.

Since its inception, IMSA’s PROMISE programs have ignited and nurtured the ethical, scientific, and creative minds of CLED students. We couldn’t be more proud of the continued evolution of the programs. We believe that by continuing to address the challenges of underserved communities, we can improve the understanding and appreciation of science and mathematics, increase the number of CLED students pursuing careers in STEM fields, and develop the minds of our young students to give them all equal opportunities to change the world. We can’t wait to see what the next 30 years of PROMISE will bring!

Dr. Glazer visited IMSA students in Macomb while they were participating in a three-week summer research experience, called Promise 2.0,with faculty at Western Illinois University.

Alumni Highlights

Michael Brody '96 has received a new four-year term appointment from the US Department of Homeland Security to serve as Agency Chair and Visiting Professor at the National Defense University, College of Information and Cyberspace. This May, Professor Brody was Awarded the 2023 Student Appreciation Award by the CIC AY23 Master’s Degree Class for being the faculty member who positively impacted the class during the academic year.

Jason Jedlinski '95 was named President and CEO of WQED Multimedia, creating and sharing programs that educate, entertain, and inspire people in the broader Pittsburgh region. Home of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," WQED launched in 1954 as an experiment in community-supported educational television: the forerunner to PBS.

Trisha Jung '91 has been appointed by Nissan as Senior Director for EV Strategy and Transformation. Read more.

Jen Soriano '93 is a literary writer on science and society and has a book out this August about the social neuroscience of trauma (available for pre-order now at your local bookstore or here online.) She’s also to work on her next book about nuclear weapons and energy production.

Did You Know?

A Charitable Gift Annuity Can Save You Taxes Plus Offer a Fixed Stream of Income for the Rest of Your Life

Don't be surprised if you’ve never heard of a charitable gift annuity or know the benefits of establishing one. Though not as popular as charitable trusts, charitable gift annuities are a great estate planning tool that donors can utilize to fulfill their charitable intentions while also planning their income in retirement. Essentially, they work like this: a donor works with a non-profit organization and makes a donation to fund an annuity. Based on the donor’s age, amount of the donation, and estimated time until the donor’s death, the annuity will pay a fixed monthly or quarterly payment to the donor for the rest of their lives. At the end of the donor’s life, whatever remainder is left in the annuity will be gifted to the charity in full. In addition to a retirement income stream for the donor, they may also be eligible to take a tax deduction at the time of the original gift.

So, on top of providing an immediate tax deduction for the donor as well as an income stream for the rest of their lives, the other benefits of establishing a charitable gift annuity include the possibility of donating many different types of assets such as securities and personal property, allowing for a reduction or even eliminating capital gains tax liability on appreciated stock, and more importantly, supporting an organization you care about.

Although a charitable gift annuity may be the right choice for your estate, it’s important to know all the many different estate planning tools available to you, such as trusts, charitable gift funds, and bequesting IMSA in your will. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please contact Cesar Patino at 630.907.5051 or at cpatino@imsa.edu.

Hello,

I hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of Impact IMSA. We are incredibly grateful for your support of IMSA’s mission and greatly appreciate your generosity. Thank you for investing in our students and their imaginations. Together, we can nurture the next generation of world-changers.

Cesar Patino, CFP, MPAS

Charitable Gift Manager

ILLINOIS MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE ACADEMY

IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education

1500 Sullivan Rd., Aurora, IL 60506-1000 | 630.907.5051 | imsa.edu/giving

To ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds

that advance the human condition.