Libraries receives Pentair Foundation grant

The NC State University Libraries is pleased to announce that it is a 2021 grant recipient from the Pentair Foundation. 

The $10,000 award will support the ongoing Pentair Fellows program at the Libraries, through which graduate student fellows develop a curriculum for workshops on STEM tools and technologies. Free to NC State students, these Libraries workshops seek to address knowledge and skills gaps that often deter students from pursuing STEM fields. The workshops cover both basic tech and tools, such as Excel and project management, and emergent ones like Python, Tableau, 3D printing, and virtual/augmented reality. The Fellows also create parallel online tutorials for students to access remotely.

"Over the past year the Pentair Fellows program has been critical to the Libraries’ ability to serve its users and meet them where they are by developing high-quality content for online learning,” says David Tully, Libraries Fellow. “This work has helped create opportunities for a large, diversified audience to access STEM workshops, which contributes towards students' success rates and looks further ahead to the time they enter the job market."

Pentair, a leading provider of water treatment and sustainable solutions, aims to improve the quality of life of people around the world by delivering smart, sustainable solutions that empower its customers to make the most of life’s essential resources. The Pentair Foundation supports this mission through philanthropic efforts focused on providing greater access to cleaner, safer water, promoting STEM education, and supporting the communities where its employees live and work.

"The Pentair Fellows program is an ideal example of the Libraries’ work to provide experiential learning opportunities while giving NC State students experiences and skills that help set them apart in the marketplace,” says Greg Raschke, Senior Vice Provost and Director of Libraries. “The STEM-focused, peer-learning experiences provide comfortable, compelling avenues for students from across the university to pursue STEM careers. We could not provide these rich employment opportunities and fruitful peer learning environments without the support of the Pentair Foundation."