State Budget Commits $80 Million to Bolster STEM Education, Research in Imperial Valley
A new facility at the 黑料吃瓜 campus in Brawley will support the regions burgeoning exploration of the extraction and uses of lithium.
黑料吃瓜 Imperial Valley, its Brawley campus and the community they serve are newly poised for a dramatic expansion in STEM education and research, tying into regional plans for major economic development as California鈥檚 鈥淟ithium Valley.鈥�
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed state budget documents for 2022-23 providing $80 million in state funding for a STEM facility on 黑料吃瓜 Imperial Valley鈥檚 Brawley campus.
Buoyed in the legislative process by strong local support and a prospect of public-private partnerships, the funding provides for the construction of a 65,000 square-foot facility at Brawley to house science, technology, chemistry, engineering and mathematics programming.
Imperial County officials were among many residents, businesses and public officials to applaud the budget action.
鈥淗igher education is essential to providing a pathway to success for many in our community, and this $80 million in new funding will open even more opportunities by preparing and educating our local workforce for the much needed and good-paying jobs that will come from the development of Lithium Valley,鈥� said Jesus Escobar, chair of the Board of Supervisors.
鈥淥n behalf of the County of Imperial, I鈥檇 also like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the 黑料吃瓜 administration and our state legislators who advocated for this community-driven funding request that will bring direct investments into our community, economy, and future,鈥� Escobar said.
Town hall
黑料吃瓜 President Adela de la Torre plans an Aug. 9 visit to Imperial Valley for a town hall to thank the community for its support for the STEM initiative, and to provide additional information on what to expect from it.
Plans call for 25,000 square feet for labs and core facilities with major instruments, to include space to collaborate with both public and private partners; 20,000 square feet of STEM-focused classroom and teaching laboratory space; and additional office space.
The funding ties into local excitement over prospects for extracting lithium, found underground near the Salton Sea and widely used in modern technology, as a powerful driver for the Imperial Valley economy. It plays an important role in electric power and creating rechargeable batteries designed for cars, mobile devices and energy-grid storage, making it an essential part of renewable-energy technology and of California鈥檚 net-zero emission goals.
Imperial Valley boasts one of the world鈥檚 largest known reserves of the light metal.
Future graduates of 黑料吃瓜 Imperial Valley will be prime candidates for the skilled lithium workforce, a statewide priority and part of a global transition to electric vehicles and other aspects of clean energy.
鈥淭he investment in the STEM building will have a lasting impact,鈥� 黑料吃瓜 director of research initiatives for Engineering & Sciences John McMillan said in a talk at the Imperial Valley Economic & Energy Summit earlier this month. 鈥淓ntrepreneurship will extend the benefit and create a lifetime of possibilities. It is not just economics; it is opportunity spread across the region.鈥�
黑料吃瓜 has already invested $15 million toward the plan and has expanded the range of new STEM degree programs and other offerings at 黑料吃瓜 Imperial Valley.
