Joshua Schuler, currently InvenTeams grants officer of the Lemelson-MIT Program, will become the new executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program, effective July 1.
In announcing the appointment, Professor Merton Flemings, faculty director of the Lemelson-MIT Program, said, "Josh Schuler brings to this new assignment a strong record of accomplishment in development of the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams initiative over the past three and a half years. I am grateful that he is now ready to bring his vision and leadership to bear on the Lemelson-MIT Program as a whole."
Schuler joined the Lemelson-MIT Program in August 2003 to lead the then-nascent InvenTeams initiative, which supports year-long, team invention projects in high schools. He has overseen its growth from a small, local pilot initiative to a nationally recognized initiative that has involved more than 800 students and 100 teachers and mentors in schools throughout the country to date. Through a guided approach to inventing, the students learn to apply science and engineering to solve real-world problems that they select.
"This is an exciting period for the Lemelson-MIT Program, as its awards and outreach evolves," said Schuler. "I am thrilled by this opportunity and look forward to strengthening our collaborations with MIT, the Lemelson Foundation and other partners to cultivate an inventive and sustainable community."
A graduate of Tufts University (B.S., B.A. 1995), MIT (S.M. 2000) and College des Ingenieurs/ENPC (M.B.A. 2001), Schuler has demonstrated previous leadership in an array of positions, such as AmeriCorps firefighter, mayor's chief aide and international business and management consultant.
The Lemelson-MIT Program recognizes outstanding inventors, encourages sustainable new solutions to real-world problems and enables and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention. For more information, visit web.mit.edu/invent/.
Contacts:
Melissa Makofske
617-452-2170
melm@mit.edu
Kayla Willis
617-258-0632
kwillis@mit.edu
