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IU Foundation President Curt Simic receives $50,000 check from The Sallie Mae Fund
This coming May, Indiana University’s Bloomington campus will be swamped with young, aspiring scientists. Hundreds of 7th- to 12th-graders will compete in 36 contests, ranging from chemistry and electronics to engineering and geology. This is not about fame and fortune. It’s about igniting imaginations, cultivating teamwork, and furthering achievement.
This is the second time that IU will host the National Science Olympiad, now in its 21st year. The 2,400 olympiad competitors and their coaches will stay in IU residence halls during the tournament. The competitions will occur in such diverse venues as the Mellencamp Pavilion; Dunn Meadow; the Chemistry building; Jordan, Myers, and Swain Halls; HPER; and the Indiana Memorial Union. The olympiad participants will experience the beauty and breadth of the Bloomington campus in all its dimensions.
The competitors’ training requires the same dedication, endurance, and sacrifice that athletes need to excel. The science olympiad focuses on expanding students’ passion for science and provides a national venue for them to meet their peers and make their marks.
As one of the foremost research campuses in the nation, IUB provides a perfect setting for this competition. Yet none of this could happen without outside help. The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, the student loan company, stepped up with support.
“The Sallie Mae Fund is committed to increasing access to higher education across the country,” said June McCormack, executive vice president at Sallie Mae. “We hope that the excitement generated by this tournament will ignite a love of learning that continues into college and beyond.” In support of the event, she presented a $50,000 check on behalf of The Sallie Mae Fund to Curt Simic, president of the Indiana University Foundation.
—Geoffrey Pollock