Initiative to Focus on Indiana’s STEM Legacy

Indiana Humanities has launched a statewide initiative aimed at celebrating the legacy of Hoosiers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The two-year initiative, known as Quantum Leap, will include grants, programs and other resources to explore the connections between the humanities and STEM.

The organization says the goal of the initiative is to "look at national and local STEM issues through a humanities lens" in an effort to promote discussions on various topics, including moral and ethical dilemmas and how we determine what is factual and what is not.

"In past eras, STEM and the humanities were seen as two sides of a common coin. Today, many people seem to view them as opposing forces, but it shouldn’t be that way," said Keira Amstutz, chief executive officer of Indiana Humanities. "If Indiana wants to succeed over the next 200 years, we must value both technical proficiency and critical thinking. We must understand both the data and its implications. And we must push forward by understanding where we’ve already been. These are some of the conversations we plan to inspire through these programs."

The initiative will offer Quantum Leap Grants of up to $4,000 for libraries, museums, historical societies and other tax-exempt organizations to develop their own public programs exploring the intersection of STEM and the humanities. It will also feature programs including the INconversation Series, a series of radio vignettes known as "Sound Bites" and a special program honoring the 200th anniversary of the classic horror novel Frankenstein.

The initiative is being led by a steering committee co-chaired by AgriNovus President Beth Bechdol and Susanne Wasson, U.S. Commercial Leader of Dow AgroSciences. You can learn more about Quantum Leap by clicking here.