September 4, 2009 —

Capitol College has established the Center for Space Science Education and Public Outreach (SSEPO) as a component of recent strategic initiatives within the space science and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, building on the Emerging Leaders Program announced in June 2009.

Haden Land, vice president - chief technology officer and chief information officer for Lockheed Martin IS&GS-Civil Product Line, officially presented the college with seed funding from the company’s foundation on September 2, 2009 to augment the immediate growth of the initiative.

“Initial financial support from Lockheed Martin and other grants will enable the Center’s mission and supplement the college’s current outreach efforts,” said Capitol College President Michael Wood in a statement.  “We look forward to the development and cultivation of new partnerships with external organizations through the Center, as well as continuing to support Capitol’s Space Operations Institute’s and our Innovation and Leadership Institute’s educational objectives.”

Dr. Michael Gibbs, vice president for advancement, will lead the new Center.

“The Center's vision is to assist in educating and developing the future leaders of the STEM career fields through utilizing space science, astronomy and other related areas of study at Capitol College to engage students of all ages,” said Gibbs. “The Center is a welcome addition to the Capitol community and builds on our strategic objectives.”