On May 13, Peter Callstrom, CEO & President of the San Diego Workforce Partnership, spoke on a panel entitled “High-Impact STEM Philanthropy” at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies’ Breakthrough Biomedical Philanthropy Seminar.
He appeared alongside Edward Abeyta, Ph.D., Director of Pre-Collegiate & Career Preparation Programs and Assistant Dean for Community Engagement at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Extension, and Heather Lattimer, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the School of Leadership & Education Sciences at the University of San Diego (USD) in the panel, moderated by Mary Walshok, Ph.D. Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Programs & Dean of UCSD Extension.
In front of an audience of visionary philanthropists and private foundations, Callstrom, Abeyta and Lattimer called for more funding for life sciences and STEM programs, especially for those serving students from less advantaged communities.
Posing a frequent question that now emerges in this work, Callstrom asked the audience, “how could young people aspire to careers they don’t know exist?”
The two-day summit, hosted at the Salk Institute, featured presentations and panel discussions on topics from the worlds of philanthropy, foundations and science. It was geared towards thought leaders working to accelerate discovery in human health and environmental sustainability.