If you’re a regular Direct2Dell reader (you are, right?), then you’ve heard us talk before about Dell’s support for STEM initiatives. Last fall, we even had the CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA Sylvia Acevedo guest post.
It’s the kind of thing that makes me proud #Iwork4Dell. But, I have also felt that I’m personally failing because my own Girl Scout has zero interest in such things. Like her mom, she more enjoys the language arts, as well as dancing, acting and singing (much better than me).
STEM + Arts = STEAM
That’s why I’m excited that another letter is joining in the STEM acronym, and that Dell is continuing to show support for the expanded Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) movement.
“At Dell, creativity is central to what we do and how we approach our work. Whether it is in the approach we take to address a customer problem or how we develop an innovative new technology or solution we always strive to do things differently,” Timmy O’Dwyer, vice president Global Service Parts Operations at Dell Limerick, told I Love Limerick.
He was speaking at a STEAM event we recently co-hosted with the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland to showcase the role that Ireland’s creative and artistic community can play in driving innovation in the world of business and technology.
Full STEAM Ahead
The event’s theme was “Full STEAM Ahead in the Mid-West – Celebrating Great Innovation,” and Barry O’Sullivan, general manager at Johnson & Johnson, was one of several speakers sharing tweet-able visions for the opportunities that support for STEAM can bring:
“Why can’t we be a combination of the Ruhr valley, Silicon Valley and Broadway?” Barry O’Sullivan #STEAM #teamovate #limerick
— Louise Donlon (@LouiseDonlon) June 13, 2017
Something else O’Sullivan said at the event stood out to attendee Tom Kitt:
“Barry’s key point struck a chord with me. Forget about all the hype and the fancy stuff – when it all boils down we are only here to pass on something better that when we got it.”
According to Mark Redmond, chief executive, American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, there is more core research and development being done in the Irish operations of U.S. companies like Dell than ever before.
My teammate across the pond, Dave Griffin, spoke with Redmond at the event and you can hear more of his thoughts in this interview:
It Just Makes Sense
Adding support for the arts is more than just a feel-good thing that Dell is doing as we expand from STEM to STEAM. It makes good business sense.
According to research by Michigan State University, there is a link between childhood arts activities and patents generated in adulthood.
The team of multidisciplinary researchers studied a group of MSU Honors College graduates from 1990 to 1995 who majored in STEM fields. According to MSUToday, they found of that group, those who own businesses or patents received up to eight times more exposure to the arts as children than the general public.
More patents means more invention and that’s vital to businesses who want to stay ahead.
Such studies also mean there’s reason for me to put aside my “mom guilt” over the fact that my daughter prefers singing to science. Exposure to both could one day lead her to new discoveries that will benefit us all.
