ASTC was saddened to learn of the passing of Ann S. Bowers, the creator of the Noyce Leadership Institute (NLI), which had a tremendous impact on a generation of science museum leaders. Between 2008 and 2015, NLI engaged 123 Fellows and 94 Sponsors in seven cohorts, who collectively represented 91 institutions in 27 nations.
Bowers, who passed away on January 24, was the first Director of Personnel for Intel Corporation and the first Vice President of Human Resources for Apple Computer. She was co-funding trustee and Chair of the Board for the Noyce Foundation, which focused on improving math and science education.
The foundation began to focus on non-school settings as a result of a study it co-funded which found that the amount of science being taught in schools was woefully inadequate. NLI was established, in part, because Ann noticed a thin talent pool when recruiting for new leaders at two science centers on which she served on the board.
The foundation made the somewhat uncommon decision to sunset in 2015, but its legacy lives on, including through the STEM Next Opportunity Fund and the network of NLI alumni.
Among other leadership roles, Bowers served on the board of the Exploratorium and was board chair and interim CEO at The Tech Museum in San Jose, California, where she supported the establishment of The Bowers Institute to provide professional development support to educators and education organizations offering digital lesson plans and professional learning through The Tech Academies.
“Ann made a huge impact on my life and the lives of many science center directors,” said Tim Ritchie, ASTC’s current Board Chair, and an alumnus of the Noyce Leadership Institute. “She was expansive in her generosity, demanding in her expectations, and wry in her sense of humor. Her legacy will live on for generations.”
Additional Information:
- “Lessons from the Noyce Leadership Institute,” Dimensions, March/April 2015.
- “Our Boards in Action: Ann S. Bowers on the Noyce Leadership Institute,” Interviewed by Joelle Seligson, Dimensions, March/April 2015.
- Noyce Leadership Institute, archived page from the Noyce Foundation.
- “The Noyce Foundation Story, 1990–2015: Achieving High Impact with Low Overhead,” National Center for Family Philanthropy, Winter 2016.
- “Remembering Ann S. Bowers,” STEM Next Opportunity Fund, January 25, 2024.