With a snip of crimson ribbon, leaders in the state of Washington welcomed a new addition to higher-education opportunities available to local students wanting to pursue careers related to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.

The group was celebrating the grand opening of Washington State University Everett’s new Snohomish County engineering facility – one created with the support and partnership of Boeing.

A $250,000 gift from Boeing last year allowed the creation of the Boeing Innovation Studio on the Everett campus. It features state-of-the art technology that will allow students to make prototypes of designs with 3-D printers and the latest machining devices.

“Faculty in Pullman, (Wash., site of the main campus) might be envious of the technology in Everett,” joked WSU President Kirk Schulz before the crowd of students, professors, alumni and community leaders.

Boeing also announced the creation of the Ray Stephanson Scholarship for STEM Leadership in honor of Everett’s mayor.

“Ray Stephanson has dedicated his career to improving the lives of people in his city and state, and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to building the higher education capacity in Snohomish County,” said Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Commercial Airplanes.

“Boeing and our tens of thousands of employees in the state – thousands of whom are WSU graduates – are pleased to be able to create a lasting scholarship in his name that will help prepare local students for exciting STEM careers,” McAllister said.

Boeing currently manages relationships with approximately 200 universities and higher education institutions worldwide to fuel the company’s second century of talent and innovation. The collaboration with higher education is designed to inspire and cultivate a global workforce for aerospace innovation by increasing access to education, accelerating skills development and enriching the educational experience for students.

By Deborah Feldman