Education, said investment banker George Peabody (1795-1869), is a debt due from present to future generations. Lighting manufacturer Osram Sylvania shares not only the commonality of Danvers, Massachusetts-Peabody’s birth town and Osram’s U.S. headquarters-with the nineteenth century philanthropist, but also his philosophy that investment in education is critical to the future. The company recently made a ‘long-term’ commitment to the lighting education program at the University of Colorado at Boulder for $50,000 a year. The money will be used to create more extensive coursework in the subject. Initially, the university hopes to formulate a new lighting-related ‘capstone’ course for seniors who have completed their other coursework in the lighting program and want to bring together what they have learned. Going forward, after the course is established, the funding will provide for additional instructional resources.
The University of Colorado at Boulder’s undergraduate educational program in lighting and illumination engineering prepares about 20 students each year. The school’s legacy and the proposal it put forward matched the manufacturer’s goals for the grant. For Osram, this gift is about ‘investing in the future of the lighting industry,’ says Pam Horner, the environmental marketing manager for the company, who points out that the long-term capability and strength of the industry will be determined by the strength of educational programs for students today. She hopes the lighting industry at large will take up this mantel: ‘Lighting manufacturers need to step up to the plate to insure that we are getting the best down the road,’ says Horner. a|l