STEM In Advanced Manufacturing

Students learn about a variety of manufacturing careers and the tools used to make jobs safer and more effective utilizing STEM.

We begin on Monday with a manufacturing simulation game to learn about operational and financial decisions that manufacturing managers make. Tuesday through Thursday, we learn about tools used to improve manufacturing efficiency and product quality. On Friday, each team of students presents their proposals for improving a process or product of a manufacturer they toured.

Gordon Bourns

Chair of STEP

Chairman and CEO, Bourns Inc.

Gordon Bourns grew up working weekends and summers at the family business, Bourns, Inc., which his parents, Marlan and Rosemary Bourns founded in their Pasadena garage in 1947. He received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of California, Los Angeles before he became a Bourns employee in 1973. During his 46-year career with Bourns, he has held positions in sales, marketing, engineering, quality assurance and manufacturing, as well as general management. He was elected Chairman of the Board in December 1988 by the Company’s Board of Directors and was elected President in 1990.

Science Technology Education Partnership

The Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP) was established to bridge the skills gap between our K-12 students and high-technology industry needs. STEP produces its flagship science and technology education event every year, the STEP Conference. The first of its kind in the region, this conference serves to ignite the imagination of thousands of students, so that they might pursue promising careers in high-technology fields. It also provides hands-on training to hundreds of K-12 teachers, ensuring they have the latest tools to keep our students competitive in the global marketplace.