POLY
Research Initiative
EXPANDS

The E.E. Ford Foundation and other generous donors pave the way for generations of students and faculty to engage in research at Poly. As first described in the 2021–2022 Report of Giving, the pilot of the Poly Research Initiative provided Upper School students and faculty with a vehicle for summer research and experimentation. With the support of a prestigious $250,000 challenge grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation followed by over $1,000,000 in gifts from a cadre of generous Poly donors, we are proud to announce the endowment of the program.

 

The original Poly Research Initiative program was piloted by Upper School science teacher Dr. Bala Selvakumar shortly after his arrival in 2021. During his tenure, students have published their research extensively in publications such as Genomics Insights and publications and databases at Tufts University.  For many students, the singularity of the Poly Research Initiative can be felt not only through the pathways to publication but also through the special mentorship that comes from additional summer collaboration with faculty.

 

 “Research is important to the Upper School at Poly because that’s how students learn,” Upper School Director José Melgoza said. “Students are able to engage with the material in an original way. They’re able to become independent learners and really pursue a passion that isn’t easily replicated in a typical classroom setting.”

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This past spring, with the support of the Foundation, Mr. Melgoza and Dean of Faculty Harvey Johnson put out an open call for faculty to submit proposals for summer research. They received many inquiries and exciting ideas to explore this year and in years to come.

 

Following a selection process, Poly Upper School students were offered two intriguing research opportunities: to conduct laboratory experiments with support from Caltech faculty or to explore the Rococo period with field trips and guided explorations of the Huntington Library and Gardens. Students and faculty were supported financially to participate in these summer research projects.

 

John Gulla, Director of the E.E. Ford Foundation, believes the promise of financial support for research means more representation, including achieving gender parity in research science, racial equity, and inclusion. To him, Poly’s diverse student body and location in Southern California made it an ideal school to pilot this program, especially because Poly and the E.E. Ford Foundation also share a long, interconnected history with reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships.

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Further, Mr. Gulla believes that these types of grants are more powerful when leveraging donor support, For Poly to receive the $250,000 gift from the Foundation, the school agreed to secure a hefty 1:4 matching requirement through the participation of other donors within two years of the grant being awarded. Inspired donors accomplished the match in less than one year, exceeding the $1,000,000 endowment minimum set forward by the Foundation. These were led by an anonymous donor’s gift along with sisters and Poly alumnae Ellen D. Brown ’75 and Deborah R. Brown ’73.

 

Ellen is a physicist, as was their father, former Secretary of Defense and Caltech president, emeritus Harold Brown, and Deborah is an artist. Investing in students and science research have long been important causes in their family, which they demonstrate through their philanthropy. “I value the education I received and think that Poly is unique and certainly contributed a lot to my prospering in the world,” said Deborah. “I feel blessed to continue to support the school.”

 

When reflecting on this past summer, Mr. Johnson commented “I want to note the importance of building relationships between students and faculty with programs such as the Poly Research Initiative. These mentor-mentee relationships can really help a student feel that they belong and that they can start to envision a path towards their own adulthood and the kind of adult they want to become.”

 

In the words of Head of School John Bracker, “Part of the genius of the E.E. Ford Foundation is that when they make a grant, their grant money comes as sort of startup funds to help get the program going. The Foundation doesn’t want this to be a one-off. They challenge you to raise money to endow the program, so that once you have a chance to experiment, explore, and iterate, the program lasts forever.” Poly is excited and grateful to the E.E. Ford Foundation and the donors for ensuring the Poly Research Initiative does, indeed, last forever.