JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 18, 2020 – Liberty Science Center (LSC) announced today that Bank of America has signed on as a Founding Corporate Sponsor of SciTech Scity, LSC’s planned 30-acre innovation campus that will launch and grow dozens of world-changing science and technology companies and reimagine K-12 science education.

Bank of America donated $1 million to the effort, which will ensure that the scientists of tomorrow will be prepared with the tools and technologies they need to deal with future crises, as well as to discover and pioneer breakthroughs that will make the world a better place for years to come.

The bank has dedicated more than $100 million to coronavirus response efforts to help tackle pressing health and humanitarian issues facing those most vulnerable, such as food insecurity, medical response and access to education.

“The coronavirus is reshaping our world in ways we could not have imagined, and it is essential to think beyond the current environment and consider future impacts,” said Sheri Bronstein, chief human resources officer at Bank of America and LSC trustee. “Addressing upcoming challenges will require bold, creative solutions across the public and private sectors. Liberty Science Center’s SciTech Scity will help nurture pioneering advancements for the betterment of all.”

“We are grateful to Bank of America for its confidence in our vision,” said Paul Hoffman, LSC president and CEO. “Science and technology are the keys to the economic, social, and intellectual future of our country. With SciTech Scity, we are building a unique campus to foster science and tech entrepreneurship.”

In addition to its financial support, Bank of America is lending its leadership expertise as their Head of Global Business Services Sumeet Chabria joins the SciTech Scity board of trustees. Chabria is a thought leader on the impact of artificial intelligence and in this capacity represents the bank at various U.S. government forums and as a member of the Council on the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence at the Harvard Kennedy School. His responsibilities at the bank also include providing scalable and shared technology and operations services to all lines of business, and managing all technology contractors and resourcing vendors.

“Bank of America is proud to be a founding partner of SciTech Scity as it works to invent a better future, today,” said Chabria. “What the coronavirus has demonstrated is not only the importance of science and technology in our daily lives, but the need for more STEM talent to accelerate the pace of innovation with vision and purpose. SciTech Scity is creating that vision and purpose with a one-of-a-kind environment where science and technology leaders can thrive and achieve their full potential.”

With this significant grant, Bank of America joins EY and Verizon as Founding Corporate Sponsors of SciTech Scity. Other anchor supporters include the city of Jersey City; Joseph D. and Millie E. Williams; LSC Board Co-Chair David Barry; and former Congressman Frank J. Guarini, who donated $10 million in December, LSC’s largest gift.

The SciTech Scity campus will be named the Frank J. Guarini Innovation Campus and includes 12.5 acres donated by Jersey City, where the new construction will be, and the existing Liberty Science Center, home to the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere.

SciTech Scity is a “City of Tomorrow” where companies and researchers test — and residents and visitors experience — new high-tech products and services before they come to market. It will bring together entrepreneurs, scientists, academics, students, and other thinkers and doers “who share Alan Kay’s prescription that the best way to predict the future is to invent it,” said Hoffman.

The first phase of SciTech Scity, on a path to open in late 2022 or 2023, includes the following new construction projects:
• Edge Works: A central location for innovation comprising two distinct hubs. The Works will have a fabrication lab, research and development spaces, offices, and co-working areas for start-ups and entrepreneurs. The Co-Creation Center will be a state-of-the-art conference center and tech exhibition gallery.
• Scholars Village: Residential housing for innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs, STEM graduate students, and individuals and families who desire to be a part of the SciTech Scity community. • Public Commons: Five-acre outdoor park with activations that encourage exploration, creativity, collaboration, and innovation. An events plaza for concerts, farmers markets, art exhibitions, and food-truck festivals.

Subsequent phases of SciTech Scity will include expanded incubation space, a science-focused public school, and other facilities to drive STEM innovation and job creation.

About Liberty Science Center
Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than 250,000 students visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s off-site and online programs. Welcoming more than 750,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest interactive science center in the NYC-N.J. metropolitan area.

Bank of America
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).