Former library transformed into the Steve and Kathy McShane STEM Innovation Center, complete with 3D Anatomage Table
WARREN—De La Salle Collegiate High School is set to celebrate 100 years of learning next year, and as it prepares for its centennial celebration, it was a proud moment for faculty, staff, alumni and students on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 9, when they ushered in the school's future with the grand opening of the Steve and Kathy McShane STEM Innovation Center.
The transformation of the former library into a state-of-the-art academic space where students can engage in a STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — curriculum will nurture and inspire careers, school leaders said. It also means the school, founded in Detroit in 1926, is ready to enter its second century, to, as its motto states, be "Builders of Boys. Makers of Men."
“As De La Salle prepares to celebrate 100 years of educating young men rooted in faith, service and excellence, this center symbolizes our commitment to the next century,” Greg Esler, advancement director at De Le Salle, told those gathered.
Ben Aloia, class of 1991, and chairman of the board of trustees, said that the new center is “a place of possibility” for the young men studying at De La Salle, especially as their education prepares them to enter a world where STEM careers are evolving and growing every day.
“In today’s rapidly evolving world, a STEM education is the backbone of innovation and future career opportunities,” Aloia explained. “STEM careers are growing six times faster than other occupations. Highlighting the increased demand for these skills across various industries, access to a quality STEM education is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. The STEM center will be a place to propel our students into future leaders who will live with morality, integrity and spirituality.”
School leadership thanked the many donors, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and students who made the opening of the STEM center possible, with a special mention for the generosity and mission of Steve and Kathy McShane, for whom the center is named.
McShane, a 1961 graduate of De La Salle, became the first in his family to go to college, first attending the University of Detroit, where he earned his Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, followed by the University of Michigan, where he earned his Master's in Business Administration. An inventor and entrepreneur with hundreds of patents to his name, McShane “took a leap of faith” and started his business, Midtronics, in 1985, investing in a small piece of technology that analyzed automotive batteries electronically.
McShane reflected back on his time at De Le Salle when he walked through the halls of the old school building in Detroit (De La Salle moved to its current Warren location in 1982) as a young teen, never imagining a facility like the STEM center, which would prepare students for careers that didn’t exist in the 1950s.
“Our high-tech club in the 1950s was ham radio. We connected using Morse code through the static of short-wave radio,” McShane explained. “Biology lab back then meant dissecting frogs. Memorable? Yes. High tech? Not exactly. Today’s students will study biomedical subjects using our Anatomage table, an immersive, virtual 3D human cadaver with no frogs harmed in the process. Today's students, incredibly, are launching rockets, flying drones, building robots and will soon be messing with AI in ways that our slide rules could not even dream of. This isn’t just progress, it is transformation.”
As a young professional, investing in a then-unknown piece of technology, McShane said he faced industry resistance and had to educate, prove and persuade his customers to put their faith in him and technology. However, it all paid off, paving the way for the world today where STEM fields are embraced and explored, he explained.
“The lessons I learned from my journey are simple: innovation is a goal, curiosity is a spark, and persistence is a fuel,” McShane said. “The STEM center isn’t just about labs and 3D printers, it is about dedicated teachers and and world-class curriculum that prepares young men for a world where change is constant and it is accelerating.”
McShane pointed to artificial intelligence, which is already shaping the world we live in by writing code, providing medical diagnoses, designing products, and — occasionally — making things up “to keep us on our toes,” he quipped.
“For today’s students, AI won’t just be a tool; it will be a collaborator,” McShane explained. “But the real advantage won’t come from having smart machines, it will come from using them responsibly, ethically and creatively.”
McShane pointed to a recent quote from businessman Bill Gates, who explained that while AI will continue to advance and automate much of what we do, certain roles will endure, such as programmers, energy experts and biologists and any other field that requires creativity, problem solving, abstract thinking and human insight.
“Biology, (Gates) pointed out, is messy and unpredictable, full of ethical challenges,” McShane continued. “Machines can model data, but they can’t replicate human wisdom; that’s why the STEM center matters. We are preparing students not just to keep pace with technology that is now moving at lightning speed, but to lead it with human insight and Christian values.”
In the STEM center and beyond, De La Salle students will not only use new technology, but they will improve upon it, McShane said.
“Our students will ask the questions that AI can’t answer, McShane said. "That’s what the STEM center represents. It is more than brick and mortar; it is a launch pad. A place to experiment, collaborate, fail, learn, and try again. The opening of the STEM center marks the beginning of De La Salle's second century. The centennial is about honoring De La Salle's past, the STEM center is about assuring its future."
