GE Aerospace Foundation Launches Next Engineers with University at Albany, miSci and NYCreates in New York’s Capital Region

Plans to reach 4,000 local students with engineering learning and development opportunities

October 7, 2025 - Niskayuna, New York - The GE Aerospace Foundation announced today its partnership with University at Albany - State University of New York and Schenectady's Museum of Innovation & Science (miSci) and NY CREATES to launch the Next Engineers program in the New York Capital Region. As a key location in the continued expansion of Next Engineers, New York will play a vital role in inspiring and preparing the next generation of engineering leaders.

"We are proud to inspire and train the next generation of engineering professionals in the New York Capital Region, where GE Aerospace's roots stretch back for over a century," said Germaine Hunter, Vice President, Workplace & Employee Experience at GE Aerospace. "Nearly 1,000 employees help advance the future of flight at the GE Aerospace Research Center where ideas become reality, making it a fitting location as we continue growing our Next Engineers program-a key part of our philanthropic commitment to empowering and supporting the communities we serve."

Programming in New York will include Engineering Discovery for early secondary school students and Engineering Academy for older students preparing for higher education. Students in the Academy will engage in immersive design challenges, career coaching, and college-readiness workshops. Eligible participants who complete the Academy and pursue engineering degrees will also have access to scholarships. Programming begins in early 2026, with the goal of reaching 4,000 students in the New York Capital Region over four years.

"We're incredibly proud to join with the University at Albany and the Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady to launch Next Engineers right here in New York's Capital Region, where America's first industrial research lab was established," said Joe Vinciquerra, General Manager and Senior Executive Director, GE Aerospace Research Center. "We know firsthand the impact thousands of engineers can have in changing people's lives for the better and through Next Engineers, we will help cultivate talent to address the world's biggest technological challenges."

Next Engineers equips students ages 13 to 18 with hands-on learning experiences, career exposure, and college preparation to encourage them to pursue engineering careers. With more than 26,000 students reached globally to date, the program aims to grow the pipeline of young talent entering the engineering field.

"For nearly two centuries, the University at Albany has been a powerhouse of academic excellence, groundbreaking research, and purposeful action," said Havidán Rodríguez, President of the University at Albany. "We are thrilled to partner with GE Aerospace to spark interest in STEM, and to help educate the next generation of engineers to tackle society's toughest challenges, answer its most pressing questions, and drive solutions to its most complex problems."

"NY Creates is excited to support this positive initiative enabling experiential learning for students in the Capital Region to expand the critical innovation-centered pipeline which underpins the growth of high-tech companies across New York State and beyond," said Dr. Robert Geer, NY Creates Vice President for Workforce Development and Education. "We are thrilled to partner with GE Aerospace, the University at Albany, and MiSci to deliver programming that will lead to tangible results for countless students, unlocking lifelong career opportunities as we leverage our workforce development network with our partners to inspire the next generation of talent."

"Schenectady's Museum of Innovation & Science (miSci) has been sparking curiosity and igniting innovation in local students for decades," said Chris Hunter, President of miSci. "As a center for learning, imagination, and creativity, miSci is excited to inspire the next generation of students through the Next Engineers program."

Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year and 75th anniversary at its Niskayuna research facility, the GE Aerospace Research Center carries forward a proud legacy of innovation that has helped to shape society. From Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent light bulb and pioneering advancements in medical imaging and power generation to advanced aircraft propulsion technologies, its scientists and engineers are the driving force behind technologies that change the world.

The New York Capital Region is the latest location to join the Next Engineers initiative, following recent expansions to Bengaluru, India and Warsaw, Poland. The original Next Engineers programs are located in Cincinnati, Ohio; Greenville, South Carolina; Staffordshire, UK and Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2024, the GE Aerospace Foundation committed $20 million through 2030 to expand Next Engineers and will add a final city in 2026.

Students, families, and schools interested in learning more can visit: https://www.nextengineers.org/locations/newyork

About the GE Aerospace Foundation

The GE Aerospace Foundation, an independent charitable organization funded by GE Aerospace, complements the company's purpose to "lift people up" in communities where employees live and work around the world. The Foundation's philanthropic strategy and programs focus on engineering education, workforce development, and disaster relief. We also support GE Aerospace employees through programs such as Matching Gifts and STAR Awards. When GE Aerospace launched as an independent company in 2024, the GE Foundation was relaunched as the GE Aerospace Foundation, commencing a new chapter that builds on the successful, 100+ year legacy of the previous GE Foundation. Learn more at www.geaerospace.com/company/philanthropy.

About GE Aerospace

GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) is a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems leader with an installed base of approximately 49,000 commercial and 29,000 military aircraft engines. With a global team of 52,000 employees building on more than a century of innovation and learning, GE Aerospace is committed to inventing the future of flight, lifting people up, and bringing them home safely. Learn more about how GE Aerospace and its partners are defining flight for today, tomorrow and the future at www.geaerospace.com.

About University at Albany

Educationally and culturally, the University at Albany-SUNY puts "The World Within Reach" for its 18,000 students. An internationally recognized research university with 56 undergraduate majors and 128 graduate degree programs, UAlbany is a leader among all New York State colleges and universities in such diverse fields as public policy, nanotechnology and criminal justice. With a curriculum enhanced by 300 study-abroad opportunities, UAlbany launches great careers. For more information about this globally ranked University, visit www.albany.edu. For UAlbany's extensive roster of faculty experts, visit www.albany.edu/news/experts.shtml

About NY Creates

NY Creates serves as a lab-to-fab bridge for advanced electronics, fostering public-private and industry-academic partnerships for technology development and innovation. Creates attracts and leads industry-connected innovation and commercialization projects that secure significant investment, advance R&D in emerging technologies, and generate the jobs of tomorrow. Creates runs some of the most advanced facilities in the world, boasts more than 2,700 industry experts and faculty, and manages public and private investments of more than $25 billion-placing it at the global epicenter of high-tech innovation and commercialization. Learn more at www.ny-creates.org.

About miSci

The Museum of Science and Innovation, founded in 1934, is a center for learning, imagination, and creativity. miSci delivers informal science experiences to 19,000 students annually through field trips to the museum and outreaches to schools and libraries. miSci hosts approximately 400 researchers annually and receives around 2,000 queries each year. At miSci, exhibitions, educational programs, and events are designed with our mission in mind: "to inspire people to celebrate and explore science and technology past, present, and future." The Museum fulfills its mission by preserving and interpreting the history of technological change and its societal impact, helping visitors explore the creative processes that inspire discovery and invention, and engaging visitors with interactive exhibitions and programs that encourage them to inquire about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject areas.