The Center for Excellence in Education’s Research Science Institute at MIT Will Expand to Stanford in 2027

MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) is proud to announce the expansion of its flagship program, the Research Science Institute (RSI), to the campus of Stanford University starting in the summer of 2027. This new initiative will start with 50 of the world’s most accomplished high school students participating in a rigorous six-week summer research program.

“RSI is the gold standard for nurturing leaders in STEM. We are proud to partner with Stanford University, where leaders excel and are nurtured,” said CEE President and Co-Founder Joann DiGennaro. “CEE Trustee and MIT Professor Feng Zhang (RSI ’99) and Stanford Professor Jacob Fox (RSI ’01) are to be commended for supporting this exciting opportunity for America’s future leaders in science technology, and business.”

“Mentorship and experiential learning are central pillars of STEM education at Stanford University. RSI scholars will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty and their graduate students to explore the latest frontiers and technologies being used to advance science and engineering,” said Mary Beth Mudgett, senior associate dean for the natural sciences in Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences.

Andrew Charman, PhD (RSI ’86), a physicist and lecturer in the Department of Physics at UC Berkeley, will serve as the director of RSI at Stanford. The Stanford program will mirror the long-standing RSI MIT program, maintaining the same prestigious standards of academic excellence and innovative research. RSI MIT will continue to serve 100 students, while RSI Stanford will start with 50 students. Participants will be selected based on their exceptional potential in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Like the program at MIT, RSI Stanford will be free to attend for all selected students.

Next summer, RSI Stanford participants will experience the entire research cycle from start to finish. They will read the most current literature in their fields, draft and execute detailed research plans, and deliver conference-style oral and written reports on their findings. During the first week of the institute, students will participate in intensive STEM classes led by accomplished professors. Then the core of the program is a five-week research internship where students conduct individual projects under the tutelage of distinguished scientists and researchers. Details regarding the application process, schedule, and deadlines for the inaugural 2027 Stanford session will be released later.

The RSI program is the signature program since CEE was co-founded by Joann DiGennaro and the late Admiral H.G. Rickover, the “Father of the Nuclear Navy” and a pioneer in the use of civilian nuclear power. They recognized that nurturing careers of excellence and leadership in science and technology in young scholars was an essential investment in the United States for its national and global future. Joann has documented this history in a new biography entitled Rickover: Underway, My Way, available on Amazon.

About the Center for Excellence in Education

The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was founded in 1983 by the late Admiral H.G. Rickover and Joann P. DiGennaro, President of the Center. The Center’s mission is to nurture high school and university scholars to careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and business, and to encourage collaboration between and among scientific and technological leaders in the global community. CEE sponsors the Research Science Institute (RSI), USA Biolympiad (USABO), Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP), and STEM Lyceums. CEE is a leading source for top STEM talent. For more information, visit https://www.cee.org.

Media Contact: John Mooney, (908) 720-6057, john@overthemoonpr.com