SAN DIEGO, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — STEM Next Opportunity Fund today announced that its Board of Directors has selected nationally recognized STEM education leader and longtime STEM Next advisor Melissa Moritz as the organization’s next CEO, effective November 1, 2026.

Moritz brings nearly two decades of experience spanning the classroom, nonprofit sector and federal government with a consistent focus on expanding access to meaningful science, technology, engineering and math learning for young people nationwide. Her appointment marks the next step in STEM Next’s planned leadership transition announced in March, when founding Executive Director Ron Ottinger shared plans to retire after more than a decade leading the national STEM education nonprofit.

An MIT graduate, Moritz began her career as a middle school science teacher in New York through Teach For America before going on to launch and lead the organization’s national STEM initiative. She later served in the Obama administration as Deputy Director of STEM Education at the U.S. Department of Education, where her work included Computer Science for All and other national efforts to expand STEM learning.

“Throughout Melissa’s career, she has demonstrated an ability to bring people, ideas and resources together to achieve ambitious goals that expand opportunities for young people. That approach is fundamental to STEM Next’s work and makes her uniquely suited to lead our next chapter,” said Jackie Schirmer, Chair of the STEM Next Board of Directors. “We are proud to welcome her as STEM Next’s next CEO.”

Moritz currently serves as a STEM Next senior advisor overseeing the STEM Next Opportunity Fellows Network, a program that provides federal and state agencies with STEM experts who add capacity and subject-matter expertise in STEM education and learning.

Moritz first joined STEM Next as a fellow herself, serving at the Institute of Education Sciences with a focus on afterschool and summer learning. She later took on leadership of the fellowship program, growing it from two fellows to more than 16 fellows and alumni.

She has also held leadership roles at national nonprofits including the National Math and Science Initiative and the Alliance for Learning Innovation.

“I’ve seen firsthand the way STEM experiences can shift what young people see for their futures, and I’ve also seen how those opportunities multiply when many organizations work toward the same goal,” Moritz said. “That’s what excites me about STEM Next: we have built the national infrastructure for high-quality STEM to reach millions of young people through afterschool and summer programs. At a time when technology is rapidly changing how young people will learn, work and live, these experiences have never been more important. I’m excited to build on that momentum and take this work even further.”

As Moritz officially assumes the CEO role on November 1, STEM Next remains focused on its North Star goal to reach and excite 20 million young people with high-quality STEM through afterschool and summer programs by 2030. 

“Melissa is exactly the kind of leader STEM Next needs for this next chapter,” Ottinger said. “She knows STEM Next, she knows this field, and she brings the experience and energy to build on what this team and our partners have created. I’m excited to see where she and this extraordinary team take STEM Next in the years to come.”

About STEM Next Opportunity Fund
STEM Next Opportunity Fund is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to making STEM learning more engaging, effective, and widely available to all youth across the nation through afterschool and summer programs. With more than a decade of experience and a network of afterschool leaders in every state, STEM Next has reached more than 15 million youth and supported more than 450,000 afterschool and summer program educators. Through its signature efforts—the Flight Crew and the Institute for a STEM Ready America— STEM Next helps more young people build the curiosity, confidence, and skills they need for whatever comes next. Learn more at stemnext.org.

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SOURCE STEM Next Opportunity Fund